3 hot takeaways as Raptors win first game without Pascal Siakam

1. Christian Koloko starting should stay when Siakam returns

The Raptors have completely overhauled their Koloko development plan, as he went from a Raptors 905 project to someone that has been impossible to kick out of the starting lineup. With 11 points, seven rebounds, and six blocks against the mighty Nikola Vucevic, Koloko had his best game as a pro.

It’s not a stretch to say that Koloko has completely changed how this team operates on defense. An already aggressive, swarming defense can be even more cavalier knowing that they have a solid rim protector in the paint. Toronto needs to utilize him more, even when Siakam returns.

The Toronto Raptors must lean on Christian Koloko defensively.

Gary Trent Jr. would make the most sense as a bench move. He can still play the same 30-minute spells he’s used to doing as a starter and get his 18 points a game. However, this alignment could help Toronto’s defense assert their will early on while letting Trent cook with the reserves.

Koloko is not going to be a double-digit scoring threat, but even the injured Raptors don’t need him to be that effective offensively to justify putting him in the starting lineup. Just finish alley-oops, grab rebounds, and blocks shots. We’ll start from there.