Toronto Raptors rookie Jamal Shead experienced heartbreak against the Washington Wizards on March 8.
Shead found himself with the ball to win the game and many thought he got a game-winner. The 22-year-old made a high scoop layup off the glass just as time expired.
Unfortunately, the referees reviewed the play and the ball was in Shead’s fingertips as time expired.
To have that moment wiped away after celebrating with teammates must have been difficult. However, Shead recognizes that these moments are hard to deal with, but he needs to move on to the next game, via Josh Lewenberg of TSN:
“I’ve been through a lot. I always [look back] to my sophomore year, playing Wisconsin, and I didn’t get the ball up in time. I went back and cried in the locker room and Coach Sampson started me the next game. That was my first start. And just that confidence of, hey, it happens. You live and die with the result, but as long as you play hard, the result will be what the result will be, you can’t control it. Those moments are tough. Sometimes you make ’em like Ja’Kobe did, which was a great moment. Sometimes you don’t get the ball off in time, but you move on.”
Despite Toronto embracing the tank right now, these rookies and two-way players getting opportunities are trying to win.
Every minute is valuable for them, especially for a rookie like Shead that has shown flashes. Regardless of the end result, he put up 11 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists in 29 minutes.
Those are great numbers and experience is the best teacher in the NBA. Hopefully, he is able to use that negated game-winner as motivation to finish out his first season strong.
Darko Rajakovic explains going with Jamal Shead over Davion Mitchell in rotation
Head coach Darko Rajakovic seemed to have thought highly of Jamal Shead as he was in the rotation over Davion Mitchell, who was a lottery pick in 2022.
Prior to Mitchell being traded to the Miami Heat, Rajakovic explained why Shead was climbing the guard rotation.
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