Toronto Raptors Jamison Battle starting lineup, Digi Mart USA News: The Toronto Raptors enter Wednesday’s matchup with the Boston Celtics holding a 5-5 record amid a difficult stretch marked by injuries and inconsistent play from players stepping in for sidelined stars. While much of the criticism has centered on RJ Barrett, a Raptors Rapture column argues that Ja’Kobe Walter deserves scrutiny as well.
Across the Raptors’ last four games, Walter is shooting 28.2 percent from the field and 17.4 percent from three-point range. His defense has also slipped, with his discipline wavering noticeably during the stretch and him averaging three fouls per game.
Jamison Battle has been a bright spot over the same period. He has averaged 11.3 points per game while shooting 48 percent from three on 6.3 attempts per game over the last four contests.
The column contends that Battle’s reliability as a floor spacer makes a strong case for moving him into the starting lineup in place of Walter. It acknowledges that the defense would likely suffer, but argues that the added spacing would benefit a team that has struggled with that issue, particularly with Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard sidelined.
In Monday night’s loss to Memphis, Battle shot 5-of-11 from three-point range, and nearly 92 percent of his shot attempts in the game were threes. The column also notes that he has shot 52 percent on corner threes this season, according to Cleaning the Glass.
The author further suggests that a change would allow Walter to handle the ball more and create offense off the bench, where the Raptors currently lack a consistent creator and scorer. The column concludes that, with the team needing to shake up its rotation against a Boston team that prioritizes the three-point shot, swapping Battle and Walter in the starting lineup makes sense.
