3 Raptors who must step up during challenging five-game stretch
By Mike Luciano
2. Christian Koloko
The Raptors starting Koloko over names like Boucher and Achiuwa shows that he is much further along than anyone could have possibly predicted at this juncture. Koloko looks like a viable NBA rebounder and shot-blocker, but he is very clearly a limited offensive player.
Koloko had perhaps his best game as a pro against Philadelphia, in which he grabbed a few rebounds, finished a nice fastbreak dunk, and looked completely in his element against mighty fellow Cameroonian Joel Embiid. Koloko will be a trusted part of this rotation in the future.
Christian Koloko must score a bit more for the Toronto Raptors.
While Boucher and Achiuwa are clearly the top dogs, Koloko has pushed two much-hyped offseason acquisitions in Thad Young and Juancho Hernangomez to the back end of the bench. That’s a seismic move from Nurse that likely is not going to be undone anytime soon.
Eventually, having a player that is not a threat to score at all may come up to bit Toronto in the butt. Koloko learning on the fly as a rotation member for a team with high aspirations might not be 100% ideal, but that added pressure might help turn his raw offensive game into a shinier diamond.