One of the very first lessons you learn in Grade 9 science is how an electrical circuit works. For a battery source to power something like a lightbulb, the circuit wires need to carry the electrons all the way to the bulb without any break in connection. These wires are the conduit through which energy flows from one point to another.
Sandro Mamukelashvili serves in this function for the Toronto Raptors.
Mamu’s unique skill set makes him the perfect connective piece, bringing out the best in the Raptors’ most talented offensive players. His ability to slide into any lineup and provide it with a boost has made him one of the most productive bench players in the NBA to start the 2025-2026 season — and already, one of the most resoundingly successful free agency signings across the league.
First, let’s look at his output before we get to the specificity of his play.
Mamu’s box score numbers don’t jump off the page. He’s averaging 9.8 points in 18 minutes a night, grabbing 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting a pristine 58 percent from the field, 45 percent from three, and 80 percent from the free-throw line. He doesn’t crack the top 10 in any major statistical category among bench players in the NBA.
And yet, digging deeper, only Jamie Jacquez and Gradey Dick have better plus-minus marks among players who have come off the bench every game this season. Of the 10 Raptors lineups that have played more than 20 possessions together, Mamu is in the three lineups with the best net rating. The Raptors have been 15.5 points per 100 possessions better in the 225 minutes he’s been on the floor.
The Raptors’ bench is mobbin’ largely because of how impactful he’s been.
And as far as being a conduit for the Raptors’ best players, look at how Mamu’s presence impacts both their efficiency and output so far this season:
That is an outstanding level of impact for a player only getting paid $2.5M this season.
But what has made him such a special conduit? What specifically does he do that helps him carry the Raptors’ electrons, so to speak?
The reason, broadly stated, is adaptability.
Mamu has been one of the best per-minute spot-up players in the NBA over the last couple of seasons on low usage, and that hasn’t stopped in Toronto.
Last season, Mamu ranked in the 85th percentile as a spot-up player; this season, for the Raptors, he’s in the 86th percentile, generating 1.333 points per possession and shooting a staggering 60 percent on these opportunities, including a wild 46.7 percent on threes in these moments. He spaces above the break, which is particularly impactful for a big, dragging the defence’s most important rim protector (usually) as far from the rim as possible.
And even if Mamu does cool off from beyond the arc, he has other ways of carving up defenses off the catch. He’s shooting 67 percent on his drives to start the season and 85 percent on his twos in spot-up situations where he attacks a closeout and makes a decision with the ball. His functional handle, size, and fluidity help him keep the Raptors offense churning, even if the initial advantage disappears. He finishes on the move with both hands, which is especially tough to stop because of his size. And he keeps his balance, so every look has a chance. He’s a finisher, and he finishes in diverse ways. Given a seam, he’ll put the ball in the basket.
And when Mamu is involved in the initial action, he turns water into wine for the Raptors’ offense. The Raptors generate 1.313 points per possession when Mamu is the roll-man in pick-and-rolls, and he mixes in multiple different things: popping out to the 3-point line, rolling short and making plays, or rolling hard to the basket on empty-side actions. He’s not a one-note player like a number of shooting centers around the league.
The options he provides for the Raptors’ ball handlers have, in turn, given them more of a runway to get downhill. Mamu confuses defensive coverages, blows up schemes, and keeps teams guessing, giving Jamal Shead, Immanuel Quickley, and others even more daylight to get to their shots.
Even defensively, Mamu has been sharper than expected. While the team struggles to rebound when he is their nominal big man, he has done a good job defending pick-and-rolls, sometimes switching onto ballhandlers and other times splitting the difference between the ball and the roll man, leading to steals and deflections. He’s sneaky fast shooting passing lanes, and he’s had a number of tip-away steals above the break, leading to uncontested points. Much like on offense, his size and fluidity allow him to be additive or, at the very least, neutral on that end. He’s always balanced, which means even if he’s not a stopper, he can find his way to impact more often than you’d expect on that end.
This chameleon-like versatility is what makes Mamu the perfect role player in Darko Rajakovic’s offensive system, where you need to be able to dribble, pass, shoot, and make quick decisions. Be a conduit for your team’s success without breaking that system.
There’s no question that what Mamu provides for the Raptors as a floor-spacing big is somewhat like finding water in the desert — it’s clearly something this team, and its stars specifically, needed to function. Perhaps that is a team-building note the Raptors’ front office can consider as it continues to build this roster out long-term.
At the same time, on a team where so much of the usage goes towards Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett — you need players who can do more with less. The Raptors’ guard rotation is learning that quickly. Mamu’s ability to serve rather than be served, and to facilitate offensive productivity without cannibalizing it in any sort of way, is what makes him the uniquely capable role player that he is.
So, it’s true that the Raptors have found a diamond in the rough in free agency in Mamu. Maybe for the first time ever.
But they also gave him the perfect context for his skill set to enhance everything they do. To be the conduit to their electrical circuit.
