Toronto Raptors: 3 two-way players who could be the next Yuta Watanabe
By Mike Luciano
Raptors two-way No. 2: Simosola Shittu, Westchester Knicks
Shittu has been on a veritable walking tour of the United Nations in his life, as he was born in England, moved to Canada at the age of five, and made the trip to the States in high school. Given his athletic potential, Toronto might be inclined to bring him back to Canada and see if everything will finally click alongside Nurse.
A former top recruit who linked up with Darius Garland at Vanderbilt, Shittu has not had the same pro success as his former teammate, as he has spent most of his time in the G League. Shittu impressed with the Westchester Knicks, recording 14.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting more 3-pointers than before.
How would Simisola Shittu help the Toronto Raptors?
Shittu is not the deadly shooter that some other standout G Leaguers were, but his post game has improved from where it was, and Toronto might be inclined to gamble on him. With the roster far from set, why not add someone with his pedigree and see if he can turn it on in a more structured environment.
The luster that Shittu’s five star rating in high school brought is admittedly fading fast, and the Raptors need to pick him up before he starts to potentially think about going overseas to extend his career. He might not be ready for NBA action, but he’s springy and can run the floor, which is worth taking a chance on.