Raptors’ fan favourite Sandro Mamukelashvili offers a glimpse into long-term plans

Some NBA players just have that “it” factor that draws fans. That player for the Toronto Raptors is Sandro Mamukelashvili. It did not take long for fans to jump on board the Mamu hype train, as he was able to turn heads in his very first season with the Raps.

Toronto signed Mamu this past offseason to a two-year, $5.5 million deal. Despite not being a major household name, he has been worth every penny. This season, Mamu has averaged a career high of 10.8 points across 65 games, in 12 of which he got the starting nod. Beyond the numbers, it is the way he plays and the attitude he has that resonate with fans.

If Raptors fans had their way, Mamukelashvili would be the kind of player who sticks around for the long haul, someone they would hope finishes his career in Raptors black and red. But the reality of the NBA is rarely that simple. While his present is firmly in Toronto, Mamu has already offered a glimpse of his long-term plans.

During an episode of the UnitedWeCast podcast, he revealed what his career would look like once he was done in the NBA. “I would say, first, I want to play in Europe. I want to finish my career there. I want to live there most of the time, and hopefully, once I have kids, I want them to go over there with me and experience those emotions—being close to home; having it be easier for my parents to fly in; and having it be easier for my friends to come visit.”

Mamu was born in New York City but raised in the Republic of Georgia. Beyond just wanting to play in Europe, he also wants to give back to his community. “As far as developing basketball in Georgia, that is one of my goals…We have a good league, and it is developing, but I think we can do so much better and grow it even more. There are kids who love basketball and want to become basketball players, and I think doing summer camps, bringing in coaches, and showing more of the talent level we have in Georgia will hopefully help us continue to develop.”

At just 26 years old, retirement from the NBA is probably still much further down the line. For now, Mamu has stated that his focus remains on the Raptors and on playing for his head coach, Darko Rajakovic. “He is an amazing X’s and O’s coach. He knows what he’s doing,” he mentioned. “He loves fast-paced basketball, which fits me a lot as a player. But Darko doesn’t go easy on anyone. If you make a mistake, you’re going to hear about it during the film session.”

You can read all about Mamukelashvili’s impact with the Raptors here:

But what has made him such a special conduit? What specifically does he do that helps him carry the Raptors’ electrons, so to speak?

The reason, broadly stated, is adaptability.

Mamu has been one of the best per-minute spot-up players in the NBA over the last couple of seasons on low usage, and that hasn’t stopped in Toronto.

Last season, Mamu ranked in the 85th percentile as a spot-up player; this season, for the Raptors, he’s in the 86th percentile, generating 1.333 points per possession and shooting a staggering 60 percent on these opportunities, including a wild 46.7 percent on threes in these moments. He spaces above the break, which is particularly impactful for a big, dragging the defence’s most important rim protector (usually) as far from the rim as possible.

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