Toronto Raptors: 3 reasons Jalen Suggs should be the pick at No. 4
By Mike Luciano
After an extremely tough year in Tampa, the Toronto Raptors draft plans didn’t look as promising as some would have hoped. With the seventh-best odds at the top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Raptors appeared to be incapable of selecting a game-change like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, or Jalen Suggs.
However, the cosmic forces from beyond smiled upon the Raptors, and they ended up landing the No. 4 pick in the draft, with the Detroit Pistons taking home the top selection and the Rockets and Cavaliers following them in the order.
With Cunningham and Mobley likely to be off the board by this point, the most likely outcome for Toronto involves picking one of two Jalens. While the G League star in Green might have the higher ceiling, Suggs might actually be a better fit on this roster in both the short and long term given his skill set.
If he is able to translate his college production to the pros, there are plenty of reasons as to why Suggs should be the Toronto Raptors’ top target in the draft.
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3 reasons the Toronto Raptors should draft Jalen Suggs.
3. Defense
Suggs never takes a possession off, and that motor has helped him become one of the best two-way players at any position in this draft class. A smart off-ball defender with great anticipation skills, Suggs’ 6-4 frame makes him an ideal on-ball defender given his length and tenacity on that side of the ball.
Averaging just under two steals per game is a testament to how active his hands are, but a wingspan of slightly over 6-5 and some of the quickest feet in the draft will help him step right into an NBA rotation and make some impact plays.
Jalen Suggs can give the Toronto Raptors a quality perimeter defender.
To play guard for Nick Nurse and Masai Ujiri, you’re going to have to defend. That is the biggest area of weakness in Green’s game, while Suggs has managed to turn that into an area of strength. Unlike most rookies, the Raptors won’t have to hide Suggs on that end of the floor in his first year.
Imagine a lineup with All-Defensive team vote-getter Fred VanVleet and Suggs in the backcourt, the über-versatile OG Anunoby, a lanky forward in Pascal Siakam, and a rugged rim protector in Khem Birch all on the floor at the same time? Green might have tons of offensive potential, but Suggs is as well-rounded as they come, and that projects well for his future.