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Toronto Raptors May Have a Surprising Answer to Their Biggest Shooting Problem
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- Toronto Raptors May Have a Surprising Answer to Their Biggest Shooting Problem
(David Gonzales-Imagn Images)
Jamison Battle spent much of last season on the edge of the Toronto Raptors ' rotation. Heading into 2026-27, there is a pretty good reason to think that could change.
The Raptors don't need Battle to suddenly become a star. What they need is the version of him that has shown up whenever Darko Rajakovic has given him enough time to settle into a game.
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That possibility became a little more meaningful when Battle's $2.3 million contract became fully guaranteed in July, according to Keith Smith. It wasn't necessarily a major transaction, but it kept a 25-year-old wing on a roster that has a fairly obvious need for what he does best.
Toronto made the fifth-fewest three-pointers in the NBA last season, according to the NBA's team statistics. Battle, meanwhile, shot 41.2 percent from beyond the arc despite averaging only 8.5 minutes across 61 appearances.
The small sample is part of the question. The flashes are what make him interesting.
One of those came early last season against Cleveland . With the Raptors looking for an offensive spark, Battle played 15 minutes and somehow managed to go 7-for-7 from the field, including a perfect 6-for-6 from three. He finished with 20 points and helped Toronto pull away for a 112-101 victory.
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It wasn't the only time he found that kind of rhythm against the Cavaliers.
Battle also erupted for 14 points on perfect shooting in the second half of Game 3 of Toronto's playoff series against Cleveland. Those performances are a big reason Chris Lambert of FanSided's recent look at the Raptors' roster identified him as a potential X-factor heading into the new season.
The opportunity should be there, too.
Collin Murray-Boyles , Ja'Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead are expected to occupy the first three spots off Toronto's bench. That leaves another rotation spot open, and Battle's shooting gives him a skill that can change the spacing of an entire lineup.
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There is a certain appeal to having a player like that available.
Battle can catch and shoot, but he also has enough comfort with the ball to pull up when a defender closes too aggressively. If Rajakovic can get him closer to 15 minutes per night, those opportunities could become much more regular.
But he still has to prove he can handle a larger role. He is not an elite athlete, and his defense is not the reason he would be on the floor. Toronto will have to be selective with his matchups, even if his 6-foot-7 frame gives him enough size to compete on the wing and stay out of trouble away from the ball.
That could be enough for the role the Raptors appear to have available.
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Toronto enters a new era of theoretical contention, and a team in that position cannot afford to overlook the value of a specialist who can change a game in a few possessions. Battle is not going to be one of the central figures of the roster. His job would be much more specific than that.
He would need to knock down open shots, punish defenses for helping off him and give the second unit some added room to operate. Toronto may already have the player capable of doing that.
Now Rajakovic has to decide whether Battle has earned the chance to show it over a larger stretch of minutes.
