Raptors' Rookie Report Card

 Ok we're officially winding down the NBA season here and the Raptors are hardly giving anyone anything to watch for at this point so I think it's safe to do some end of season evaluations. I wanted to start with the rookies, for the first time that I can remember as a Raptors fan the team had 4 rookies contribute in real NBA situations. A lot of that was because the team had a stated goal of prioritizing development this season, but I like what I've seen from all of them, especially as the season has gone on. Lets grade some rookies!

Jamison Battle: B+

6.3/2.2/0.8 on 43/40/88

The Raptors are back to finding useful players as undrafted free agents with Jamison Battle. I've said multiple times this year that Battle is simply one of the best shooters in the league and I will say it again here. If Battle has a slightly open look, I am confident that he's going to knock that thing down, more so than anyone else on the team. While I wouldn't call it a strength, Battle has shown that he can do a little bit off the dribble when guys close out hard, typically driving at a slow deliberate pace to create space for a floater. He's a capable passer who understands when to make the next pass, though you won't be asking him to run point for you in any serious situation. On defense he's been surprisingly better than you would assume. He's not OG Anunoby out there and teams can definitely take advantage of his lack of athleticism, but Battle has good size at 6'7 and has done a good job of staying in front of guys when he's called upon. This season is a weird one in that I think the clearest indicator that this guy is good is he's been held out of key moments of games late in the season with the Raptors trying to tank. I've seen multiple instances of Battle coming in to games and hitting a couple threes to get the Raptors right back into it before promptly being sent back to the bench. This isn't a perfect player, and on a good team he probably comes off the bench, but teams in the NBA are desperate for bench shooting and Battle fills that role beautifully. I see Battle as a Georges Niang type player in the future, for an undrafted rookie that's a really good outcome. If Battle can improve some of his secondary skills to go along with his elite shooting, he will be getting an A on his sophomore report card. 

Jamal Shead: A

6.5/1.4/3.8 on 42/34/76

I know what you're thinking, these stats warrant an A grade? I am here to tell you that Jamal Shead is more than meets the eye. It's a tale of two seasons for Shead, early on he had his issues in playing too quick and trying to force things on both sides of the ball. He'd be ultra aggressive on defense which as a rookie leads to a bunch of fouls. He'd also rush on offense leading to turnovers. Because of this, a lot of the early season PG minutes went to Davion Mitchell, even with Quickley missing the majority of the first half. At the deadline, the Raptors traded Mitchell freeing up more minutes for Shead, and he took those and ran with it. Settling down more, Shead has shown a really positive ability to run an NBA offense, especially as a bench guard. He has deceptive quickness and has used it to blow past defenders to get into the paint. Once he's in the paint, Jamal has a creative finishing package often going for floaters off the glass or weird angle layups, but his real value is in his passing. Shead is one of the best players on the Raptors at getting into the paint and making passes from there, a key aspect in creating good offense. While he's not an elite shooter, Shead has made himself into a respectable shooter picking his spots well and not shooting the team out of games. On defense, Shead is a playmaker which is really cool to see from a guy who's just 6'0. He still is overaggressive at times, but as his reputation grows the foul calls are beginning to turn into steals and I expect that to only get better as the team improves. Without a truly reliable off the dribble 3 ball, Shead might not be any more than an ultra valuable bench piece, but if he doesn't improve at all from here I see him as a TJ McConnell type which is a really fun, cool and positive player to have. Just from the improvement he's made this season, I have no doubt that Shead will work his ass off in the offseason and come back even better. It wouldn't surprise me if in 3 years we're looking at the next Raptors starting PG, but for now it looks like we found a really solid backup. 

Jonathan Mogbo: C+

5.3/4.3/1.7 on 44/29/71

Maybe I am too hard on Mogbo, I did basically give Shead an A just because I really like him. Don't get me wrong, I like Mogbo too and I can see the vision for what he can provide in the future, but as a rookie he's left me wanting just a little bit more. For his strengths, Mogbo is a really good defender.  Listed at 6'9, Mogbo moves his feet really well and has been trusted to guard a wide variety of players this year. More recently I watched Mogbo be the primary defender on Steph Curry, which really shows his versatility on that end. In a lot of lineups this season Mogbo's been played at the 5 where his switchability is on full display, though he is slightly undersized against the league's best centers. Mogbo has a really good handle and vision for his size and has the ability to rip down a rebound and dribble up the floor. Every now and then he'll bust out a flashy pass or two that turns some heads. Where Mogbo drops down to a C+ is with his offense, or lack thereof. Mogbo is a below average scorer at all 3 levels and he kind of reminds me of what the Scottie Barnes haters said he would be at the NBA level. Unless he's dunking the ball, there's a low chance he's making a shot. His floater game is poor though he attempts them fairly often. He has actually hit more 3s than I expected coming into the season but at 29% he's not exactly demanding a lot of attention out there. To top that off, he's super passive when he gets the ball often turning down open shots which gums up the offense. Through necessity, Mogbo's been played as a big a lot this season. The long term vision for him is at the wing where his defense can really pop. If he's going to be a successful NBA player at the wing he needs to improve his finishing at all 3 levels, or else it won't be worth keeping his defense on the floor. If Mogbo doesn't improve I see him as a Stanley Johnson type, but the athleticism and IQ do offer something to be excited about and if he ever gets a respectable 3 ball then the Raptors found their next lockdown 3&D guy. 

Ja'Kobe Walter: B

7.9/2.9/1.3 on 40/31/75

Weird rookie season for Ja'Kobe, but I think he made the most of it. Walter got injured early in training camp and most people expected that to impact his level of play in his first few months, but Ja'Kobe hit the ground running from day one. What really stood out is his defense. Even though he just turned 20 and his frame shows it, Ja'Kobe is a quick and tenacious defender who rarely allows guys to blow him by.  Competing with Gradey Dick for the shooting guard role, it was clear from the jump that Ja'Kobe is already a more talented defender, and I only see that gap growing as Ja'Kobe gains strength. On offense you may think his stats show that he struggled a bit, and his shots definitely didn't fall the way you would want, but I think the process was really good. Ja'Kobe doesn't take bad shots outside of the flow of the offense, he uses off ball movement really well and understands when to pull the trigger and when to make the next pass. While his handle isn't super tight just yet, Ja'Kobe has really good footwork and though the shots aren't falling, he's shown some ability to create space and get a good shot off the dribble at all 3 levels. One thing that really impresses me with Walter is his ability to get to the line. Rarely do you see a rookie who's so effective using the pump fake to draw fould, with Ja'Kobe it just shows a good understanding of offense and how to create advantages. Ja'Kobe's shot and process all look really good, he just needs the shots to start falling more consistently to be considered a quality NBA player. Ja'Kobe gets a big moment in one of the best Raptors games of the year as well hitting a ridiculous game winning 3 pointer against a Magic team that had no answers. Ultimately, if Walter can improve his 3, and just by the way it looks I believe he can, I see him as a KCP type with upside for more creation if all goes well. I suspect by next season the Gradey vs Ja'Kobe conversation will be getting a lot louder, especially if Gradey doesn't improve significantly on defense. 

And that's that! No grade for Ulrich Chomche, sorry sickos I just barely got to see him play. Chomche is a project anyway so we'll give him a report card next season if we see more of him. As always go Raptors!