3 Toronto Raptors who will be preseason stars in Jazz opener
By Mike Luciano
2. Christian Koloko
Koloko, who arrived in Toronto as a second-round draft pick, is going to be viewed under a microscope in his first extended action with the big league club. Between him and two-way addition Ron Harper Jr, the Raptors are expecting big things from their rookie class in these exhibitions.
Summer League showed that Koloko was everything we thought he would be during his first few NBA games. While he was a defensive force that was blocking shots left and right, even the biggest Koloko fan had to see that he was not taking games over as a scorer or finisher. We’ll see how much he’s improved against Utah.
Christian Koloko will show off his stuff for the Toronto Raptors.
Koloko and the Raptors have likely come to a mutual understanding that this season is not going to feature a ton of playing time at the NBA level. Koloko will take some time to hone his skills in the G League while names like Precious Achiuwa and Khem Birch handle most of the minutes.
Koloko will have to show the Raptors that he is worthy of speeding the timeline up. Performing well in the preseason, particularly as an offensive force at and around the rim, would show that he is closer to cracking the Raptors bench than some prognosticators assumed.