Although the heartbreaking loss in game 7 was a sad way to end the season, it’s hard to find a Raptors fan that isn’t full of hope for next season. Already they outperformed in almost every metric, they clinched the playoffs (a feat that hasn’t been achieved since 2022) and phenomenal performances from the younger players on the roster has made everyone wonder what we could be in another year or two.
Some players come into the league and are incredible immediately, but teams are built around the guys
who come in and work hard and do their job on the court. You need superstars, but you also need a deep bench that can contribute and win the minutes where they are on the court.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the bench, their year, and one thing we’d like them to work on over the summer that will take them to the next level as a contributor to this team.
Jamal Shead
This season: 6.6 points || 1.7 rebounds || 5.4 assists || 36.7 FG%
While the numbers aren’t overwhelming, it’s undeniable that he’s played a big role on the team this year. Throughout the year, many fans drew comparisons with Kyle Lowry (maybe a tad prematurely, but I like the confidence). His “Dawg” mentality, the effort on both ends of the court, and his willingness to do any job have all raised his stock.
While there weren’t clear trends over the course of the season, as a starter, there’s significant jumps in virtually every stat: 11.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 7.5 apg, 39.6% FG.
His biggest assets are currently his gritty defence, facilitation for everyone else on the court, and (when he’s hot) long range shooting. He is undeniably a passionate and intense player, but that’s everything that you want in a competitor.
Where he could improve is developing a floater. He’s done a lot to get big men lobs and easy shots underneath, but at times, he doesn’t have the gravity to keep paint protectors on himself when he dives into the paint before distributing. If he can consistently score on push shots and floaters, that should open up more space for rollers and cutters with far less resistance because the defence will have to commit to one or the other.
Collin Murray-Boyles
This season: 8.5 points || 5.0 rebounds || 1.9 assists || 57.9 FG%
Despite being only 6’7”, his strength and athleticism allows him to play much bigger than he is. He spent minutes playing as a center, bringing us some of the most exciting, rim-rocking dunks of the season. It also allowed him to defend centers much larger than him and hold his own. In the playoffs, he brought us exciting, fearless rim protection that will only get better as he ages.
One of the most obvious skills he demonstrated throughout the season was his ability to read rebounds. Averaging almost as many offensive as defensive rebounds per game, he offered Toronto a myriad of second chance opportunities through sheer will. He has the intensity and the mindset to be a difference maker which he has already been doing in his first NBA season.
Offensively, he was able to be a lob threat, operate in screen and roll actions, and later on, developed a midrange game that allowed him to capitalize if defenses slacked off of him.
He’s already earning well-deserved accolades including the nod to attend the NBA Rising Stars game and received an All-Rookie Second Team selection.
Where he could improve is shooting. It’s hard to ask someone to be everything, but teams like the Spurs and the Nuggets that are able to run pick and pop actions capitalize on a center that can score from anywhere on the floor. Two thirds of his shots this season came from within a few feet of the basket. If he can extend that, even to the edges of the paint, that can create more options for everyone on the court.
Ja’Kobe Walter
This season: 7.5 points || 2.6 rebounds || 1.8 assists || 44.6 FG%
Sometimes people expect a sophomore slump. Some people might even try to frame this season as a slump since across the board, he averaged fewer points, assists, and rebounds than last season. If you look further, you’ll see jumps in shooting efficiency. His FG% jumped over 4% to 44.6%, and he shot 40.9% from long range, a 6% increase from the previous season.
With the health of Ingram and more bodies on the court, he touched the ball a lot less. A learning curve that not everyone would master, he struggled early on in October and November, but by April, he was averaging 10/4/2 and shooting 50% from the field in that calendar month.
While the numbers might not be overwhelming, all we should see is the leaps he made throughout the season, his effort and development in getting better and responding to tough games, and the aspect of how his game is developing. He has shown the ability to score from all over the floor, with potential to be a consistent, talented 3-level scorer.
What I would love to see from him this summer is just getting shots up. The only way to build consistency and confidence is to continue to work on the craft, and if he can put April numbers up all season long, he could be one of the most valuable bench players on the team.
Gradey Dick
This season: 6.0 points || 1.9 rebounds || 0.7 assists
Going from starting every night and playing 30 minutes per game to a single start and 14 minutes per game would be jarring for any player. For Gradey, this has been a tough year. The overall health of the team, new lineups, and early struggles saw him pushed deeper down the bench as the season progressed. Ultimately though, how he responds to this season will be the biggest determiner of his future on the team and in the league.
We’ve seen flashes of his ability as a shooter, but the shadow of Jamison Battle is looming. He wasn’t able to do much of what we’d expect and the lack of minutes meant that he wasn’t able to work out any of his issues on the court. In the past he’s struggled but a stint in the G-League and some opportunity to just shoot the ball helped him get into rhythm.
It’s not time to sell stock in him yet though. He belongs in the league. He had his first career double-double this season, which will be a silver lining he will have to focus on.
What he needs to work on this summer is his long range shooting. What earned Battle minutes over him consistently was when Gradey got his chance, he wasn’t able to convert. He needs to touch the floor and knock down those floor-spacing shots. His defence could also use some help, which would help him stay on the floor longer to work out some of his shooting yips.
Sandro Mamukelashvili
This season: 11.2 points || 5 rebounds || 2 assists || 52.3 FG%
Being behind Lopez and Portis in Milwaukee, he never had the opportunity to show what he was truly capable of in his first two seasons. San Antonio was ushering in the Wemby era, so they didn’t have room for him either.
Lucky for Toronto. Mamu has exceeded expectations consistently.
His physicality and strength allowed him to be a presence in the paint at both ends of the court. His long range shooting provided Toronto with some floor-spacing that they don’t have with Poeltl. He came out night after night and kept up with some of the best bigs in the league and held his own.
The biggest question is if he will be back. Mamu has a player option next year to the tune of 2.8 million, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he opted out in search of more money with the work he put in this year.
The one thing he could work on is decision making. At certain junctures throughout the season, the intensity of a game would lead him to force shots, often through multiple defenders and come up empty. While it didn’t always cost them the game, ultimately every possession matters and I’m sure the Raptors would like to have some of them back. Passing out or developing more of an ability to draw fouls in the paint would all be beneficial for him and (hopefully) Toronto next year.
Jamison Battle
This season: 3.1 points || 1.5 rebounds || 0.4 assists || 51 FG%
Those numbers will not jump off the page at you. In fact, saying he logged solid playing minutes in a series-clinching game wouldn’t be the conclusion you would draw. And yet, here he is.
He didn’t get a ton of opportunities throughout the course of the season, but when he did, his shooting felt more like a guarantee than a question. One of his most thrilling games was a 20 point performance in which he remained perfect from the field (7 for 7) followed up by a 14-point (5 for 5) night in game two of the playoffs.
He definitely earned his place on the team and the opportunity to prove himself further. His long-range shooting can be a crucial piece of the Raptors’ offence and when he is run off the line, he’s shown a solid mid-range game as well.
Defence should be the focus of his offseason. He committed a fair amount of personal fouls, often by trailing his mark. He would be a target for the other team at times which might send him to the bench if he’s giving up more than he’s getting offensively. Adding more defensive tools to his toolchest could help him stay on the floor to make the big shots when needed.
The Rest of the Bench
While there’s plenty of future potential, Mogbo, Hepburn, and Martin are probably not ready yet. They’ve all shown flashes, but the jump to the NBA is a challenging one, and these guys have their work cut out for them. I’d imagine any and all of them will probably spend next year working on their game in the G-league.
Temple has been the resident veteran and while he doesn’t log many minutes, Toronto has kept him around for a reason. A steadying voice with encouragement and wisdom. It’s unclear if he’ll be back next year or that will fall to a guy like Ingram, but his presence has been an asset. He’s always on the bench pointing and coaching everyone on how to grow.
Trayce Jackson-Davis was underwhelming. I would be surprised if Toronto picks up the option as he gradually fell out of the lineup altogether outside of garbage time.
Lawson has had probably the best season out of the deep bench, earning his way to a standard NBA contract. While the future is uncertain, the growth he has shown over the course of the season and his ability to pick himself back up after being passed over by multiple teams shows his unwavering effort. He keeps showing up, doing what he needs to do, and hoping it will continue to earn him a spot on the roster. Obviously Toronto has faith in him, or he wouldn’t be on the court in an elimination game. Hopefully he’s back next year.
While we have a couple months, free agency, the draft, summer league, and a whole bunch of possible changes, what Toronto is building is encouraging. There is a lot of young talent with a lot of heart on this team that has what it takes to contribute on this team in the coming years. Hopefully a couple months of work can help bring them to the next level.
