TORONTO – It’s an old adage that rookies don’t draw fouls within the NBA. It’s partly because veterans get the good thing about the doubt from referees and a bit bit because young players don’t know the best way to draw defenders into fouls.
Fortunately for Toronto Raptors freshman Ja’Kobe Walter, he plays like an old soul.
The 20-year-old Walter is averaging seven points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Raptors to this point this season, but had a season-high 19 points in Monday’s 113-108 loss to the Latest York Knicks. He’s drawn eight shooting fouls and three and-1s to this point this season, including making 4 of 5 free throws as a part of his 19-point performance.
“Just being aggressive, just attempting to finish through contact, not specializing in any cause,” said Walter, who accounted for nearly half of Toronto’s 11 free-throw attempts on Monday. “We weren’t getting a number of the whistle calls today, but I feel just still going to the rim, attempting to finish, and never specializing in it.”
Walter was chosen nineteenth overall on this past summer’s NBA Draft and is one among 4 rookies that made the Raptors lineup. Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo and Jamison Battle, nonetheless, are all not less than 22 years old.
Related Videos
Walter was a standout freshman for Baylor University last season, averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists over 35 games, all starts. He showed some defensive prowess too as he averaged 1.1 steals and 0.2 blocks per game.
Get each day National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
“I feel crashing the glass, rebounding, been specializing in that,” said Walter on how he’s translating his game to the NBA. “I even have a number of energy, at all times been capable of try this.
“I’m just trying to search out others, being confident with my passes, attending to the paint.”
Walter has spent two stints on the Raptors’ inactive list to recuperate from a sprained shoulder, missing a complete of 14 games. Within the 11 games he has played in, his usage rate is 20.8 per cent, a stat that indicates what percentage of team plays involve him when he’s on the ground.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic said that one among Walter’s strengths is he doesn’t let the speed of the professional game get to him.
“Whilst a rookie, even 20 years old, he has a particular pace that he’s fiddling with. He doesn’t get sped up,” said Rajakovic after practice on Tuesday. “He plays at his own pace, and it allows him to see things, to create contact.
“He also has good size, long arms, he can finish on the rim, and for him it’s understanding that, ‘OK, I can do that at this level as well.’”
The Raptors confirmed on Wednesday that all-star Scottie Barnes sprained his right ankle within the loss to Latest York. Barnes shall be re-evaluated in a single week.
Within the meantime, Rajakovic said he’d be relying more on swingman RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., reserve guard Davion Mitchell, Shead and Walter to assist carry the load while Barnes recovers.
It’s a situation that Toronto’s depth players are used to this season.
The Raptors have now lost 107 man games to injury or illness this season, a number that can go up with Barnes and start line guard Immanuel Quickley (partially torn UCL) and Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery) all out.
Mitchell, who also attended Baylor, said that Walter was well prepared for enjoying professionally after his time on the university in Waco, Texas.
“I feel it comes from being across the Baylor individuals who’ve been around NBA players before, who sort of teach you the best way to be an NBA player,” said Mitchell. “I’m saying not only teach you the best way to be a university player.
“After I was there, they taught me the best way to be a professional, a bit bit.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
