JP Tokoto Declares for NBA Draft
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that JP Tokoto of the North Carolina Tar Heels will declare for the NBA Draft. Tokoto does not initially plan to sign an agent, but he does plan to stay in the Draft process beyond the April 26th deadline for now. That would lead me to believe that he is not coming out of the draft pool unless he gets injured in workouts or something.
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Tokoto’s calling card is his athleticism, and that has not changed from the moment he came to Chapel Hill. Over his three years with the Tar Heels, he has functioned as defensive stopper and all around stats guy. His passing touch can be pretty good when he puts the pass in the right place. His decision making has been questionable, but when he puts it in the right place it really works.
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The issue with Tokoto is his shooting. His shot will take some overall, as he will need a midrange jumper and a three point shot at the next level. This is a project rivaling that of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, except that Mark Price is not available for it.
Tokoto rates as a second round prospect at the moment, which he concedes. He will be looking to improve that stock through workouts and All-Star type exhibition game appearances. Perhaps there is some trick up his sleeve that he has not yet shown.
Tokoto is clearly worried about getting shoe-horned into being an athletic freak who might not be able to play the pro game. That was the same trap that James Michael McAdoo walked into and McAdoo watched his draft stock drop year after year as his limitations became apparent. McAdoo is now at the end of the Golden State Warriors bench, but not the path he would have chosen to get there.
So this is the first and perhaps only hit to Carolina’s big season run next year. The loss of Tokoto will open up minutes at the wing for either Theo Pinson or perhaps a Jaylen Brown or Brandon Ingram appearance.