Scouting Report – J.P. Tokoto

Name: J.P. Tokoto DOB: 9/15/1993 (21) School: North Carolina

Height: 6’6 Weight: 200 Projected Position: SG/PG

2014-15 Stats:

8.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.5 spg 2.2 tpg (29.1 mpg)

42.8 FG%, 61.5 FT%, 37.5 3FG%, 48.4 TS%, 45.0 eFG%

17.9 USG%, 6.4 OREB%, 14.3 DREB%, 10.6 DREB%, 24.0 AST%, 20.7 TOV%, 2.9 STL%

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SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Perimeter Shooting

Tokoto is a below-average perimeter shooter, and the main problem is an inconsistent and somewhat flawed motion. First, when he looks to get into his motion, he brings his feet from very wide to too close together, and though he shows good lift from his legs, it can affect the balance of his upper body as he shoots, often seeing his shots drift to one side. His release is also inconsistent; sometimes he keeps his elbow in and follows-through well, and sometimes his shooting elbow will jut out towards the outside of his body, forcing an odd spin on the ball. When he does shoot the ball well, Tokoto is able to hit his jumper off the catch or dribble, and even showed the ability to hit from long-range when he is able to step into his shot. He likes to use screens as a pick-and-roll ballhandler, and uses them well to create space for his jumper, especially in the mid-range area. Tokoto’s shot selection is good, rarely forcing bad shots, and often opting to make the extra pass instead of forcing a closely-guarded look. Tokoto has shown some good movement off the ball, though he needs to work on coming off screens tighter and ready to make a move, as well as learning to use multiple moves to shake a tough defender. Tokoto likes to shoot the short jumper when he gets into the lane, and while he has improved, especially using his quick leaping ability to get clean looks over defenders, he can tend to short-arm the shots. Tokoto’s shot doesn’t need to be rebuilt, but some keys flaws need to be addressed to make him a threat to score at the next level.

Ballhandling/Penetration/Passing

Tokoto is an above-average ballhandler, with the ability to use both hands well, and able to attack the basket in either direction. Tokoto has a strong first step to the basket, and he also uses a nice crossover dribble to create space. He doesn’t have great acceleration off the dribble, but he keeps his head up and shows good control as he looks to avoid defenders. Tokoto goes stronger to the basket when going to his right, though he can get to the rim and finish with either hand. Tokoto can have trouble finishing around the basket, especially with long defenders there, and while creative when looking to finish against shot-blockers, he doesn’t challenge them consistently. Tokoto has developed a nice hop-step and spin moves in the lane to avoid defenders and create space for his shot, and he does a good job protecting the ball when going to the basket. He doesn’t use many advanced dribbles when looking to get to the basket, but has shown a nice hesitation move, as well as a strong crossover used to create space. Tokoto has improved a lot as a pick-and-roll ballhandler, showing patience, and making good reads with strong passes. Tokoto does a good job using both screens and his dribble to create space for his mid-range jumper or get to the basket, though, as mentioned above, he needs to work on hitting the shot consistently to force the defense to respect it. Tokoto is an underrated passer in general, and his ability to feed the post was one of the best I saw this past season.

Free Throw Shooting

As with his perimeter shooting, Tokoto has problems at the free throw line, and the culprit is likely his motion and release. Tokoto’s motion is somewhat disjointed, with a long pause when he bends his knees, before moving into his release. Again, like his jumper, his release also has problems; besides being inconsistent, he also has a tendency to let his shooting elbow end up pointing away from his body, taking the ball off-line and giving it an odd rotation. If he can fix his shot, there could be a lot of benefits, as Tokoto does a fairly good job of drawing contact when he attacks the basket. With the majority of his shots being short and mid-range jumpers, he still was able to get to the line over 40 times for every 100 field goal attempts. At just 61 percent from the line, there are a lot of potential points being left at the line, and can see him forced to bench in late-game situations.

Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Tokoto is a very good perimeter defender, on and off the ball, and a lot of his skill should translate to the next level. On the ball, Tokoto is an active defender. He positions himself well between his man and the basket, and he moves well laterally, though his foot speed isn’t great, and he can be slow to react to his man’s movements, especially changes in direction. In isolation, Tokoto likes to pressure the ballhandler, which is a risk when guarding a strong ballhandler, though it did pay dividends at the college level. Tokoto needs to work on getting over screens, instead of going under screens or relying on switches to help him. His tendency to instinctively go under screens leaves the ballhandler enough space for a good shot. Off the ball, Tokoto positions himself well and has the ability to deny passing lanes with his strong awareness and movement. As on the ball, Tokoto can have problems with screens away from the ball, and he needs to use to learn angles better to avoid screens and/or recover to his man. Though Tokoto has good instincts and he doesn’t take a lot of chances, but he picks and chooses his spots well to make a play on the ball. Tokoto closes well on perimeter shooters, though he needs to watch falling for shot fakes, especially when he’s guarding a player who is more likely to look to get to the basket. While not a “physical” defender, Tokoto will not back down from bigger players who try to use their size to get an advantage.

Rebounding

Tokoto is a very good rebounder for his size and position, on both ends of the floor. On the offensive end, Tokoto uses his quick leaping ability well when around the basket to either beat bigger players to the ball, or at least keep the ball alive and out of the other team’s hands. He is a real threat to make a play on a missed shot from the perimeter, and if a team doesn’t track and put a body on him, he can make them pay. Defensively, Tokoto tracks shots well and is quick to get in position, though he does need to work on making sure to look and put a body on someone before looking to get the ball. Tokoto has the ability to start the team in transition after grabbing a rebound, and his ballhandling, vision, and passing ability can lead to some quick points after securing the ball.

Transition

Tokoto is capable of pushing the ball in transition himself, or running one of the wings. While he doesn’t have great speed, he shows good control and vision when handling the ball, though he can have some ballhandling issues when he tries to pick up his pace. When handling the ball, Tokoto is a threat to get to the basket, but he will sometimes settle for mid-range jumpers. He sees the floor well, keeps his head up, and makes strong passes to teammates. Tokoto is also a very good outlet passer, finding teammates leaking out and hitting them in stride for a quick score. Though Tokoto isn’t much of a threat to shoot from the perimeter when running the wings, he can make a quick move to the basket, or if the space is there, can make a line for the basket to finish above the rim.

Intangibles/Summary

Tokoto has always been an underappreciated player amongst more well-known teammates at North Carolina, but his contributions were valuable in many areas. On offense, a lot of focus was on how poor or inconsistent a perimeter shooter Tokoto is, but when he was able to get his motion and release right at times, he could knock down mid- and long-range jumpers. He was more of a threat in transition, where his ballhandling ability and athleticism allowed him to get to the rim and finish. Tokoto also showed improvement in his three years with his ability to get into the lane off the dribble, and either finish at the rim, or find an open teammate with a dump-off pass around the basket, or hitting an open teammate on the perimeter. He can be inconsistent finishing around the basket, especially against length, but he has the athleticism and strength to take the ball at shot blockers more often. Tokoto’s real value on offense comes from his ability as a pick-and-roll ballhandler, making good reads and hitting teammates with strong passes. He is also a valuable rebounder on both ends of the floor for his size. Defensively, Tokoto has the skills and athletic ability to do well at the next level, showing good fundamentals and toughness. He doesn’t take a lot of chances, instead focusing on containing his man on the perimeter, though he does have problems with screens, and more teams relied on using them to take him off the ballhandler. Tokoto is very active on the defensive end, and his communication skills to his teammates were very evident when he was on the floor; he can often be seen directing his teammates as the other team gets into their sets. Tokoto, the grandson of a former member of the Cameroon National Soccer team and pro soccer player, may never be a star at the next level, but he has the skills and abilities that good coaches rely on to make teams better.

Draft Value: Late 1^st Round – Early 2^nd Round – #25-40

Putting Tokoto’s shooting woes aside, he is a very skilled and athletic player, who can guard multiple positions well, and can make plays in the halfcourt and in transition. A smart team will take Tokoto and try to transition him full-time to the point guard position over a few seasons, allowing his natural skill set to shine through while taking advantage of his size for the position. Tokoto does need to keep working on his ability to knock down jumpers, but if he can make the fixes, some team may get a steal with him in this draft.

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