Okay, before I jump into my piece here, I want to make one thing clear — I am not, in any way, saying that Allen Graves is an exact mirror image of Mikal Bridges. Far from it, actually.
If we were just looking at face value, player-to-player comparisons, there is definitely a skillset gap separating Graves and Bridges apart. Bridges is a more athletically gifted talent by leaps and bounds, while Graves has raised some eyebrows as being relatively slow-footed, but praised for his defensive instincts, high IQ, floor-spacing potential, and being an analytics darling.
But it's not the playstyles where I am trying to connect a link between Graves and Bridges here, rather it's the role/archetype/functionality in which Bridges has served for much of his career and what we just saw him accomplish as part of the Knicks' 2026 championship squad.
Aside from the few years in Brooklyn where Bridges was a number one option, he has largely been the type of player you want on a playoff squad. Bridges slots in just about anywhere perfectly as the do-it-all glue guy. Bridges can shoot, play defense, grab boards, has playmaking abilities, and everything else in between. He served that need in Phoenix and it's exactly why the Knicks paid a heavy toll to trade for him back in 2024.
Now, I get that we're talking about a rookie here who has yet to even suit up for the Raptors in let alone a Summer League game, but even for the ultimate Allen Graves detractors out there — I don't think it's incredibly hard to see where he can evolve into the quintessential winning player.
If all goes to plan, the Raptors should be getting a quintessential winning player in Allen Graves
Again, some of those red flags raised about Graves' lack of explosiveness and agility are more than valid. But this shouldn't completely downplay his defensive versatility and awareness. Despite coming off the bench at Santa Clara and logging just 22.6 minutes of playing time, Graves was still able to leave his mark on defense by averaging 1.9 steals and close to a block (0.9) per game.
His 7-foot wingspan certainly helps on that end and also adds another layer to his game as a viable rim protector.
The three-point shooting at 41.3 percent coming out of Santa Clara looks great on-paper, and it's certainly worth the praise, but others will note the low volume at just under three attempts per game (2.6 to be exact). However, the mere fact that Graves can shoot the ball and has that element to his game in the making gives Toronto perhaps it's first forward/wing of the "Vision 6'9" philosophy to come in with this threat in their game. It's on the Raptors' coaching staff to only polish that shot into the pros, rather than completely tapping into those mechanics for the first time.
Every team reaching for championship goals needs a player like an Allen Graves.
If we want to look at other pro comparisons, vets like Boris Diaw and Robert Covington, or present-day players like Kyle Anderson and Tari Eason might appear as closer to Graves. That may be true, but still, the modern idea of a ceiling-raising role player who impacts winning to a Mikal Bridges-level isn't a far-fetched label to give Toronto's new rookie. The physical tools may be different, but the impact on various ends on the floor remains identical.
Whether you want extra possessions on the glass, hustling to maximize every play, hitting timely shots, or leveraging that high-IQ defensive versatility; leave it to someone like Allen Graves to step up in that capacity.
If that praise on my end isn't enough to do it, take these comments from Graves himself in his official Raptors introductory press conference on Thursday, answering to his status as the "analytics darling" of the 2026 class: "I don't look into the analytic side of it. Never have. That's just the way I play basketball. I guess it's good on the analytics chart. I just want to impact winning. That's all that's all I care about doing and that's what I plan to do here in Toronto and just making sure that I'm making the winning plays. Whether that's diving on the floor, whether that's going to get the loose ball, going to you know making a shot, whatever it may be, I just want to win."
Sure, as it appears to some, Toronto may have taken a low-ceiling prospect when they could've aimed higher, but the Raptors absolutely value winning talent and two-way threats, and Allen Graves fits that billing to a tee.Â
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