Top Raptors Stories of 2024: Raptors’ Ja’Kobe Walter reaches into the future against the Knicks

Welcome to Raptors Republic’s new New Year tradition. As decided by you, the readers, it’s time to dive into the 10 most-most read editorials of the year at Raptors Republic. You can find the full top-10 list of released articles for 2024 (as each one is released) here.

I limited the list to editorials because news items and other pieces can often have more reads than columns. But these pieces — and I’m including post-game pieces — are the ones that take the most work, and in my eyes have the most value. So they’re the ones included in this list.

The year of 2024 has been one defined maybe most by change for the Toronto Raptors. Toronto traded OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa for Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett only two days before the year began. Then less than three weeks later, the Raptors traded Pascal Siakam away. A few weeks after that, the Raptors traded for Ochai Agbaji and Kelly Olynyk at the trade deadline. So 2024 began with major player movement, and much of Raptors Republic’s coverage to end the 2023-24 season reflected that. You’ll see a number of pieces covering those deals, or the impacts of them, on this list.

Then 2024-25 has largely been defined by an inability for Toronto to put all its new pieces on the floor at the same time. The presumptive starting lineup of Quickley – Gradey Dick – RJ Barrett – Scottie Barnes – Jakob Poeltl has played zero minutes together. Despite that, optimism has infused virtually every minute on the floor. Far more than would be expected for a team that is so far below .500. Stories of success and development abound — which also is reflected in our coverage, as well as on this list. It turns out, readers like the positive stories.

Without further ado, the No. 10 most-read story at Raptors Republic of 2024: “Raptors’ Ja’Kobe Walter reaches into the future against the Knicks” by me.

Defensively, he is better than advertised. He was always toolsy, but those tools didn’t always translate to actual stops in college. They are in the NBA. He’s second on the team in contested shots per 36 minutes, behind only Poeltl. He’s in plays, doing stuff, staying in front of players and rounding drives. He has a terrific nose for the ball off the glass. He held up in the post the other night against Pascal Siakam, forcing a miss on a turnaround fadeaway rather than succumbing to the spin. 

All of the above are extremely scalable abilities. Players who can dribble in crowds, reach the paint, and finish when there can jumpstart possessions, offences, even championships. The high end of that archetype is Giannis Antetokounmpo, and obviously that is completely out of the bounds even of Walter’s imagination. But guys like TJ McConnell, Tre Mann, Malik Monk — even guards can make a career out of hurtling themselves into the paint over and again. Those guys all have countless other skills that Walter doesn’t yet possess. But fledgling players like Walter, who show promise in so many areas but mastery in none, can grow in so many different directions. Like a well-made choose-your-own-adventure book. That’s one archetype he could one day inhabit.  

You can read the rest of the piece here. And tune in tomorrow for number 1!

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