JP Tokoto taken 58th by the Philadelphia 76ers
North Carolina forward JP Tokoto was selected with 58th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was the last local player drafted and the only one taken in the second round.
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So the draft started for North Carolina area players with Jahlil Okafor near the top going to the Philadelphia 76ers and ended with Tokoto going near the bottom also going to the same Philadelphia 76ers.
Unlike Okafor, Tokoto’s path is not clear cut. Okafor will walk into the door as a starter or at least as a sixth man playing heavy minutes. Tokoto, on the other hand, will be looking to fight for time and minutes with a number of other wing players. The good news for JP is that none of them is particularly more talented than he is.
Tokoto will get his chance though. He is still incredibly athletic and his first job will be to gain a reputation as a defender. The next step will be to develop his shot out to mid range. Then he will need a three point shot. There is a place in the NBA for players who can establish they do one thing very well and other things adequately.
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Will Tokoto regret leaving the Tar Heels a year early? Tokoto would have found his minutes reduced in the coming year as the Tar Heels worked Kenny Williams into the rotation. There might be more minutes to be had in Philadelphia next year. If that is indeed the case, Tokoto may not have been able to improve his draft stock appreciably in the coming year.
So success for the Philadelphia 76ers will come from the unity of a Blue Devil and a Tar Heel. Still I am not sure anybody deserves to be on the Sam Hinkie Magic School Bus.