Ja'Kobe Walter emerged as the most notable 2024 Raptors draft pick, appearing in 52 games with 18 starts and multiple standout moments. He improved three-point shooting to 40% from January onward, scored a season-high 27 points, and hit a dramatic game-winner. His defensive versatility made him one of the team's best weapons during a stretch that produced a top-10 league defense. Walter excels at pressuring the ball with length, quickness, and nimbleness. Prioritizing defense is his swing skill because it offers a clear path to more minutes, a potential starting role, and greater team impact.
Walter played in 52 games for the Raptors, starting in 18 of them, and while his box score stats don't jump off the page, he shot 40% on his threes from January onwards, poured in a season-best 27 points against the Houston Rockets, hit a wild game-winner against the Orlando Magic and was one of the best defensive weapons on a team that was the seventh-best defense in the league, in the final 50 games of the year.
So why is this his swing skill? Because it's his calling card. Walter's defensive skill set is the key to unlocking more minutes for himself and potentially even earning a spot in the starting lineup. It's his pathway to staying on the floor to develop the other aspects of his game. And the more he impresses in that area, the more important he becomes for the team.
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