The Toronto Raptors may have drafted their next big superstar

When the Toronto Raptors picked Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo and Ulrich Chomche in the 2024 NBA Draft, they may have secured the franchise’s next superstar.

As Darko Rajakovic sat in front of the media ahead of the Toronto Raptors’ penultimate home game of the 2024-2025 season, the list of core players sitting out against the Detroit Pistons was long. RJ Barrett resting, Scottie Barnes with a hand injury, Gradey Dick still battling his bruised knee bone. When Darko was asked who would step up to the plate tonight, his answer was not much different than it has been most of the season: the young guys.

The Raptors headed into the 2024 draft with just one pick after having to give their lottery pick to the San Antonio Spurs. That 19th overall pick ended up turning into four picks total as Toronto traded for the 31st, 45th, and 57th. Those turned into Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead and Ulrich Chomche.

Chomche was the most raw player of the group, playing most of his season with the Raptors 905 before suffering a knee injury that ended his season. Mogbo has also played less than expected due to some injury, but ended up starting multiple times due to injuries other players were suffering from.

Despite starting the season with a shoulder injury, Ja’Kobe Walter seemed to make a good recovery. He has made some circus-level entertaining shots this season and hustled hard to prove his worth. As a first round draft pick, the expectation that Walter would get some solid playing time on a tanking team was pretty high, and he has stepped up.

That leaves Jamal Shead — maybe the most intriguing draft pick of the Raptors’ four choices. The point guard out of Houston immediately gave off strong Fred VanVleet vibes: shorter point guard, solid defender, can shoot. He got to Toronto and pretty immediately had a loyal following of fans, the “SheadHeads.”

Friday night, as the Raptors fell 117-105 to the Detroit Pistons, Shead scored 14 points, 9 assists and 1 rebounds on 5-12 shooting from the field. He also had 2 steals.

The defence has been the most well-rounded part of Shead’s game in his rookie season. He can guard the perimeter pretty well — something appreciated in Darko’s defensive-minded system. He’s got the start eight times this season, played in 71 games (so most of them) and was easily able to crack the rotation as a rookie. Even as Davion Mitchell was still around and the Raptors technical “back up point guard,” Jamal Shead was getting minutes ahead of him.

Shead has shot 41.1% from the field and 33% from three as a rookie, not terrible but room for improvement. He has 4.0 assists per game this season as well, showing a keen eye for playmaking. Per Keerthika Uthayakumar, he has achieved many league-wide accolades including most games played on the Raptors team this season. He has a shot of getting an All-Rookie Team nod once those awards are handed out as well.

Yet, does Shead have the potential to become the Toronto Raptors next big star project? Well, let’s compare him to Fred VanVleet once more — Shead was drafted 45th overall while VanVleet went undrafted, and was still able to rise to stardom. Of course the Championship run of 2019 helped, but that meant VanVleet did not get as much playing time in the NBA (only 37 games) as a rookie as Jamal did.

Jamal Shead took VanVleet’s #23 for a reason, and he will have more chance to develop into a role player (possibly beyond) for this team this summer and fall. The Raptors are planning another summer of team practicing and bonding — last summer the team held camps in Spain and coaches travelled to meet up with players for training. This summer will be even more free, as there are no Olympic Games and players will have more free time.

When it comes to the Raptors’ upcoming lottery pick, they are more likely to pick a taller shooting guard, forward, or center option. This is mostly based on the players project around No. 7 (where the Raptors are currently sitting odds-wise). Currently the projected 6th-9th picks are all bigger players.

From there they will head into next season with their starting lineup of Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl intact (hopefully). They will also have a lottery pick (hopefully) and Shead will likely become Quickley’s back up guard as he plays his second NBA season. Based on the progress he has made this season, Shead has a path to become a long term option for the Toronto Raptors.

His assisting and playmaking are developing well, especially when you look at the stats Uthayakumar listed above. He also has a defensive rating of 117.6 — 2nd on the Raptors among players who have played 50+ games this season, behind Jamison Battle, per stat muse.

He also has a great personality and is loved by fans. When he was drafted, a video went around of Shead that showed him picking up the garbage after one of his college teammates kicked over a trash can in anger. He has continued to show off that personality through his rookie season, forming relationships with Ja’Kobe Walter and his other teammates.

All of this is the ground work needed for Shead to continue to thrive. The more he plays well, the more fans will root for him. The better he plays in the minutes he is given, the more he will be used in times that the Raptors need him. Plus, should the time ever come that Quickley is moved somewhere (you never know) hopefully it’s at a point where Jamal Shead could step.

So the Toronto Raptors may have drafted their next big star in Jamal Shead.