Toronto Raptors: 3 reasons Jalen Suggs should be the pick at No. 4

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: Jalen Suggs #1 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: Jalen Suggs #1 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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Jalen Suggs, Toronto Raptors
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 23: Jalen Suggs #1 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives against Jordan Bell #1 and Pierre Crockrell #3 of the Pacific Tigers (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)

2. Speed and Passing on offense

Suggs is at his best when he uses his raw speed to act like a blade knifing through the opposing defenses. Don’t let some of the assist numbers fool you, Suggs may be the best pure passer in this class, and he could have more opportunities to showcase that in a system that doesn’t ask him to score out of isolation situations as much.

Suggs was a highly-ranked quarterback in high school with multiple Division I offers from competitive schools, and he plays like that on the basketball court, using his athleticism to weave in and out of the paint and his passing accuracy to consistently get his teammates open for easy looks.

Jalen Suggs has the profile of a future Toronto Raptors star.

Part of the challenge in evaluating top prospects is weighing the combination of finished tangible production vs upside. Given Suggs’ body, explosion, and ability to make plays on the fast break, he looks like a premium athlete with enough refinement in his game to produce without a ton of acclimation time.

Kyle Lowry and VanVleet are many things, almost all of which are great, but premier athletic prospects are not one of them. Given how Suggs effortlessly blends his ability to attack the rim with a smooth passing style, he could be a very nice counterbalance to the backcourt that has kept Toronto afloat all these years.