Why Christian Koloko Has Been a Welcomed Partner for Fred VanVleet

The Toronto Raptors say the sky's the limit for Christian Koloko who has been a welcomed pick-and-roll partner for Fred VanVleet

Aaron Rose | Oct 20, 2022

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Fred VanVleet isn't wont to role play as Toronto Raptors' general manager very often, leaving those conversations to Bobby Webster and Masai Ujiri, but when it came to the addition of Christian Koloko summer, the 6-foot point guard couldn't have been happier.

"Well, he's a big, right? Been asking for a big," VanVleet said with a smirk as he spoke about Toronto's second-round pick at last month's media day. "We got one."

For VanVleet, the addition was more than welcomed. After a year without a traditional pick-and-roll partner, on a team that ran fewer pick-and-rolls than almost anyone in the league, VanVleet has finally found someone to dance with.

In the first quarter, Koloko set a high ball screen at the logo for VanVleet, walling off Darius Garland just long enough to create a mismatch with VanVleet on Kevin Love. When Love dropped back, VanVleet pulled up, nailing a 27-foot jumper.

"We don’t get many pick-and-rolls these days," VanVleet said Wednesday night following Toronto's regular season opener. "So when we get ‘em, we’ve got to find the rhythm and the flow. Just having a traditional, screen-and-roll five is refreshing.”

Koloko freed up VanVleet again later in the first quarter, slowing Garland again and creating an advantage against Evan Mobley. When Mobley dropped back to contest the lob, VanVleet slowed down and floated a 12-foot teardrop over Mobley's reach.

"I feel like it’s amazing because Fred, he's a really good pick-and-roll player," said Koloko after Thursday morning's practice. "When I set the screen every time I try to get him free and, like as we saw yesterday, he can get really play good off pick and roll."

Having Koloko gives the Raptors a helpful predictability on offense. Unlike last season when an opposing center could be guarding any of two or three different players on most possessions, Toronto knows Koloko will almost always be paired up against an opposing big. For switching and shot-creation purposes, that's mismatch gold.

"There's a little bit of just rhythm I think that helps," Nurse said of Koloko and VanVleet. "He's a good screener. I know point guards really appreciate that and he's gonna come along as a roller finisher. I think he's not quite there yet but he's showing signs of it and I think he will come along and get some strength, get some feel and be able to put some pressure on the front of the rim."

So far, the reviews on Koloko from his teammates have been nothing but praise. Even as a relatively new basketball player, having picked up the sport in his teens, the former Arizona Wildcat has a knack for limiting mistakes and making the right plays.

"He doesn’t really seem like a rookie at all with the way he carries himself, the way he’s poised on the court, off the court," said Gary Trent Jr. "He’s super mature, ready, focused. Been a good pro so far.”

"He's extremely bright," Nurse added. "He's got a pretty big motor, which enables him to make an effort, right? It's like, again, playing hard and making an effort still goes a long way in contributing to a team's success."

Those characteristics also go a long way to sticking around in the NBA. Koloko will still need time to develop as a big, especially in terms of his strength. He finished his NBA debut just 1-for-4, missing three dunks that a stronger big likely would have finished. But that will come with time. So far Koloko has shown a willingness to learn and a work ethic to get him there. As VanVleet said Wednesday, "the sky's the limit."

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