TORONTO – Ja’Kobe Walter didn’t hesitate.
After making three early triples to start Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Houston Rockets, the Toronto Raptors’ rookie all of the sudden discovered massive man Alperen Sengun defending him.
Sengun was compelled to decide: play up in opposition to the red-hot shooter and threat a drive with little rim safety, or again off and take his probabilities with the soar shot.
Sengun selected fallacious. Walter drained the deep three-pointer.
“We’ve simply been harping on being extra aggressive, in order that’s the mentality I got here right here with,” Walter stated. “They have been sagging off and everyone desires me to shoot the ball, in order that’s what I did.”
Walter completed the evening with a career-high 27 factors, however the Raptors (7-22) fell 114-110 to the Rockets (19-9), their seventh consecutive loss.
Nevertheless, because the Raptors’ losses pile up, they may possible lean on small victories corresponding to Walter’s profession evening — which included the 20-year-old scoring the workforce’s first 14 factors.
“I didn’t even notice till I got here out,” Walter stated. “It was loopy.”
Walter entered the league recognized for his capturing capacity, however he has struggled within the early going. He entered Sunday’s recreation connecting on simply 22 per cent of his three-pointers and was 36 per cent total from the sector.
Nonetheless, the Kansas product stated the Raptors have continued to encourage him to be extra aggressive.
“They know what I’m able to doing. They’ve seen the movie. So simply keep aggressive however at all times simply sort of have that mentality that I’m a canine, go at individuals and hunt for pictures,” Walter stated.
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Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic praised Walter’s evening and stated inconsistency is typical of younger gamers.
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“That’s the truth of younger guys, they’re going to have video games like this, they’re going to have ups and downs and all of these, good and unhealthy. They’re nice studying alternatives for them,” Rajakovic stated.
Walter, who was chosen nineteenth total in June’s draft — with one of many picks the Raptors acquired in final season’s Pascal Siakam commerce — bought a late begin to his rookie marketing campaign after a shoulder damage within the lead-up to coaching camp left him sidelined to begin the season.
He lastly made his NBA debut on Nov. 1 in opposition to the Los Angeles Lakers, however aggravated the damage 5 days later and missed three extra weeks.
“Coming again, I didn’t know what to anticipate. I’d simply been watching since coaching camp. However now that I’m moving into recreation, I’ve kinda simply realized, ‘Oh, it’s simply basketball,’” Walter stated.
On Sunday, he was a part of the Raptors’ second-youngest lineup of all time — bested solely by the identical fivesome together with Scottie Barnes, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick and Jonathan Mogbo that began Thursday, once they have been three days youthful.
The Raptors’ youth was on show Sunday as a 16-point second-quarter lead slowly changed into one more heartbreaking defeat.
And whereas Walter’s offensive recreation was sharp, he fouled out with just below three minutes remaining and was met on the bench by veteran Garrett Temple.
“He was simply telling me … know what place I’m in proper now, know I bought 5 fouls, don’t even put myself in that place. … So simply having Garrett inform me that, all via the sport he’s giving me tidbits, so (I) admire him,” Walter stated.
Because it turned out, the Raptors might have used Walter. A late rally handed the Raptors the ball down 113-110 with 22 seconds remaining, a second that was virtually begging for the hot-handed rookie.
As an alternative, Walter needed to watch from the bench — a uncommon low on an evening of highs.
VANVLEET RETURNS
Former Raptor Fred VanVleet, a member of the 2019 championship workforce, was acknowledged by the workforce throughout a break within the second quarter.
The purpose guard struggled in his return to Toronto as he was held scoreless till a last-minute layup. He completed with two factors, eight rebounds and 5 assists.
“This place is a particular place for me, and I at all times take into consideration what it means to me and my household, however I by no means take into consideration what I imply to different individuals till I get right here. In order that’s at all times only a blessing and one thing I by no means take without any consideration,” VanVleet stated.
BARNES, BARRETT BANGED UP
Like VanVleet, Raptors star Scottie Barnes struggled for a lot of the evening. He missed his first eight pictures earlier than lastly changing on a third-quarter layup and completed 2-for-15 from the sector (0-8 on three-pointers) for six factors, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
“As you possibly can see, he’s not being himself. He’s banged up, he bought hit in his hip the final recreation, his ankle, and there’s been a few issues bothering him. He’s nonetheless not himself,” Rajakovic stated.
Canadian R.J. Barrett, in the meantime, missed his second consecutive recreation with an sickness.
“He got here right here. He went via walk-through with us and pre-game and he was doing his capturing towards the top of his exercise, he simply threw up. He didn’t really feel nicely. So it was actually a last-moment determination to maintain him out,” Rajakovic stated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Dec. 22, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
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