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Jamison Battle’s Preparation Could Earn Him More Raptors Minutes
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- Jamison Battle’s Preparation Could Earn Him More Raptors Minutes
(David Richard-Imagn Images)
Jamison Battle is the type of rotation player that can spend much of a Raptors game waiting for a chance that lasts only a few minutes.
His job requires preparation before that opening arrives, with little time to find a rhythm once he leaves the bench.
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Battle described that routine in April, explaining how he stays ready through a season of limited minutes.
His shooting gives Toronto a reason to revisit those comments as it considers whether to ask more of him in the coming season.
A reserve shooter needs enough time on the floor for the ball to find him, which makes the possessions between attempts part of his case for playing.
Battle's percentage is encouraging, but his next opportunity would also test how he handles a longer stretch in the game.
Staying Ready for an Opening
"The biggest thing is just being ready, staying ready, and that's what I've been doing all season," Battle said in April, The Canadian Press reported.
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Battle shot 41.2 percent from three in 2025-26, but that percentage came from 35 makes in 85 attempts.
He appeared in 61 games while averaging 8.5 minutes, leaving a limited sample from which to project a larger role.
That distinction belongs in any discussion of Battle's potential to help Toronto's shooting .
His results give the Raptors a reason to look further, while the volume leaves an open question about how those results would hold up with more attempts.
More playing time would put Battle in front of defenses that are ready to chase him off the line.
He could help Toronto by moving the ball to an open teammate or attacking the space left by a defender trying to take away the three.
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Battle's preparation becomes especially relevant when he has limited time to settle into a game and make those decisions.
Knowing where a teammate will move can help a reserve make the next pass quickly instead of allowing an advantage to disappear.
Building a Role Around the Shot
The Raptors' need for additional outside shooting creates an opening for that work to translate.
A shooter who draws attention away from the paint can help teammates even on a possession when the ball never reaches him.
Ja'Kobe Walter made 40.9 percent of his threes last season while averaging 20.5 minutes across 72 games.
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His larger role illustrates why percentages alone give an incomplete comparison between two perimeter players.
Toronto's continued investment in Walter's development also shows why responsibilities around the bench will involve more than choosing the highest shooting percentage.
Battle would help his own case by making his particular minutes easy for the coaching staff to trust.
That could mean keeping the ball moving after a closeout and holding his assignment at the other end.
That would help him contribute while he waits for another open shot.
I would watch the games when Battle misses his first attempt and has to wait for another opening.
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If he keeps the ball moving and stays with his defensive assignment, Toronto has more reason to let him play through that stretch.
A run of those appearances would also give the Raptors more shots to judge, making a decision about his minutes easier to support than one based on a hot stretch.
