Reading Ja'kobe Walter

What a stellar Game 5 showing from Raptors sophomore Ja'Kobe Walter, in spite of Toronto falling 125-120 in an unfortunate defeat. Ja'kobe Walter has emerged this Saturday as one of the stories drawing attention in Canada.

Key facts

• What a stellar Game 5 showing from Raptors sophomore Ja'Kobe Walter, in spite of Toronto falling 125-120 in an unfortunate defeat.
• Raptors starter Ja’Kobe Walter says he’s not going to approach Game 6 any differently than normal, whether Brandon Ingram is playing or he isn’t, says I’m going to take the open shots when I have them, and do what I got to do to win.
• Ja’Kobe Walter’s strong Game 5 performance shifts expectations and highlights his importance for the Raptors' playoff run going forward.
• RJ Barrett led the Raptors' offense with 19 field goal attempts, while Scottie Barnes and Ja'Kobe Walter both tied for second on the team with 16 attempts each in Game 5.
• As a result, Ja'Kobe Walter will get the nod in the starting lineup Thursday, bumping Shead to a bench role.

What we know

Going deeper, Raptors starter Ja’Kobe Walter says he’s not going to approach Game 6 any differently than normal, whether Brandon Ingram is playing or he isn’t, says I’m going to take the open shots when I have them, and do what I got to do to win.

On the substance, Ja’Kobe Walter’s strong Game 5 performance shifts expectations and highlights his importance for the Raptors' playoff run going forward.

Beyond the headlines, RJ Barrett led the Raptors' offense with 19 field goal attempts, while Scottie Barnes and Ja'Kobe Walter both tied for second on the team with 16 attempts each in Game 5.

More precisely, as a result, Ja'Kobe Walter will get the nod in the starting lineup Thursday, bumping Shead to a bench role.

It is worth noting that after going ice cold in the last two playoff games, Game 5 was bound to be a big opportunity for Walter to break out of his slump and show that three-point spark alongside his disruptive defensive effort.

By the numbers

At this stage, despite running into foul trouble, Walter was the third-highest player on the Raptors' roster in minutes played, getting a series-high 34:51 of run.

On a related note, Walter shot 7-for-16 in the contest, including 6-for-14 from three, for a series-best 20 points on the board.

Going deeper, after all, it was cornerstone Scottie Barnes who said that "it’s all going to come to show," for Walter in the lead-up to Game 5 and it sure did.

On the substance, Just like in Game 5, the pressure now largely falls on someone like Ja’Kobe Walter to step up.

The wider context

On a related note, Raptors' Jamal Shead: Shifting to bench for Game 3.

Going deeper, Shead isn't in the starting lineup for Game 3 against Cleveland on Thursday, Serena Winters of FanDuel Sports Network Ohio reports.

On the substance, In a game where Toronto suddenly lost Brandon Ingram's services, Walter was arguably the most important "next man up" in the Raptors' pecking order, providing an essential boost as Jamal Shead and Sandro Mamukelashvili also put in commendable efforts.

Beyond the headlines, that reveals a lot about the faith and belief Walter’s coaching staff and teammates had in him going into this game.

More precisely, as we’ve seen with another young standout, Collin Murray-Boyles, in this series, the defensive and shooting aggression that Walter brings is desperately needed for the Raptors right now.

The bottom line

• As a result, Ja'Kobe Walter will get the nod in the starting lineup Thursday, bumping Shead to a bench role.
• After going ice cold in the last two playoff games, Game 5 was bound to be a big opportunity for Walter to break out of his slump and show that three-point spark alongside his disruptive defensive effort.
• Despite running into foul trouble, Walter was the third-highest player on the Raptors' roster in minutes played, getting a series-high 34:51 of run.