The Toronto Raptors have selected Christian Koloko of the University of Arizona with the 33rd overall selection in the NBA Draft, their only selection for the 2022 event.
Koloko, a seven-foot center-back who shares the same hometown as Pascal Siakam in Cameroon, averaged 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks as a junior with the Wildcats this season and was voted Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
The 22-year-old was also named to the All-Pac-12 first team and won the best player this season.
“If you protect the rim as well as I think it does, it will give you a chance to be even more aggressive in the bands and try to be even more driven by turnover,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said. after the team selected him.
Some notes from Blake Murphy of Sportsnet The Fan 590, who calls Koloko an “extremely Raptors-y” choice:
• “A bigger prospect who hasn’t been playing basketball for so long and still has a conceivable development track. The same hometown as Pascal, which could help in the adjustment phase. He could probably help now in minutes. C of reserve, but it’s more of what COULD become defensive. ” Murphy writes.
• Defensive Report: Unrealistic length, good defensive moment around the edge, drastic improvement year after year, big engine and the Raptors will embrace their wild closures / turns to correct mistakes as they work to fix them.
• Offensive report: efficient on moderate-use paper, shooting range up to 17 feet and could extend up to three points in time, should be a good tire running option and finishes well in landfills / spills, will require some patience with limited rotations and handling / counters
• “I could see a scenario where Koloko raises and lowers the raps to 905 as injuries / rotations demand. They want him to have numerous reps there to extend the offensive package and confidence, but his defense could help in the short term. where he can fight for minutes, ”Murphy added.
The selection, which is the Raptors’ first selection in the 2022 draft, was acquired by the San Antonio Spurs, but initially belonged to the Detroit Pistons.
Toronto negotiated their first-round selection (20th overall) along with Goran Dragic on the deadline for the exchange of Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks and the eventual 33rd overall selection.