In his first year in the league, Jamison Battle established an identity for himself as a three point specialist for the Toronto Raptors, with his abilities from long range earning him a regular contract with the team. As Battle enters his sophomore year, his role as a shooter is likely to further crystallize as new additions and his own skillset will go on to push him to focus even further into his particular niche.
Battle has distinguished himself as a solid scorer off the bench, playing off-ball,
and taking and making catch-and-shoot three pointers. Last season, he ranked second in three-point shooting efficiency for the team, shooting 40.5% from deep, making 1.8 threes per game. He also ranks in the top five for both three points made, and three points attempted on a per game basis. Clearly, the guy can shoot: but what else?
Battle beyond the 3
As a finisher, Battle plays passably around the rim, not afraid of a layup off a pass, as well as the occasional dunk, without much flashiness or demonstration of athletic prowess. His rebounding numbers are not much to speak of, and while he is capable of passing when the situation demands, facilitation is not something common to see from him on the basketball court. His numbers as a defender do not stand out, either. During his Summer League tenure, Battle turned in solid, but not outstanding performances as a Raptors starter, of a similar nature to what he provided coming off the bench in the regular season. However, a lot of this doesn’t matter because of the forward’s clear identity. Battle has a role and plays it well: bringing the Raptors firepower off the bench. His primary offensive responsibility is clear, but the question for him remains; how large of a role will he have in the 2025-26 squad?
The shooter played 59 games for the team in the 2024-25 season, starting in 10, as a part of last year’s injury-riddled roster. With hopes for a healthier team, it seems inevitable that Jamison Battle’s usage will decrease slightly, but as aforementioned, space for a high quality shooter will always be there on this Raptors’ team, which draws so much of its long-range ability from its bench. With the addition of Brandon Ingram to the starting lineup, and Gradey Dick’s likely move to the 6th man slot, the bench gets deeper, but minutes for guys like Battle will likely decrease as a result. Battle and Dick play similar roles in the Raptors’ offence, with the latter given more of a green light for inside scoring that Battle is. Ingram, as well, will be taking a number of threes that might otherwise have gone to Battle, but the latter’s role as a specialized offensive weapon suggests that Battle will continue to be used as such. A do-it-all player can be outshone by a player who does it all better than them, but Battle is not such a figure: rather, he excels in his niche, and despite encroachments upon his specialty, will continue to maintain his position as a sophomore.
Battle’s role will likely remain consistent under the system of coach Darko Rajaković, despite the addition of new rookie Colin Murray-Boyles to the team. When push comes to shove, the Raptors will likely choose to focus more energy on the development of their new forward than towards Battle, but the two players have such different roles on the team, the potential of one stifling the growth of the other is unlikely. Battle will likely continue to stay the course as a sophomore, raining fire upon the Raptors’ opponents from afar, without being asked to do more of the dirty work close to the basket.
