Raptors select Ja’Kobe Walter 19th overall at 2024 NBA Draft
Meet the newest member of the Toronto Raptors.
Toronto selected guard Baylor guard Ja’Kobe Walter 19th overall at the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-4 combo guard is a gifted two-way player, averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in 35 starts for the Bears in his freshman year. He was a five-star recruit coming into college and was the eighth-ranked prospect of the 2023 class on 247 Sports.
According to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, the Raptors did not hold a workout for Walter and he had no indication that the team would take him at 19.
The Raptors need all the help they can get from long-range as they look to build out their core around Barnes. Don’t let his 34.1 per cent hit rate from 3-point range fool you, Walter can provide the shooting they need as one of the best movement shooters in the class.
With the Raptors’ tendency to operate more off-ball screens and handoffs last season, Walter, with his steady pull-up shooting ability, could add serious dynamism to an offence that started to find its sea legs when the core was healthy in limited action last season. He’s also a talented driver, unafraid to get physical down the lane and finish through contact.
Though not a primary shot-creator due to his lack of ball-handling abilities, he did showcase a solid gift for playmaking while in high school and can operate well in tight spaces on drives.
The Raptors finished 25-57 last season and struggled mightily on both ends, finishing in the bottom 10 in both offence and defence.
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