What are the Raptors getting in newly-acquired wing Ochai Agbaji?
The No. 14 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft didn't have the most consistent role in Utah but showed some flashes of potential. He started the last 19 games of his rookie year for the Jazz, averaging 13.6 points per game during that span.
Agbaji was touted as a ready-made 3-and-D wing when he first entered the league. What does he look like now?
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Ochai Agbaji can fill an important role on offense for Raptors
Agbaji isn't a premier shot creator. He can't do a lot off the dribble yet, and he's probably going to be a role player.
He can fill that role well, though.
Agbaji was a movement shooter in college who hit 40.7 percent of his 3s as a senior. That dead-eye shooting hasn't quite translated to the pros, where he's hit 34.6 percent of his looks in his two years.
He's better than that percentage indicates when you break it down by zone. From the corners, Agbaji has hit an astounding 46.2 percent of his 3s, per Cleaning the Glass. He has not been able to adjust to the 3s above the break yet, hitting only 27.0 percent of those shots. His overall technique is solid, though, and he should eventually settle in as an above-average shooter.
Agbaji is also a very good transition player. He ranks in the 85th percentile as a finisher on those plays, per NBA Stats. He brings that energy to the offensive glass too, where he rebounds well for his position.
All in all, Agbaji is a good athlete and finisher at the rim. He can get up there for some dunks.
The pass from Kris Dunn, the dunk by Ochai Agbaji
— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) August 21, 2023
Chefs kiss pic.twitter.com/0Tj4ToDiJO
Agbaji isn't the type of player who is ever going to average 20 points per game, but he can spread the floor and get his points within the flow of an offense.
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Ochai Agbaji is already a great defender
Agbaji was drafted in the lottery in large part because of his defensive potential. He has great tools, with a big 6-5 frame and 6-10 wingspan, and he hustles hard on that end of the floor.
Watching some Ochai Agbaji clips. Starts as the furthest defender back when the ball comes loose, look at the hustle on transition D. pic.twitter.com/axGznA9y9x
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) February 9, 2024
Agbaji is already an impactful help defender. He's an awesome rim protector from the wing, and he's good at covering for teammates' mistakes. The Raptors have a couple of different players of that ilk, which should help them become a much better defense next year.
When he's guarding the ball, Agbaji still has some techniques that he needs to improve on. He's not a great screen navigator — his size leads to him getting hung up more than you'd like. He's also had some issues staying in front of speedy guards.
He's still solid as a one-on-one defender, and his athleticism helps him recover in plays where he initially gets beat off the dribble.
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Ochai Agbaji has intangibles Toronto is looking for
We've gone through why Agbaji is an interesting prospect on the court. What's noteworthy is that Raptors general manager Bobby Webster didn't mention any of that stuff when addressing why the team traded for him. Instead, he mentioned Agbaji's off-court intangibles.
"Hard-working, high-character, two-way player," Webster began.
Webster added that Agbaji "fits the bill of guys we've pursued over the years."
"We feel like we're getting a young player with a lot of upside, hard worker, high character, so we'll bet on those."
Agbaji came into the league as a winner, leading Kansas to a national championship as a senior and winning the Most Outstanding Player award during the NCAA tournament. He had a remarkable development during college, going from a player who had close to zero NBA aspirations to a lottery pick by improving his game every year.
He seems like a good teammate as well. After leaving Kansas, he left a note in his dorm room with the following message: "Whoever takes over this room, be great." The recipient of that note ended up being none other than his new Raptors teammate and former Jayhawk Gradey Dick.
This is just one of *many* reasons this place is so special…@youngoch left a note and we—🥹@gradey_dick x #kubball pic.twitter.com/osQxnF6yvg
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) June 4, 2022
The Raptors are counting on his college work ethic carrying over to the pros, which seems like a safe bet to make. Agbaji is an older prospect at age 23, but he is far from a finished product.
