Back then, the next best option was something like Noble Hierarch or maybe Grim Lavamancer, making Deathrite Shaman significantly above the curve
You can be at 10 life, pay like 3 or 4 life to get a benefit, and at your next end step, your life returns to 10 (or 20, in EDH)
If youve got a lot of mana and a lot of cards in your graveyard, you can keep a creature locked down turn after turn, so this blue sorcerys not completely useless
Tesak gives all your Dog creatures unleash, which is a fun flavor win for the card
If youve kept up with the story for Streets of New Capenna , you might, like me, be baffled to see angels in the set
Sell them to the shop based on their estimated number and bulk collection price