Ja'Kobe Walter's Minutes Jump 17 a Night for the Raptors
With a teammate out, the Raptors wing is playing nearly double his usual role — and scoring like it.
Ja'Kobe Walter has averaged 38.5 minutes a game over his last three outings for the Raptors, through the game on May 3, 2026. That is 17 minutes above his season average of 21.5, set over 79 games in 2025-26.
The jump lines up with a teammate being out. When that spot opened up, Walter's role changed overnight, from a rotation piece to a near-starter's workload. His scoring moved with it: 19 points a game over that same three-game stretch, well above his season mark of 7.8.
The season averages come from a full year of games, so they are a solid baseline for who Walter has been in 2025-26. The last three games show who he can be when given the floor time. Both numbers are real. The question is which one describes him going forward.
The answer depends on the teammate who is out. If that player stays sidelined, Walter keeps the extra minutes and the extra shots that come with them. If the teammate returns, the Raptors' rotation likely reverts, and Walter's minutes and scoring come back down toward his season pace. As of May 3, 2026, the elevated role is still tied to that absence, not yet a permanent change.