The Toronto Raptors had to wait a very long time to make their line pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but they managed to snag a potential defensive game changer in Arizona center Christian Koloko. Some were surprised that he managed to slip to Toronto in the second round.
Koloko might be a bit raw on the offensive side of the ball despite having three seasons of collegiate experience, the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year promises to be one of the best rim protectors Toronto has had in years. He started flexing his defensive muscles in Summer League play.
Precisely what role Koloko will play during his rookie season is still unknown. While he will likely get some time in the G League to slowly get up to speed on offense, a Raptors roster that lacks exceptional size could be forced to turn to Koloko if names like Khem Birch start to disappoint.
The Raptors can take solace in the fact that Koloko will eventually be better than these three players who were picked ahead of him. Toronto will unleash Koloko on the NBA and show the rest of the world what a mistake they made in allowing him to fall to No. 33 overall.
3 rookies Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko is better than
3. MarJon Beauchamp, Milwaukee Bucks
Beauchamp has tons of potential, but he is as raw as they come. The 21-year-old Beauchamp bounced around between the junior college ranks and the G League Ignite program, eventually riding his 15.1 points per game to a selection at No. 24 overall by Milwaukee.
Beauchamp is going to get lots of Wisconsin Herd time this season, as the combination of the Bucks’ tremendous depth and Beauchamp’s unfinished game will make this year a learning experience. Beauchamp is fresh off shooting 24% from 3-point range on just under three attempts per game.
Toronto Raptors: Christian Koloko will beat out MarJon Beauchamp.
Beauchamp has shown to be an excellent defender at the G League level and might have more versatility than Koloko, but the Cameroonian big man’s excellence in the post is what will ultimately give him the edge over players in Beauchamp’s tier.
Even though Koloko is coming into the league as a bit of a project, he will likely get more NBA minutes as a rookie than a player like Beauchamp, who is viewed as a long-term project for a ready-made contender. All Koloko needs to do to leave Beauchamp in the dust is develop a robust finishing move or two.
2. Nikola Jovic, Miami Heat
In a year that lacked turns of elite European prospects that declared for the draft, Jovic was one of the few who came over with a degree of hype. The Heat took a flier on the 6-10 Jovic, hoping that they can coax some offensive potential out of him as they contend for a championship.
Jovic is without question a better scorer than Koloko right now, as he can shoot from the perimeter and handle the ball well for someone his size. Where Koloko stands out compared to Jovic is his athleticism, as Toronto’s rookie has tremendous mobility for someone that big.
Christian Koloko is a better defender than Nikola Jovic.
Koloko is going to be several tiers above Jovic as a defender. On top of the fact that Jovic has lacked effort on the defensive end at times, his substandard athleticism when compared to Koloko gives the Raptors’ big man a higher floor than a stringy 6-10 player still trying to figure out which position suits him best.
Jovic will have a long career in this league, but he will be very specialized due to his physical shortcomings. Koloko has the athleticism needed to become a starter in this league eventually, and Toronto may offer him a quicker pipeline to minutes than Miami will with Jovic.
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.