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Toronto Raptors: 5 Reasons OG Anunoby was a great pick

By Nate Wolf

Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; OG Anunoby (Indiana) is introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the number twenty-three overall pick to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; OG Anunoby (Indiana) is introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the number twenty-three overall pick to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 10, 2017; College Park, MD, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward OG Anunoby (3) dunks over Maryland Terrapins forward Damonte Dodd (35) during the second half at Xfinity Center. Maryland Terrapins defeated Indiana Hoosiers 75-72. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 10, 2017; College Park, MD, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward OG Anunoby (3) dunks over Maryland Terrapins forward Damonte Dodd (35) during the second half at Xfinity Center. Maryland Terrapins defeated Indiana Hoosiers 75-72. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Future upside

Generally speaking, there are two ways to be a good defender in the NBA. You can be decent at everything – defending the perimeter, defending the post, protecting the rim, patrolling passing lanes. That’s Patrick Patterson or Gordon Hayward.

The other option is to be outstanding at one or two things. Hassan Whiteside sometimes struggles on the perimeter, for instance, but he may as well be holding a broomstick at the rim.

Plus defenders are either versatile or exceptional. Combine those traits and you get an All-NBA Defensive team type of player. We know Anunoby has the versatility down, but given his block and steal numbers, which usually translate from college to the NBA, it’s possible he becomes a unique defensive playmaker at the next level.

Anunoby should be decent at everything. Yet he could also be a cinderblock in the post, or the league’s deflections or steals leader, or a premier perimeter defender. The kid’s tools are that special.

Those physical tools form the basis of Anunoby’s offensive potential, too. As the video above highlights, his body control, straight-line speed, and vertical explosiveness make him a terror attacking closeouts.

His handle and shooting stroke are rudimentary at best. Few college stars post usage percentages as low as 21.1. Even fewer do so while shooting 31.1 percent from three. That said, Anunoby is just 19, and if he improves his ball skills, he could become a two-way stud.

Toronto’s current crop of youngsters simply don’t have star-level athletic ability or the youth needed to harness it. Delon Wright is steady, but he’s 25. Jakob Poeltl showed promise last season, but he’s not blessed with any outstanding talents.

Next: 2017 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

Anunoby is different. He comes with injury risks and an unrefined game. Squint hard enough, however, and you see the framework of a quality starter, if not more.

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