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

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.

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.

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.

1. Scoring, especially in the clutch

Shooting might seem like a liability for Suggs at the moment given his 33% percentage from 3-point range, but his ability to finish inside the arc is evidenced by a 50% field goal percentage. At the rim, in the mid-range, or behind the arc, Suggs can get it done.

Suggs, should he get drafted by Toronto, would end up in the hands of Nick Nurse, a coach that has had a ton of success with regards to getting substandard shooters to blossom, and Suggs could be his next protege.

Toronto Raptors: The offensive potential of Jalen Suggs is mouth-watering.

What really made Suggs a household name was his performance in the NCAA Tournament, as he led the Bulldogs to a national championship game appearance thanks to a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to sink an upstart UCLA squad. As someone being looked at as a potential franchise cornerstone, that’s a positive thing to see.

Suggs has already shown that he is not afraid to take big shots, which was a huge area of weakness for the Raptors this year. Suggs has the potential to be an All-Defensive point guard and 20-per-game scorer if nurtured properly, making him too good to pass up.