"Toronto entered the 2022 draft coming off a 48-win season and a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Their reward was a first-round matchup against the fourth-seed Philadelphia 76ers, led by Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. The series began poorly, with Philadelphia racing to a 3-0 lead behind blowout wins in Games 1 (20-point margin) and 2 (15-point margin). Game 3 went to overtime, but the Sixers edged Toronto in the final moments."
"Their first round pick was off to San Antonio as Toronto spent it to get rid of a disgruntled Goran Dragic, who was refusing to suit up for Toronto. He was sent to the Spurs alongside a protected first-round pick, which turned out to be Malaki Brabham with the 20th pick in the draft. Toronto got Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks (no idea he was in this trade) and the 33rd pick of the draft, which Toronto elected to spend on Christian Koloko."
"Koloko is a 7-foot Centre who was a raw talent who excelled in blocking shots on the defensive end. His offensive game was very limited, and he relied on put-backs and easy shots by the rim. Koloko appeared in 58 games during the 2022-23 season, starting 19. He averaged 14 minutes, posting 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1 block per game while shooting 48% from the field."
Toronto finished the 2021-22 season with 48 wins and a fifth-place Eastern Conference finish before losing a first-round series to Philadelphia after falling behind 3-0 and winning two games. The Raptors entered the 2022 draft with only a second-round pick after trading their first-rounder to move Goran Dragic to San Antonio. Toronto received Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks and the 33rd pick, which was used to select Christian Koloko. Koloko is a 7-foot center known for shot-blocking and defensive rim protection but with a limited offensive skill set. He played 58 games as a rookie, averaging 14 minutes, 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1 block while shooting 48%.
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