The Toronto Raptors have cooled off a bit after a hot start to the 2025-26 season, but it's clear that the middling team of years past is gone and in has come a likely playoff team in the congested Eastern Conference. On Monday night, the Raptors banked what could be an important win against an aspiring East playoff team in the Miami Heat, taking a 106-96 victory despite the ongoing absence of RJ Barrett.
The Raptors at least saw the return of Immanuel Quickley to the starting lineup after a one-game absence, and in his return, he put up 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists. This meant that Jamal Shead would return to a bench role where he's thrived all year. In fact, Shead has been one of the most valuable guards off the bench all season long, and the statistics prove as such.
As Keerthika Uthayakumar of StatKeeks pointed out, Shead has two games with 10 assists and just one turnover or fewer this season, which is the most for any bench player in the league. Moreover, the Raptors guard now has 137 dimes off the bench on the season, the most for any player in the NBA.
Shead has become quite valuable for the Raptors, which is nothing short of a huge win for someone who was drafted 45th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Jamal Shead has become quite the weapon for the Raptors
The box score stats for Shead certainly jump off the page, as he put up eight points and 10 assists with just one turnover on Monday night in their win over the Heat. But his impact goes way beyond that. He was a plus-27 for the Raptors on Monday and has been very impactful with the energy he provides off the pine.
Brandon Ingram has indeed changed the Raptors' fortunes, but without the team's depth, they would not be where they are right now — with a 16-11 record which has them third in the East.
