The Toronto Raptors managed to use their second-round selection in the 2022 NBA Draft on an up-and-coming center prospect in Arizona’s Christian Koloko. Knowing that the team needed some rim protection, Masai Ujiri moved quickly to get someone that could fill that void.
Despite Koloko averaging 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game in the Pac-12 while being named Defensive Player of the Year, he slipped to the second round due to some concerns about his offensive game and age for a rookie. Nonetheless, Toronto saw a fit.
While Koloko should be expected to firmly assert himself as a quality member of the rotation at some point in 2022-23, we likely won’t see the full extent of what he will become until a few years pass. He is going to be another developmental gamble who could emerge if given enough time to beef up.
The Raptors expect Koloko to be the rim protector and interior finisher they needed last year. If Toronto can turn a second-round pick into any one of these three players by the time his career ends, Ujiri can hang his hat on yet another successful summer.
3 player comparisons for Toronto Raptors draft pick Christian Koloko.
Low-End: Alex Len
Considering the fact that he came into the NBA as a No. 5 overall pick in the same year Giannis Antetokounmpo was drafted, Len’s career has generally been very disappointing. However, Koloko could end up with a similarly long career if he follows this developmental path.
Len has averaged 7.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in his career while being a somewhat reliable defender and rebounder. While never a dominant starter, Len provides enough value as a rotational backup to be able to bounce from team to them over a decade-long span.
Toronto Raptors: Christian Koloko may become an Alex Len-type player.
Len never became what everyone thought due to a lack of offensive refinement that made him a minimal threat outside of the post. Even if Koloko never becomes a tremendous scorer, he should be able to stick in the pros in the same way that Len did.
Len has the misfortune of moving between a bunch of teams who never truly competed for the playoffs. Putting that style of play on a squad like the Raptors destined for some playoff success in the next few seasons could help Toronto get some much-needed depth while Koloko survives in the pros.
Mid-Range: Dewayne Dedmon
Dedmon has bounced around the league in his career, averaging 6.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in that span. Over the last handful of seasons, Dedmon has become a quality reserve for both a Hawks team and Heat squad that reached the conference finals.
Dedmon will never be the leading scorer, but he’s been a pestilent defender and quality rebounder that can occasionally finish inside the paint. Koloko doesn’t have much of a jumper, but he could be a slight threat from beyond the arc like Dedmon if he ends up adding that to his game.
The Toronto Raptors could turn Christian Koloko into Dewayne Dedmon.
With Miami, Dedmon’s energy has been one of the reasons that the Heat consistently have one of the best second-units in the game. A half-decade of production in that same vein would be a very impressive get for the Raptors in the second round.
Koloko is a bit of a question mark, but his defensive appears to be a sure thing. Dedmon was able to take the next step by being a respectable 3-point shooter in addition to a solid defender, and Koloko could fit that mold if he adds that facet to his game early in his career.
High-End: Jakob Poeltl
The Raptors love Poeltl so much that they drafted someone in the same archetypal mold. The 7-1 Austrian has finally started to become an All-Defensive type of rim protector with the Spurs in 2022, and Koloko could be on a similar trajectory if he plays his cards right.
While he has the height and shot-blocking acumen to mirror Poeltl, what will really set Koloko apart is his unique mobility for a big man with his level of girth. Look no further than the Oregon game, where he routinely showed he could switch onto guards when needed.
The Toronto Raptors could find another Jakob Poeltl.
Poeltl is never going to be a 20-point per game scorer, but 13.5 points last year with San Antonio isn’t an unfair projection for what Koloko could do if he checks every developmental box along the way. Even in limited time with Arizona, Koloko’s power in the paint on offense was noteworthy.
The fact that Toronto is trying to acquire Poeltl so ferociously shows that they still have a thing for centers that are that big if their mobility is up to par. Much like Poeltl, giving Koloko tons of time to iron out the kinks in his game and accentuate his strengths could be a recipe for making him a double-double machine.