The Toronto Raptors don’t have a ton to smile about this season, but the terrific play of rookie big man Christian Koloko has been one of the few silver linings the team can hold their head high about. Koloko has been one of the best second-round picks in the 2023 class.
Koloko is averaging just 3.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, but the 7-1 rim protector has already shown to be a tremendous defensive player. Surprisingly mobile for someone as big as he is, Koloko has been blocking shots with regularity.
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Raptors allow 10.4 fewer points per 100 possessions when Koloko is on the floor (which ranks in the 98th percentile among big men). Opponents shoot 5.9% worse from the field in terms of their eFG%, a number matched only by Jaren Jackson Jr. among bigs with 600 minutes on the floor.
Despite that, Koloko has been out of the rotation for the last three games. In that span, the Raptors lost to a Bucks team that didn’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo or Khris Middleton and a Timberwolves bunch that lacked Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. The defense has been putrid without him. Someone needs to explain this.
Instead of promoting Koloko and giving him an expanded role, he has been demoted to the G League and Raptors 905. Make it make sense!
Fun fact, Christian Koloko has the highest plus-minus by a rookie this season, at +109. https://t.co/uvxr4Orz40
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) January 12, 2023
The Toronto Raptors must play Christian Koloko.
If Nurse thought that the defense would improve with more veterans being thrown into the mix, the inverse has proven to be true. A lack of rim protection and some gnarly struggles defending shooting from 3-point range have all contributed to the team’s recent downward slide.
Even if you’re going to concede tons of 3-pointers due to the basic structural foundations of the scheme, having Koloko at center will allow you to play as aggressively as you want. With no threat of rim protection and poor defensive rotations in Koloko’s absence, opponents are basically shooting in an open gym.
With the season trending downward and Toronto eyeing a playoff-less stint for the second time in three years, it would behoove this team to lean into their youth movement and figure out just how far along their neophyte players are. Koloko has shown promise, but he still needs more of an opportunity.
Koloko not playing for 3 straight games after a decent stretch doesn’t sit right with me. Nurse pisses me off sometimes.. like why does he do this?
— Swish (@TalkRaptors) January 20, 2023
If the Raptors are getting tired of looking like this in winnable games (irrespective of a hypothetical tank job), they need to see what Koloko has to offer. If he shows that he is further along than they expected, it could impact how ferociously the team will go after a starting center in the offseason.