Raptors: 3 first-round picks Christian Koloko will be better than

1. Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets

The NBA is always willing to draft an underperforming college player if they have the athletic traits to breakout in the pros, but what Denver did at the end of the first round made no sense. After a solid selection at No. 21 overall in Kansas wing Christian Braun, the Nuggets added Watson despite a horrid time at UCLA.

Watson averaged just 3.3 points per game at UCLA and shot just 32% in the same conference that Koloko was dominating. While Koloko was helping Arizona lay waste to the rest of the conference, Watson was often included in the mop-up squad. What was Denver thinking?

Toronto Raptors: Christian Koloko is better than Peyton Watson.

The Raptors took an athletic risk with Koloko given how he needs to learn how to score at the NBA level, but it takes more sense to use a pick in the 30s on a player that has shown they can get it done at the NCAA level rather than leaning on high school tape from a year ago.

Sure, Watson can jump out of the gym and potentially offer Denver some nice versatility, but he hasn’t shown to be able to put it all together yet. Koloko, on the other hand, was a force at Arizona who should make his presence felt in the pros.