With the Toronto Raptors’ season over, it’s time to look back and review each player’s impact. Despite the negatives of having a 30-52 season, Raptors fans will look at the 2024-2025 season positively. The Raptors finished the final 43 games above .500 at 22-21. Some other positives for this Raptors season included the defense, which looked very improved because of the likes of Scottie Barnes and Ochai Agbaji.
With the additions of former All-Star Brandon Ingram and whoever the Raptors select in this deep incoming draft, fans and players are hoping that the Toronto Raptors make a Detroit-like jump into the playoffs. Let’s grade how each Raptors player performed this season.
Toronto Raptors 2024-2025 Player Grades
Scottie Barnes: B-
Season stats: 19.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 44.6 FG%, 27.1 3PT%
It is hard to summarize Scottie Barnes’ season without context; his counting stats are very similar, even a little worse than last year. This could be a cause for concern if we didn’t look at other factors, Barnes’ defense was above average, and to a huge leap from last season. Additionally, Barnes was dealing with a hand injury for the last month and a half of the season, which certainly affected his shooting numbers. Overall, Barnes played on a struggling team and still made small strides in his game. he hasn’t developed offensively as some hoped, but is still only 23 with years to improve on that side of the ball.
Immanuel Quickley: C
Season stats: 17.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.8 APG, 42 FG%, 37.8 3PT%
To be honest, Immanuel Quickley‘s season was extremely underwhelming, but not for reasons he can control. Quickley only played in 33 games, the lowest in his career by 29. At times, he looked great, and other times like a player coming off an injury, which, for fans and the Raptors front office, is frustrating because we have to wait another year to see if Quickley is worth his $175 million deal. Behind the three-point line, Quickley was a more-than-average player, and he was a tremendous passer, which bodes well for him as a point guard. But when Quickley got downhill, he struggled, shooting only 40.5% from five to nine feet from the basket. Overall, we still have no idea what kind of player Quickley can be for this team, so it’s still hard to evaluate him.
RJ Barrett: A-
Season stats: 21.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG, 46.8 FG%, 35 3PT%
After this season for RJ Barrett, it is clear he loves playing for his hometown team, with all of his counting stats improving, other for the shooting splits, which is common with the increase in shots being taken. Even with these improvements, that is not the most impressive thing about Barrett’s game; his defensive rating dropped over four points, moving him to 113.4, only .4 points from league average. The only thing that didn’t improve in Barrett’s game, which continues to be a concern, is the free-throw percentage, which still sits low at 63%, considering the league average for small forwards is 78.1%. This is a massive part of Barrett’s game, which is frustrating for fans and probably Barrett himself. Overall, it was a great season, but it can’t be overly perfect because of the terrible free-throw percentage.
Jakob Poeltl: B+
Season stats: 14.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 62.7 FG%, 33.3 3PT% (On 3 Shots)
This was the most Jakob Poeltl season off of all. He does everything he is supposed to, and he barely gets noticed at all. But even with no one noticing, Poeltl had his best season of his career so far, returning and improving on his best seasons, which came a couple of years ago in San Antonio for the Spurs. Defensively, alongside Barnes, Poeltl is the anchor who will need to be steady if they want to continue having the great defense from the post All-Star break. Overall, Poeltl had a good season and elevated his game, but because of the lack of shooting, which makes it hard for Scottie to control the offense, it’s hard to put him into the A category.
Gradey Dick: B-
Season stats: 14.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 41 FG%, 35 3PT%
For Gradey Dick this season was a tale of two halves, to start the season Gradey looked like he was turning into a three level scorer similar to Tyler Herro who can lead a group scoring wise, and who’s to say he still can’t be that. In the 2024 part of the season, Gradey averaged 17.6 points per game, which is exceptional for a 20-year-old in his second NBA season. The second half was not very good as he went down to 10.6 points per game. This can be pointed to his role being decreased as the Raptors embraced the tank, but he also just shot the ball slightly more inefficiently. Overall, it was an up-and-down season for the sophomore, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he bounces back and becomes an above-average scorer in the NBA.
Jonathan Mogbo: A
Season stats: 6.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 43.8 FG%, 24.2 3PT%
Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster did it again; they found a near-complete player in the second round, and he looks like he could be one of those great Raptors bench players. Jonathan Mogbo’s counting stats for the whole season don’t do it justice, as he grew into his role near the end of the season. In Mogbo’s final 10 games, he averaged 10.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game, along with a triple-double and three games where he was just shy of another one. Overall, Mogbo is still raw with a high IQ, going above and beyond any expectation of him.
Jamal Shead: A-
Season stats: 7.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 40. FG%, 32.3 3PT%
If you thought Masai and Webster’s magic ended in the second round, you would be wrong. Picking up Jamal Shead 45th overall was another stroke of genius. Shead plays hard, which is not new for anyone who watched him at Houston. Houston is where he won the Defensive Player of the Year in his final season, along with Big 12 POTY. Out of college, the main talk was that he was a small guard who couldn’t shoot. Well, that is true. Shead had a two-month stretch where he shot 40 percent from three, showing signs of improvement. The Raptors will need that to improve for him to be a great backup behind Quickley for years to come. Overall, Shead is a great competitor who will no doubt feature again in the 2025-2026 season.
Ochai Agbaji: B
Season stats: 10.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 49.3 FG%, 39.9 3PT%
Being traded to the Raptors from the Jazz may have saved Ochai Agbaji’s career. In just one offseason, Agbaji went from an athletic wing who can’t shoot to an above-average shooter. The league average sits at 36%, and Agbaji is up four percent on that. Abgaji has also been one of the key reasons as to why the defense improved so much as the season went on. With a player like Abgaji, it’s important to be patient as he finds his role in the NBA. Ultimately, he improved his shooting well and is turning into the player Masai and Webster hoped.
Ja’Kobe Walter: B+
Season stats: 8.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 40.5 FG%, 34.9 3PT%
Rookie wing Ja’Kobe Walter started in the G League as the 19th overall pick, while seeing the 31st and 45th pick play isn’t easy. In the organization, there seemed to be an understanding that he was raw. He was just 20 years old as the season started and was drafted for his upside. As the year ended, he seemed to play a bigger role due to key players missing, and as expected, he was inconsistent. Walter would have games that made him seem like an upcoming star, and games with what showed was 20. Walter shooting 35% from downtown wasn’t expected and is welcomed by the Raptors front office. Overall, for a player taken 19th overall, he looks like a solid pickup who can transform into a solid player.
Jamison Battle: A
Season stats: 7.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.9 APG, 42.9 FG%, 40.5 3PT%
Do I have to say it again? Masai and Bobby Webster find another player in Jamison Battle who can play, especially with his shooting. Battle’s 40.5% from behind the arc was the best in the league for rookies. The 23-year-old has shown flashes as a player who can lead a comeback when he is hot or take over a game. Being given a chance in the NBA Battle took it and ran. Along with being another win for the Raptors front office. Ultimately, Battle seems to be a player who will be in the Raptors’ rotation for years, knocking down a couple of threes a night.
Photo credit: © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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