The Raptors used a first-round pick on Allen Graves because he looks like the kind of player this organization has always loved: long, disruptive, and built to make life miserable for opponents. At 6’8”, he already made his name as a defender, and unlike plenty of defensive-minded forwards, he brings a 3-point shot that gives Toronto something more to work with.
There’s real buzz around the pick. Graves fit the Raptors’ vision from the start, and he backed that up with a strong showing in summer league.
But the early excitement comes with the usual rookie reality check. He’s only 20, he spent just one season in college, and he still has plenty to prove once the games start counting.
The most obvious question is whether his jumper will hold up against NBA defenses. But that’s not the only issue hanging over his rookie year. On the August 7 episode of The Dunker Spot, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie pointed to Graves’ defense as another area worth watching.
“Defensively, I think he’s really good at the chaos rotation,” Vecenie said. “I think he’s really good at making those quick split-second decisions.
It’s, okay, can he guard on the ball? If a team gets him in a switch, is he going to be quick enough to be able to stay in front of somebody?
Is he going to be able to consistently deal on the block?”
That’s the real test for Graves in Toronto. He should have a path to minutes early, especially if Jakob Poeltl can’t stay healthy. The Raptors’ big-man group is thin enough that if Trayce Jackson-Davis, Nate Bittle, or Trey Jamison aren’t ready for rotational work when Poeltl sits, Toronto may be forced into small-ball looks with Collin Murray-Boyles, Graves, or Kyle Anderson at center.
If Graves can stretch the floor, that helps immediately. The Raptors don’t have a lot of reliable shooting in the frontcourt, so every bit of spacing matters.
But if he’s going to stay on the floor, defense is the ticket. That’s been Toronto’s calling card, and it’s part of why Gradey Dick slipped out of the rotation this past season.
Graves has the tools to become a real problem if his speed and athleticism translate cleanly to the NBA level. And if Leonard joins the Raptors, Toronto could start building something nasty defensively with Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Murray-Boyles. If Graves ends up being the defender the Raptors believe he can be, that group gets even harder to deal with.
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