One of the often-mentioned traits by NBA rookies is that they hope to be sponges and soak up as much information as possible.
Raptors rookie Ja’Kobe Walter would rather be a fish.
Whether it’s forgetting mistakes in seconds like a “Ted Lasso” goldfish or matching the antics of the forgetful blue tang Dory in “Finding Nemo,†one of the best bits of advice Walter got came from Raptors assistant coach Ivo Simovic.
“Ivo tells me, ‘You gotta … (forget) like a fish, quickly,’ †Walter said last week during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. “They don’t remember one thing; it’s on to the next. You can’t really dwell on anything.â€
Everybody wants to talk about the departure of Raptors president Masai Ujiri as teams take part
The numbers don’t jump out from his rookie season — 8.6 points per night over 52 games, 18 of them starts — but Walter was tremendous when he was heathy and in game shape. It is why he is being counted on so heavily in the coming year.
“He’s come in a little bit stronger, bigger, body’s ready to absorb more punishment,†Raptors Summer League head coach James Wade said. “Even though he wasn’t as big last year, he played very physical. We saw it.
“Now, his body has caught up to his game. We just expect him to continue to look for contact and continue to play his game.â€
The Dallas native has spent the off-season flitting between Texas and ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½. He is eating better and more, he has spent more time in the weight room, and he says he is about 12 pounds heavier to better handle the physical nature of the game. Of course, the growth and maturation going from a teenager last year to a 20-year-old now is a natural process that’s still going on but the diet and the weight work can hasten it.
“I feel the difference, just playing and being able to take different bumps, the amount of contact I can take, that I can absorb and I can put on others,†he said. “That’s just something I figure I can do that now. I think that definitely was a big part of my game.â€
Young centre is moving at the pace of the game rather than being overwhelmed by it.
Walter is lumped in with a group of half a dozen rookies from last season who got plenty of playing time with a franchise more interested in the draft lottery than chasing wins in the final quarter of the regular season. But now it’s time to focus on winning and there’s not going to be room for that same group to play the same amount.
The internal competition is going to be a fascinating part of the Raptors season, both to see who emerges from the crowd and who handles not playing.
“(The competition) gets us all better,†Walter said. “I want the team to grow together and, competing against each and playing with each other, that’s going to do it for all of us. We’re building chemistry when we do it as well but, at the end of the day, we’re all competitors, we all want to win in whatever goals we have for ourselves and for the team.
“The only way we can achieve that is just working every day in practice and growing.â€
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