Raptors draft: 3 7-foot centers Toronto could select at No. 33
By Mike Luciano
2. Christian Koloko, Arizona
Koloko went from first-round lock to potential faller after some other impressive big men started to strut their stuff in front of professional scouts. His slide should end at Toronto, as everything he brings to the table was something that Toronto lacked last year.
12.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game are impressive enough, but the fact that Koloko nearly tallied three blocks per contest while flexing the athleticism needed to be a mobile defender should shoot him to the top of many teams big boards. Koloko will be a defensive presence on Day 1.
Christian Koloko will improve the Toronto Raptors on defense.
Don’t expect the 7-1 Cameroonian to suddenly come into the NBA and start chucking up threes. In fact, questions about his offensive ceiling might be one of the main reasons he is starting to fall ever so slightly down draft boards.
Koloko is going to have a lower floor than most offensively deficient big men in the early second round thanks to his extraordinary shot-blocking skill. A solid mover for someone his size, someone with Koloko’s profile is just about as seamless a fit as one could hope for out of a 7-1 titan in Toronto’s system.