Ja’Kobe Walter had a solid season in his freshman year at Baylor. Walter’s rookie season will hope to bring a versatile wing that can fulfill a valuable archetype in today’s NBA. He was selected by a Raptors team not expected to be amongst the game’s best, so he should receive opportunities in his rookie season. Let’s take a look at Walter’s rookie preview for the upcoming season.
NBA Rookie Preview: Ja’Kobe Walter
Prospect Profile For Walter
Walter was the eighth overall prospect in the class of 2023 and one of the headlines for Baylor basketball. Walter was known coming out of high school for his competitiveness and deep range as an off-ball guard/wing. He got off to an incredible start scoring 28 points against Auburn, breaking Baylor’s record for points in a freshman debut.
He ended his freshman year averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. At six-foot-five with a lean frame, Walter was mostly coveted for his potential ‘3-and-D’ abilities. His high-end pro comparison was often likened to a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope type of player. Walter is a wiry defender who also possesses plus-shooting on offense.
Team Fit On The Raptors
The Raptors are in a slight rebuild currently, although the bottom of the East to reach the Play-In Tournament is always up for grabs. They have a clear cornerstone in point-forward Scottie Barnes. Also, newly acquired assets RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley hopefully are a part of a bright future. The good thing is that the Raptors don’t have any plans of serious contention for the near future, so developing young talent should be a priority.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean automatic minutes for Walter in his rookie season. Because the Raptors have the luxury of a lengthier development timeline, Walter may spend significant time in the G League. Walter just turned 20 years old on September 4. This is even more likely when looking at other young talent on the roster that will take backcourt minutes. Both young and veteran players alike seem to have minutes built into the Raptors rotation. Players like Gradey Dick, Bruce Brown, Davion Mitchell, and and Ochai Agbaji are all expected to compete for minutes. That should make it more difficult for Walter.
Predictions For Walter’s Rookie Season
First things first, Walter missed the entire Raptors training camp and preseason with a shoulder injury. He’s currently still sidelined for the beginning of this season. Missing this important time for a rookie certainly hurts his overall chances of making an impact on the Raptors’ rotation.
The silver lining is that the Raptors are dealing with a litany of injury issues. Quickley, Brown, and most recently Barnes are all dealing with issues. Even still, I wouldn’t look for Walter to be on any All-Rookie teams after this season. I think he has the chances to become a productive rotational wing, but it will take time. The Raptors will likely develop him through the G League once he fully recovers. He won’t likely see significant NBA-level minutes until later in the season.
