Raptors youth playing critical minutes

TORONTO – In the last minutes of a adjacent crippled the Toronto Raptors had rookies Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter and Jonathan Mogbo playing with sophomore Gradey Dick and four-year seasoned Scottie Barnes.

At 23 years of age, Barnes was the oldest Raptor connected the level arsenic Toronto tried to implicit a 23-point comeback successful a 121-115 nonaccomplishment to the New York Knicks connected Tuesday. Shead said that it was impervious the Raptors’ rebuild is going to plan.

“I deliberation that’s a testament to us. We didn’t shy distant from it,” said Shead, who scored a career-high 16 points and added 9 assists disconnected the bench. “I deliberation we accepted the challenge, and we looked guardant to it and I deliberation it was truly amusive and we made it fun.

“We’re young, but that’s however you learn.”

Walter, Toronto’s first-round prime successful past summer’s NBA Draft, besides saw committedness successful the young lineup.

“That conscionable shows the maturity that we person and what we privation for the future,” said Walter, who finished with 13 points. “Having games similar this aboriginal successful our careers, I cognize successful the future, we’re going to beryllium acceptable for times similar that.”

It was conscionable Toronto’s 3rd nonaccomplishment successful 11 games arsenic the Raptors person recovered their bushed since a five-game losing skid successful aboriginal January. Shead said the squad is nearing caput manager Darko Rajakovic’s imaginativeness of what the Raptors could be.

“I deliberation helium preaches perfection, and you won’t get to that, but you tin get close,” said the 22-year-old Shead, who was selected successful the 2nd circular of the draft. “Just trying to propulsion yourself and effort to beryllium cleanable each game. He’s not going to bushed you up for it, but he’s going to propulsion you to it.

“Having a manager similar that helps you due to the fact that helium conscionable wants the champion retired of you.”

Walter started successful spot of RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., who missed the crippled aft entering the NBA’s concussion protocol earlier Tuesday. Like Shead, helium said accrued playing clip successful Toronto and with the G-League’s Raptors 905 is helping him rapidly improve.

“Just having the shot successful my hands a small spot much and being capable to beryllium a leader, it conscionable brings my assurance up for times similar this,” helium said. “When radical similar Scottie oregon Gradey oregon whoever spot maine with the shot successful my hands.

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“Playing with 905 decidedly helped maine enactment connected my skills, and to assistance the crippled dilatory down for me.”

Veteran centre Jakob Poeltl had 5 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists successful 15 minutes of play for the Raptors earlier leaving the crippled with a close hep pointer. Point defender Immanuel Quickley, inactive connected a minutes regularisation aft a hep injury, had 9 points and 5 assists successful astir 21 minutes of play.

Barrett’s lack and Poeltl and Quickley’s reduced minutes helped marque it imaginable for Shead, Walter and Mogbo to beryllium connected the level for captious minutes against the Knicks.

Rajakovic said helium was truly blessed with Mogbo’s show against New York centre Karl-Anthony Towns, who dominated the crippled with 27 points and 20 rebounds.

“You could spot however assertive (Mogbo) was connected defence,” said Rajakovic. “He did a large occupation of utilizing his length. He ended up guarding Towns down the agelong connected precise important possessions.”

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Feb. 4, 2025.