At first blush, Jamal Shead’s field rating numbers don’t bounce off the web page.
The 7.3 factors, 5.6 assists and one steal he’s averaging per recreation appear pedestrian, and not a lot of an enchancment on the 7.1-point, 4.2-assist, 0.8-steal line he logged throughout his rookie season. The effectivity numbers paint a worse image: 36.7 per cent taking pictures from the ground, 33.5 per cent from three and a 46.2 per cent efficient discipline purpose share — which accounts for the worth of each two- and three-point photographs — that ranks within the tenth percentile based on Cleansing the Glass.
That could be pushing it, however in any other case, Shead is deserving. The sophomore’s growth has taken a big leap this season. He’s making higher choices quicker, succeeding on the margins and driving profitable for the Raptors.
It is uncommon for rookies to win their minutes. Shead didn’t. And most likely the single best indicator of his transformation is the swing in his on-off differential. Final season, the Raptors had been minus-5.4 factors per 100 possessions when Shead performed, among the many worst on the workforce. That quantity’s soared to plus-7.9 now, second-best on the workforce and sixth within the NBA amongst level guards, sandwiched between Tyrese Maxey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
However the best way he achieves it is polar reverse of these two superstars. Whereas they rating highlight-reel buckets, Shead wins in areas which can be much less noticeable.
One of many largest is his capacity to get to the center of the ground and make the proper cross.
Shead’s all the time been quick. He’s been utilizing his outlier pace to bolt previous defenders to extra threatening areas of the ground since his rookie season. What’s completely different now’s that his processing has caught up.
Final season, when Shead blew by his defender, he typically stopped properly wanting the rim and settled for a short-mid vary push shot or floater. The outcomes had been middling — he shot beneath league common on them at 42 per cent.
This season, he’s traded these seems for optimally timed and positioned passes. Shead had 67 assists in 2024-25 from the short-mid vary space of the ground (inside 14 ft of the basket, the identical distance because the free throw line). He has 62 so far at simply over the midway level of the present marketing campaign. In the meantime, the share of his photographs that come from that space of the ground has dropped from 30 per cent to 23 per cent season over season.
Stepping into the tooth of the defence and making cross has immense worth. It attracts teammates’ defenders, opening them up for photographs, permitting them to assault closeouts with drives, and might even arrange wide-open cuts and lanes to the rim. Collapsing a defence and discovering the proper man creates benefits.
Just a few years in the past, when highlighting Scottie Barnes’ outstanding playmaking prowess, Raptors Republic’s Samson Folks pioneered the time period “benefit assists.” The thought is that not all assists are equal. Some are simple passes, the place the participant on the receiving finish does all of the work to beat their defender and rating. Others put teammates in advantageous positions, serving up layups or wide-open photographs on a silver platter.
It makes excellent sense. It’s additionally nonetheless imperfect, not accounting for wide-open photographs that had been arrange and missed, however what number of of a participant’s assists may be categorised as “benefit assists” is an effective barometer of their true playmaking capacity.
Listed below are examples of passes that did nothing to create an open shot, however are credited as assists:
Now, listed below are passes that got here after manipulating the defence, opening up advantageous photographs:
It’s plain to see that benefit assists are extra precious. The idea ought to be much more prevalent in how we view and consider basketball playmaking.
Throughout his rookie season, 41 per cent of Shead’s 316 assists might be moderately categorised as benefit assists. This season, that quantity is as much as 51 per cent. It’s a marked bounce in playmaking for the 23-year-old. Shead presently leads the NBA in assists off the bench, ranks seventh in assists per 36 minutes and has continuously been cited as a frontrunner in rim assists. The method backs these outcomes up.
Moreover, of his 62 assists from the meaty center, 60 have arrange his teammates with a bonus. A whopping 97 per cent. That’s why it’s been so necessary that Shead’s turned these inefficient push-shots and floaters into playmaking alternatives. He’s taking pictures 37.7 per cent from the short-mid vary over his profession and 30 per cent this season (eleventh percentile, per Cleansing the Glass). His passes from there generate open threes, drives towards a tilted defence, again cuts and layups. All far superior shot sorts.
Shead has additionally taken his drives additional downhill and at instances triggered bigger rotations from defences than he did final season.
Right here’s an instance of what Shead’s drives generally appeared like final season:
In comparison with this season:
This burgeoning playmaking is one cause why Shead has paired so properly with Immanuel Quickley. The duo cowl for one another’s limitations: Quickley for Shead’s lack of gravity and taking pictures, Shead for Quickley’s lack of driving prowess, facilitating and defensive punch on the level of assault.
Toronto’s two level guards typically share the backcourt to shut video games. Each have immaculate assist-to-turnover ratios, serving to the Raptors care for the ball down the stretch. It’s one of many the explanation why Toronto has a 15-7 report in clutch video games this season, good for fourth within the NBA.
Shead’s even began 4 of the Raptors’ final seven video games alongside Quickley, permitting the Raptors main guard to shift right into a extra appropriate off-ball function. It’s no coincidence that Quickley’s record-setting recreation towards the Warriors got here whereas he was splitting dealing with duties, as seven of his eight triples had been off the catch. In the meantime, Shead can even take the project of guarding the opponent’s lead ball-handlers.
Whereas Shead’s all the time had a status as a stellar defender, it’s now caught up genuinely, with his steal price up, foul price down, and him staying in entrance of his examine extra typically thanks to specific footwork. His processing pace has caught up on this finish, too. Shead’s doggedness additionally stands out right here; he’s by no means hesitant to place the pedal to the ground or put his physique on the road, be it selecting up full court docket or preventing arduous over screens.
It’s no marvel that the six-foot guard has grow to be a fan favorite. His standing as an undersized guard that was undervalued in his draft and has outperformed expectations likens him to 2 championship-winning Raptors: Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. He even has a penchant for drawing offensive fouls, however on this case, it’s transferring screens, not expenses. Shead ranks second with 40 non-charge offensive fouls drawn this season.
Whether or not it’s taking arduous contact to win a possession or all the time searching for his teammates to attain first, Shead is the image of unselfish basketball. His cross price on drives is fourth within the NBA. His assist-to-use ratio is 98th percentile. He shares the rock.
To be honest, he should. Shead is inefficient from each space of the ground except for above-the-break threes, the place he’s shot a satisfactory 36 per cent. He’s a non-threat on the rim, taking pictures 55 per cent (nineteenth percentile per Cleansing the Glass). The pesky push shot has been sneaking again into his shot weight loss program currently as groups load up much less on his drives and take away the cross extra. His assist-to-push-shot ratio from the short-mid vary was much more pronounced earlier within the season.
The league has began to regulate; now Shead should regulate again. Changing into a extra harmful scorer would go a great distance in drawing better reactions from defences. However that’s simpler stated than achieved. His share climbing on non-corner threes is a begin, and if he can get groups to go over screens towards him, it’s going to imply he’s capable of entry the fruits of the center extra typically.
Shead’s come a great distance. But when he desires to return wherever near following within the footsteps of his non secular predecessors, he’ll want one other large, surprising growth.
