The starters have all been reviewed, which means it is now time to examine the other key contributors on the Raptors’ roster, as 2025 is nearly coming to a close. To begin, I will take a look at Jamal Shead.
How has Jamal Shead’s season shaped up to this year-end point?
While some other Raptors’ young players have experienced disappointing attempts to establish themselves as key parts of the rotation, it has become increasingly clear that Jamal Shead greatly impacts the team each night. Even if his box score stats and on-paper analysis do not tell the full story, his influence on the game is undeniable. Shead just had a career-high night against the Magic, where he scored 19 points with solid efficiency.
He has been fortunate to appear in all 34 of the Raptors’ games so far in the 2025-26 season. His averages include 6.7 points on 36.8 percent shooting from the field, 33.6 percent from three, along with 5.4 assists, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 20.6 minutes per game off the bench. In fact, Shead’s average of 5.4 assists places him among some of the best passers off the bench in the entire NBA, aside from other players like Isaiah Collier, Collin Gillespie, and TJ McConnell.
You can clearly see that Shead brings a lot of energy and a winning impact whenever he suits up. Even if the team itself or he is trending downward, Shead still fights hard to stay focused on the game. With his strong basketball mind and high basketball IQ, it is no surprise that Raptors Nation often sees Jamal Shead acting as the team’s spokesperson in post-game interviews and other media appearances.
I also enjoy hearing how he carries himself as a rising young leader. Shead previously mentioned in a media scrum that he does not try to force leadership qualities, but that his teammates naturally buy into his leadership and respect him greatly for his input, like Sandro Mamukelashvili, for example. Darko Rajakovic also frequently makes statements that reaffirm his strong belief in Shead. He’s referred to him as a “true point guard” and mentions that “it is a luxury for us to have a player like that.”
The shooting splits could use some improvement heading into the new year, but I have no doubt that Shead will continue to be a crucial piece as the Raptors try to make a hopeful push to the playoffs. A talented passer, a respected locker room presence, and still in just his second year of NBA play as a late second-round draft pick, Jamal Shead’s career trajectory with the Raps looks very bright.
Grade: B+
*All stats courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com, unless otherwise noted
