The Toronto Raptors were gifted the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and the expectation according to the mock draft experts seems to be that the Raptors will choose Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs, though USC center Evan Mobley and G League guard Jalen Green remain viable options.
Considering the team’s need at center, Toronto will likely take Mobley if he falls to them at No. 4. However, the team will need to figure out which of the two Jalens they prefer, as both of them could impact the Raptors in different fashions given their contrasting styles.
While Suggs is a ready-made point guard with a feel for the game that betrays his age, Green might have more offensive potential given how he can score at will. While both look like future stars in this league, the Raptors will need to eventually pick one of these two to settle on.
Green might have a higher ceiling as a scorer, but Suggs could end up as the better player. Suggs has 3 clear advantages over Green that the Raptors need to consider before finalizing their selection.
Houston is heavily leaning toward Jalen Green at No. 2, sources tell @talkhoops.
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 16, 2021
However, there are people within the Rockets’ decision-making process pushing for Jalen Suggs.
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3 advantages Toronto Raptors draft target Jalen Suggs has over Jalen Green.
3. Passing
While this may be obvious considering Suggs profiles as a traditional point guard and Green looks like a wing scorer, the degree to which Suggs has overtaken green in this department is astonishing. Don’t let the assist averages fool you, as they aren’t always the best barometer of passing instincts.
Suggs’ flashy passing ould really start to shine if he goes to Toronto, as Nick Nurse’s offense has generally been able to coax high assist numbers out of points like Kyle Lowry. While Green did improve his passing in the G League as compared to his high school days, he isn’t the best at making tough passes off of the dribble just yet.
Jalen Suggs is more of a traditional point guard than Jalen Green.
While the Raptors could theoretically move Fred VanVleet to point guard and make Green the full-time shooting guard, making Suggs the primary ball-handler in tandem with VanVleet could make the offense even deadlier.
Green proved that when the ball arrives in his hands, he can isolate and score as well as anyone in this class. However, when looking purely at how these two would fit into Toronto’s offense, Suggs might be a better jigsaw piece for the high-octane, free-flowing puzzle Nurse wants to create.