Raptors New Forward Shares Remarkable Journey to NBA

Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo rode hard work and a remarkable growth spurt into what Toronto hopes is a successful NBA career

Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jizzle James (2) defends on San Francisco Dons forward Jonathan Mogbo (10) in the first half of a college basketball game in the National Invitation Tournament, Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY

Jonathan Mogbo's story was never supposed to end in the NBA.

He was 5-foot-9 in high school and calling him a basketball prospect of any acclaim would be an overstatement. He was a nobody to the basketball world, trying to carve out a small role for himself as a corner three-point shooter and tough defender on his high school team. There were times he admitted Friday during his introductory press conference with the Toronto Raptors that he actively avoided getting playing time in crucial moments. He recalled trying to avoid eye contact with his coach so that he wouldn't be subbed into the game.

But then everything changed.

Mogbo began to grow and that boy from West Palm Beach, Florida, who used to be dwarfed by his childhood friend Scottie Barnes could suddenly stand eye-to-eye with the 6-foot-7 Barnes.

On Thursday, Mogbo's dream became a reality.

The Raptors selected the 22-year-old forward with the first pick in the second round and from there the celebrations began. Mogbo embraced his mother and then noticed something unusual at his draft party.

"I looked around and I think I saw him crying," Mogbo said of Barnes who flew in for the celebration. "It was tears of joy."

But Toronto didn't take Mogbo as some feel-good story. It wasn't until late in the scouting process that the Raptors even realized the extent to which Mogbo and Barnes were friends, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said Thursday.

Mogbo is a 'Raptors pick,' as Webster put it. He measured 6-foot-6.25 at the draft combined with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a standing reach just over nine feet tall. He's the kind of do-it-all forward the organization used to be full of a few years ago before trades forced Toronto to reshape its roster.

But Mogbo isn't a complete player today.

He's still trying to get used to his new body and it's clear he's not quite there yet. He's retained a lot of those playmaking skills from his days as an undersized point guard and he knows how to move with the ball but that corner three-point shot he used to have has disappeared. He attempted just two three-pointers last year and is essentially a non-shooter from anywhere outside the paint.

Mogbo knows he needs to work on that.

He averaged 14.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game for the Dons this past year and if he can add a three-point shot moving forward it would change his game entirely.

"I’m not going to go out there and try to shoot 30 threes but I’m going to do my role well, play my hardest, and be myself, that’s the most important thing," Mogbo said. "If it comes [to me], hit an open three, I’m going to showcase that. So, just believing in that."

Toronto plans to work with Mogbo on his shot too. The expectation is the Raptors will get him in the gym as soon as possible and start evaluating where he's at with it. It'll take some work, but Mogbo showed a 26 percentage point jump in his free throw accuracy between his junior and senior seasons and if he can develop into an adequate floor spacer, Toronto will take it.

Without that shot, Mogbo's role is a little more complicated. He said he watches players like Naz Ried and PJ Washington to figure out how to be an impact role player at the highest level. He's always admired Barnes' passing IQ and that's an area of his game he'd like to replicate that as someone who can playmake with size for Toronto.

It's going to take some time for Mogbo to get there but by all accounts, he's a high IQ player who is ready to do the work. Frankly, if he wasn't, he would have given up a long time ago. But that boy on that journey to nowhere has finally arrived in the NBA and Toronto is hoping his development is only just getting started.