The Full 2024/2025 Raptors Report Card

Not Mentioned:

Garrett Temple: A (good vet, great interviews on the Raptors Show Podcast)

Orlando Robinson: B+ (A reasonable 3rd string center) 

AJ Lawson: A (Never misses a shot when RJ passes him the ball, from Brampton)

Jarred Rhoden: B- (not memorable, can defend a little I guess)

Ulrich Chomche: INC (barely played NBA minutes, youngest player in the league that's pretty cool)

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. 

Ochai Agbaji: A+

10.0/3.7/1.6 on 50/39/70

Ok, I might be guilty of grading some of these guys on a curve and grading others straight up, but it's my report card and I am the teacher. Coming into the season I wrote: 

"Ochai is a streaky corner 3 shooter, if you can even call it that. Until he proves otherwise, fans are going to wince whenever he puts up a shot. He has limited to no ability to attack off the dribble, and when he does, his floor vision is severely lacking often forcing up bad shots at the rim. He has found some success as a cutter, but in a lineup with Scottie Barnes shooting needs to be a priority. Ochai will be used this season as a defensive specialist, but until he improves on offense it is hard to see him taking on this fifth starter role long term." 

Really shows you how low I was on Agbaji coming into the year and why I feel he needs to be graded on a curve. You could make the argument that Agbaji has been the Raptors most consistent player this season. As mentioned previously, his defense has always been solid, he's not OG Anunoby out there but he's a decent option to throw at opposing teams' best guards or wings to make them uncomfortable. He is happy to take on that role every game and you simply need players like that on your team. On offense, Ochai has improved tremendously. Now an elite 3 point shooter from the corners, Ochai has begun to get more reliable from other parts of the floor as well. We've gone from wincing every time he takes a 3 to feeling like it's going to fall every time he puts it up. Ochai doesn't force things and try and do stuff off the dribble, he knows his role is to hit 3s, cut to the basket, run in transition and play defense, and he plays that role really well. When the Raptors are ready to compete again, they are going to need players like Ochai to complement stars. A lot of credit needs to be given to him for his improvements this season, he's proven to me that he not only belongs in the league, but should be a contributor on a winning team for a long time. 

RJ Barrett: B

21.4/6.5/5.6 on 47/36/64

I have to start by saying that I love RJ Barrett, my favorite Raptor in a long time. Something about a guy from Mississauga who demonstrates every day how much he wants to be here just warms my heart. That being said, RJ is a polarizing player in the Raptors space and the NBA as a whole. Similar to last season, RJ Barrett gets downhill better than anyone on the team. The only players in the league who attempt more shots within 5 feet of the rim are Giannis, Zion and KAT, 3 big men. Not similar to last season is how much RJ's improved the other aspects of his game. This is RJ's best playmaking season by a long shot averaging now 5.6 assists per game and frequently being asked to play point guard in a lot of lineups. What used to be forced shots at the rim have turned into kickouts which is awesome for a guy who is so consistent at getting to the cup. RJ rarely takes pull up 3s anymore, 4.6 of his 5.3 attempts per game are catch and shoot 3s where he's shooting a solid 36%. RJ is one of 12 players in the NBA averaging 20/5/5 or better (minimum 40 games), and at only 24 years old, usually that's something a fanbase is overwhelmingly excited about! So why is he only graded B? For all his positive contributions, RJ gives some of it back with his negative contributions. In a lot of games this year he's been a below average defender, often caught ball watching and not giving the effort you'd like to see on that end. I will say that in the last couple of months I have noticed his defense improve a ton, especially as more talented players began to return to the lineup lessening his load. Still, if we're grading him for the whole season, he needs to be knocked a bit for his defense. Another issue is turnovers, RJ still turns the ball over more than you would like. At 3 turnovers per game, RJ is up there with some of the best playmakers in the league, guys who are certainly providing a lot more on offense than RJ is. For all he provides on offense in getting to the rim, RJ does lack creation ability elsewhere on the floor with essentially a non-existent pull up game from either the 3 point line or mid range. Finally, the free throw issues are the most confusing part of RJ's game. For a decent 3 point shooter, it's baffling that he's only shooting 64% on free throws. If he improves this even just to 75% we're looking at another 0.5 ppg, nothing to sneeze at. Still though, despite everyone knowing he wants to drive left and get to the rim, RJ still manages to do it all game every game efficiently and that's nothing to sneeze at. For fans still worried about his fit with Brandon Ingram should they both be on the team next year, in the 7 games RJ overlapped with Siakam he had a 64% true shooting %. I really believe that the less responsibility RJ has, the more efficient he will be. He's adapted his role so many times already in his short stint in Toronto, I really hope they give him a shot to do it again with a winning squad. B for now RJ but in a slightly smaller role next year I bet I'm giving him an A. 

Immanuel Quickley: D+

17.4/3.6/5.7 on 42/31/85

I probably won't have as much to say about IQ as I did RJ, can you tell I spend a lot of my waking hours defending him to haters? For Immanuel, this has been a bit of a season from hell. After getting injured in the first game of the season, IQ came back and promptly got hurt again a couple of games later. With the injuries stacking up in the first half he's only managed to turn in 29 games this year and has spent a lot of those getting his rhythm back. D+ may be harsh, but 29 games is the sample I am grading so I think unfortunately that's fair. In the games he did play, IQ is clearly the best pull up 3 point shooter on the team by a wide margin. Quickley makes 1.4 pull up 3s per game at a very good 39% clip. The next most pull up 3s per game on the Raptors is Gradey Dick with just 0.4 (on a gross 25%, yikes), can you see why the Raptors struggled early in the year? Look around the league and you'll see pretty much every good team has a guy, or multiple, that can create their own shot on the perimeter. It's simply a skillset that is necessary to win in the modern NBA and for the Raptors, Quickley is the only one who can do so effectively until Brandon Ingram comes back. As IQ got back up to speed, his floater which was money in New York, hasn't been falling as much this season. Without the floater game, Quickley is pretty one dimensional, even if that one dimension is essential to the team's success. On defense Quickley has his moments, but ultimately he's a smaller guard who gets taken advantage of on that end and forces the Raptors to consider fit with the other starters when he's the guy they're playing. He's shown flashes of really good playmaking, but generally he's a score first guard, which is OK when playing alongside a guy like Scottie who likes to pass first. Quickley is a good solid player who brings an element to the team that they just don't have without him. He gets knocked this year for availability which hopefully for the Raptors isn't something he gets knocked for again. If IQ can play a full season next year, I bet we'll be singing a different tune. 

Gradey Dick: B-

14.4/3.6/1.8 on 41/35/86

Pretty decent sophomore season for Gradey Dick I'd say! The year started out with rotating injuries to RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, which thrusted Dick into a larger role than he had expected (couldn't resist.) Early in the year Gradey had me writing articles comparing him to all stars, and for good reason. There was a point in time where Gradey led the NBA in FG% from the mid range matching what the eye test said as well. He was still struggling more than you'd expect from deep, but he showed he has it in his bag to use his footwork and length to hit some tough jumpers. While his handle is still a bit suspect, the threat of Gradey's shot allows him an extra step with defenders closing out hard to him. Though his handle does need to improve if he ever wants to be a true on ball threat. We have seen late in games multiple turnovers with guys just slightly pressuring him as a ball handler, something to work on for sure. He's still awesome off ball and seems to always find himself in the right place ready to receive a pass. The 3 point shooting is more streaky than you would like from a guy who's number 1 skill is supposed to be shooting. He does take some difficult 3s and he takes them in a variety of ways, which is something not a lot of Raptors do, but even so you'd like to see that percentage bump up higher than a league average 35%. Where Gradey really gets dinged is his defense. In every Raptors game we see teams chomping at the bit to go at Gradey on defense, and he has no answers there. His lateral speed is slow and he frequently gets blown by. For the future there is some hope that he can improve there as he gains strength to go along with his length, but if it doesn't improve, it's hard to see a team being able to start Gradey when they're being serious. All in all, Gradey improved from last year and showed he has more in his bag on offense than just shooting. In a developmental year, these are positive steps that I think deserve at least a B-. 

Jakob Poeltl: A+

14.4/9.6/2.8 on 63/33/67

The 33% from 3 is pretty funny to put up there, that's on 3 attempts this season, 2 of which I can't even remember seeing. Anyway, Jakob Poeltl may not be this team's best player, but he is arguably the team's most important and most consistent player on a night to night basis. After a full season of moaning and groaning from the fan base about trading a first round pick for Jak, he's showed up every night and proved he's as valuable as the front office thought. Poeltl has one of the softest touches in the league, his floater at this point is money and he knows he can get it off at almost any time at his height. Jak is shooting 70% from inside 5 feet this season and 52% from 5-10 feet. Jak has great hands and you rarely see him fumble a pass no matter where it's thrown. He's a smart passer and the Raptors in Darko's system use him as a hub frequently where he's shown he can be effective. On defense, Jak isn't jumping out of the gym, but he's always in the right position, moves his feet well on the perimeter and closes possessions with rebounds better than anyone on the team. The biggest reason Jak gets an A+ is he's proven to be the best tank lever the Raptors can pull. To lose games this year the Raptors have just sat Poeltl in the 4th or all together in a game, showing how big of a hole the Raptors are dealing with without him. Jak gets an A+ not because he's a superstar, but because he knows his role and plays within it perfectly, rarely making mistakes. He's a winning player and would be an asset on any team in the NBA. I heard on a podcast recently that Jak is probably a top 3 Raptors center of all time, which might be slightly hyperbolic but not totally insane. To me you have to put Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka at 1 and 2, but after that it depends on what you prefer between Jonas Valanciunas, Jakob Poeltl, Antonio Davis and 1 season of Marcus Camby. I'll end this section by saying that all of last year I had to defend Poeltl every single day against an onslaught of haters, this year I haven't had to go to bat for him even once. The fans have come around Jak, A+.

Scottie Barnes: C+

19.5/7.8/5.9 on 45/27/77 

Scottie has fallen victim this year to fan expectations and I think that's a little unfair. But then again, despite having a nice season here I am giving him just a C+ while Jakob Poeltl who obviously didn't have as good of a year as Scottie gets an A+, so expectations do factor into these things. After the Siakam trade, it was made clear that Scottie is the building block of the future for the franchise, so with that in mind fans, and myself were hoping to see a little more improvement in the shot creation category and that's where Scottie came up short this year. If you go back to my bull and bear cases for the Raptors starting 5 article from September, I said the bear case for Scottie this year is averaging 19/8/6 on 45/30/70, basically exactly what happened. I also mentioned in that article that this would mean Scottie doesn't take the extra step as a creator and instead just continues to be a high level jack of all trades type, that happened as well. While the 3 point shot left him and he showed he can't create for himself at the level you want from a number 1 option, Scottie still did show some great improvement this year. Defensively Scottie has made himself into one of the best defenders in the league full stop. He won't get credit for it this season with the Raptors having the record they do, but I'm here to tell you Scottie should be getting all defense buzz in a fair world. With Scottie on the court the Raptors have a defensive rating of 113.36, with him off the court it balloons to 117.65, elite impact. As a help defender Scottie is a menace blocking shots and getting in passing lanes. He uses his strength and speed effectively to guard 1-5 throughout a game and is always a clear positive on the floor whether his shot is falling or not. Another underrated part of Scottie's season is his leadership has taken a jump. Last year when games weren't going his way, Scottie would sulk and almost give up on the game, I haven't seen that even once this season and that says a lot. Despite losses piling up, Scottie is always encouraging his teammates and playing hard until the final whistle, this wasn't the case last season and he deserves a lot of credit for showing this maturity. Unless his handle or 3 point shot take a jump this off season, Scottie may never be a true number 1 scoring option, I don't think that means he can't be the best player on a good team though. His passing and vision are still awesome for his size, he's a great defender and he fills in and does the little things on offense while being able to chip in when needed with scoring. Scottie may not have had the season that we all hoped for, but he still put together a really good season and showed signs of growth in some under the radar ways. C+ may be harsh, but it's only because we wanted the world. At just 23 years old, there's no reason why he can't come through with an A+ next year.

Chris Boucher: A++

10.0/4.5/0.7 on 49/36/78 

This is the last report card, sorry if you wanted ones on the 10 days and 2 ways from the end of the season or one for Garrett Temple. Free Boucher man. This season, just like  every other, Boucher has done everything the team asks of him. Is he the smartest player? No, but he's improved drastically in that regard biting on far fewer pump fakes and taking far less stupid shots. Boucher comes off the bench and brings energy to the game every single night no matter what. Some nights he's hot from 3 and is a secret weapon on offense, some nights he can't hit the water if he was shooting from a boat, but that never changes his approach. He comes in, hustles hard for rebounds, comes out. Earlier in the season Boucher came into games and single handedly won for the Raptors. The game against the Warriors stands out where he came into the 4th quarter and straight up outplayed Steph Curry down the stretch to secure a tight Raptors victory. As the season got more and more tank focused, Boucher fell victim to being too good to give minutes to, but he never complained once. I hope Boucher is a Raptor for the rest of his career. As a role model for the young guys, Boucher knows what it's like to be on the fringes of the NBA and the work it takes to stick around. He understands the attitude you need to have, especially if you're not the most talented guy in the room. You could argue he's been the best bench player for the Raps this season and similar to Jakob Poeltl, I think the tanking absences show that. Boucher gets an A+ not because he blew away my expectations, but because he's now fully understood his game and has cut out a lot of the mistakes that made him such an inconsistent player. Boucher gets the extra + because his attitude and leadership, especially for the guys on the end of the bench has been exemplary and he deserves a bonus for the BONJOUR we get whenever he plays in a game called by Jack Armstrong. Boucher's on the last year of his contract, if this is it for his Raptors tenure I will always look back on it fondly. Whether he's back or not, I hope Boucher gets a fair chance to play next season, he's a positive contributor in the NBA and deserves a good home. The last remaining member of the 2019 championship, I'll always love Chris Boucher.