The Toronto Raptors may not have had the benefit of a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but they managed to take on of the draft’s best centers regardless. Arizona’s Christian Koloko was taken No. 33 overall in a fairly surprising move. How could the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year fall so far?
While Koloko is averaging just 3.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in his stints with the Raptors, he’s proven to be a capable defender and post presence on a team that currently lacks both of those in spades. Andrew Nembhard is the only second-round player outperforming Koloko right now.
Not only has his improved play over the last few weeks shown that Koloko should have been an easy first-round pick, but his numbers prove that some of the more hyped players that went above him in the draft lottery should have been considered inferior prospects.
These three players were picked ahead of Koloko in the NBA Draft Lottery, but they haven’t been able to replicate the consistent performances that the former Wildcats star has authored during his time with the Raptors. With his place in the rotation secure, Koloko will continue to further his advantage.
3 lottery picks Toronto Raptors rookie Christian Koloko is outplaying.
3. Ochai Agbaji, Utah Jazz
Agbaji was expected to be one of the first guards off the bench in Cleveland, but the Donoval Mitchell trade shipped him out to Utah. Much like Nickeil Alexander-Walker over the last few seasons, Agbaji has found it hard to crack the rotation despite fellow rookie Walker Kessler having no such issues.
Agbaji, who was the primary scorer on a Kansas Jayhawks team that won a national championship last season, is averaging just 3.6 points per game and has only scored more than 10 points twice in a game. Agbaji has appeared in 21 games, yet has played more than seven minutes in just 10 of them.
Toronto Raptors: Christian Koloko is scoring more than Ochai Agbaji.
Koloko is going to score most of his points right at the basket, but his game-clinching 3-pointer against the Suns a few days ago and some recent midrange makes attest to the fact that he is starting to expand his offensive game gradually. Giving him a steady helping of minutes has been critical to these improvements.
Agbaji, meanwhile, is struggling to break through on a Utah team that is very clearly playing with house money this year and eyeing the future. Agbaji has the skills needed to turn it on if he gets minutes, but it might be hard to envision when he will get an extended opportunity.
2. Ousmane Dieng, Oklahoma City Thunder
Dieng was one of three lottery picks that Oklahoma City ended up with his season, but the results on all three of them aren’t exactly very enticing. Chet Holmgren is already out for the year thanks to an injury, and Dieng has spent less time on the floor than both of the similarly named Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams.
Dieng averages just 4.4 points per game on 42% shooting, all before a wrist injury sidelined him for the most recent chunk of time. Dieng is a talented scorer, but Oklahoma City hasn’t been the best launching pad for him at this stage of his career.
Raptors big Christian Koloko has outplayed Ousmane Dieng.
With the Thunder in the lottery once again and Holmgren’s imminent return about to change the team’s calculus, it remains to be seen if Dieng will ever carve out a role in the rotation. Koloko, meanwhile, has done so despite some flaws on the offensive end. His best basketball is still in the windshield, not the rear-view mirror.
In the right situation, Dieng has enough natural fluidity to mold himself into a solid scorer that hustles on defense. However, he may need to wait until his second season before he can start eclipsing a player like Koloko, who is beginning to look much more comfortable on the floor.
1. Johnny Davis, Washington Wizards
Very few first-round picks are abandoned after one season, but Davis is starting to speed toward that unfortunate designation. Davis managed to be picked 10th overall after a tremendous final season at Wisconsin, but that year is starting to look more like a one-hit-wonder.
Davis has played just 50 minutes all season long, averaging 1.1 points per game and failing to make a single 3-pointer. Davis has even struggled in the G League, making just 41% of his shots and coming off the bench five times in Showcase Cup action. Brutal.
Toronto Raptors: Christian Koloko looks better than Johnny Davis.
The fact that Koloko, who doesn’t have a very refined offensive game after just one season at Arizona, has already shown to have a brighter future than Davis has to be one of the most stunning developments in recent draft history and a massive blow to Draft Twitter’s collective ego.
Even though his rookie year is only half-over, Davis is at the point where he may just need a fresh start, lest he is consigned to the Joe Alexander realm of draft busts. Koloko, meanwhile, is going to keep playing an integral bench role on a team still trying to make the playoffs.