Ja'Kobe Walter

From his arrival into the Toronto Raptors’ organization to the slightly-delayed NBA debut that followed, Ja’Kobe Walter, in more ways than one, found his standout athleticism well-tested in attempting to quickly get up to speed. As Austin Reeves and the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense might attest after giving him a chase or two around a screen, 2024’s No. 19 selection passed said test with flying colors. Unrelenting in his goal of supplying winning plays throughout his first-ever game, Walter hustles into a standout example, sprinting into a handoff before passing to a teammate to generate a head of steam. Putting Los Angeles’ guard through a guessing game and a relay race at once, Walter whirls off of a screen, finding the crevice needed for a give-and-go catch, followed by a milestone layup. Walter, even in Toronto’s loss, helped orchestrate a furious comeback attempt on November 1, 2024, hustling his way into a five-point, six-rebound, one-assist, one-block showing, alongside a +7 plus-minus.

Three-Star Rookie

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