Five Raptors rookies could be key to rebuilding season
If the Toronto Raptors wanted to at some point this season, they wouldn’t have any trouble fielding five players at the same time with limited NBA experience.
Due to a hefty haul at last year’s draft — as well as an undrafted free agent — the Raptors have five NBA rookies getting their first taste of NBA action this season.
Four of them — Jamison Battle, Jamal Shead, Ulrich Chomche, and Jonathan Mogbo — played in their first NBA game on Wednesday night, a 136-106 loss on Scotiabank Arena’s home court.
“There is a lot of process. It’s a start of a long journey,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic told reporters following the game.
For comparison, the Raptors had six rookies a season ago, but just two in 2022-23, four a year prior, and only one (Jordan Loyd) in the championship-winning side in 2018-19.
Rajakovic did offer up his praises for the youngsters in their first action, starting with the former All-American in Shead.
“[Shead], every time he touches the floor, like he plays so hard and the way he competes, he was able to get couple of deflections and steals. It allows us also to get out and run a little bit,” Rajakovic said.
After getting in for just 2:25 in the second quarter for his first taste of the NBA, Mogbo played 11:13 throughout the contest.
“He did a good job of figuring out in the second half with those minutes. His minutes in the first half were very limited, but I like what I saw there with energy that he brought, and then length that he presents on defense,” Rajakovic said.
A graduate of the NBA Academy Africa, Chomche is the first former Basketball Africa League (BAL) player to be drafted into the NBA.
“Any minute that he can get on the floor it’s so, so valuable, but hopefully he gets in more close games,” he said of Chomche.
Lastly, the team’s head coach praised Battle, who went 2-for-4 from behind the three-point line.
“His shooting is real, he’s creating a lot of gravity towards him,” Rajakovic said of Battle.
The Raptors are also awaiting the return of Ja’Kobe Walter, who was the team’s top pick at 19th overall, but has been sidelined since the start of training camp with a shoulder injury.
In any case, if the Raptors aren’t expected to be very competitive this year, they might end up finding a player (or five) that can help them in the long run to get back to title contention.
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