Toronto Raptors forward Ja’Kobe Walter expected to miss remainder of NBA season with back injury…
Ja’Kobe Walter has never been to Canada, and he didn’t work out for the Raptors before the NBA draft, but the teenage Texan knows exactly what kind of group he is joining.
The 19-year-old Baylor University guard rattled off the skill sets and personality traits of his new teammates on Wednesday night as he prepares to join a young Toronto group to grow with.
“Scottie (Barnes), big personality guy, you know what he brings to the team: all the energy,” Walter said in a conference call with the Toronto media.
“RJ (Barrett), same with him, you know what he brings — he can score the ball very well — and (Immanuel) Quickley, just a great point guard.
“So I think I’m fitting in well with them and I’m super excited.”
Walter is not the piece to finish off the Raptors’ jigsaw puzzle and the team’s job is far from done, but getting him with the 19th pick in Wednesday’s draft gives the team another young shooter in a game that values shooting over every other skill.
The six-foot-four Walter is known as an elite shooter and an aggressive defender; two commodities the Raptors and the NBA covet in this era.
The native of McKinney, Texas, averaged 14.5 points per game as a freshman at Baylor and shot 34 per cent from three-point range.
Respected draft expert Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer said of Walter: “Dynamic perimeter shooter who thrives off screens and hand-offs and can use hesitations to get into pull-ups and sidesteps. With a smooth form, high elevation, and fearlessness, he has all the traits of a confident go-to scorer who can drain shots even when under pressure.”