Jonathan Mogbo is following in the footsteps of small-ball greatness

For the longest time Draymond Green was viewed as a ‘one of a kind’ player. His ability as a small-ball center was a huge advantage for the Golden State Warriors. The mobile defence, elite passing and processing, and hyper speed as a big all contributed to a dynasty. Perhaps the comparison for Jonathan Mogbo is premature, but like Green, he has an exceptional ability to influence the game beyond scoring. He can find success in the NBA similar to the way Green did. 

With nearly identical body measurements, the 31^st overall pick is outplaying what Green did in his rookie season. The veteran is known for his entertaining personality, but his value lies within his role as an elite defensive playmaker for the Golden State Warriors. The rookie isn’t there yet, but the resemblance comes from their measurements and role similarities. Both are 6-foot-6 and around 230 pounds, but the rookie has an inch on the vet’s wingspan at 7-foot-2. Mogbo, like Green, guards positions one through five depending on the lineup, and it’s their shared build that enables them to be hybrid defenders. Like Green, Mogbo can bang with bigs, switch onto smalls, and corral the rebound after all of it.

Those abilities show up in the stats. Though Mogbo is often replacing some of Toronto’s best defenders as a power forward and center (often coming in for Jakob Poeltl or even Scottie Barnes), the team is largely better defensively with him on the court. The Raptors allow 4.1 fewer points per 100 possessions with Mogbo on the court, the fourth-best defensive differential on the team. The forward leads all rookies in deflections and is fifth per 36 minutes across the league in that category. Among rotation players, he’s the team leader in steal percentage at 27.6 percent. His basic per game stats aren’t pretty but his impact defensively goes beyond. 

Through said 25 games, Mogbo averages 5.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 47.7 percent from the field. Although the numbers aren’t special, Mogbo’s true value and impact can be seen beneath the surface. Along with his defensive prowess, and like Green, Mogbo is a very capable ball handler and playmaker. Per 100 possessions he averages five assists per game, countered with 2.6 turnovers. That puts him sixth on the team. Though he can get caught up in traffic and lose the thread, he always has an eye for where to place his passes.

Of course his playmaking role isn’t the same as primary ball handlers, but that only enhances the Green-Mogbo comparison. Like Draymond, Mogbo tallies assists with quick off-ball passes after offensive rebounds — where he’s third on the squad at 2.2. It would be a big mistake to not give him opportunity to grow because there’s a good chance the scoring can grow, too. He’s a talented rebounder, and his quick jumping means he will create plenty of chances at the rim. He’s already a strong lob finisher.

If the Raptors keep Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Gradey Dick, then playing Mogbo alongside could lessen the defensive pressure on them. Like Green, Mogbo is a switch big, which allows for shorter rotations around the court for his teammates, and generally keeps everyone at home. That means Quickley, Barrett, and Dick would have shorter distances to travel on closeouts, have fewer off-ball responsibilities, and could generally play in simpler schemes. Curry benefited (and benefits) from the same in Golden State.

Don’t sleep on the Raptors organization; it has taken Pascal Siakam (27^th overall), Norman Powell (46^th overall), and Fred VanVleet (Undrafted) to new heights in their games. The team might be in the process of building a new bench mob now, too. They were given opportunities to mold themselves into the players they are today. Now they’re each on separate teams as secondary offensive leaders and have taken on leadership roles. It would be very unlikely for Mogbo to reach that level of skill, but the team has a history of boosting underdogs to great heights. It would be surprising to not see Mogbo improve, especially because he has so much defensive value. 

With all that said, it’s time to address the elephant in the room: the rookie’s ability to shoot. He is 7-of-19 from beyond the arc so far this season. Although that’s not great in today’s era (particularly the volume in 25 games played), there are still tons of players who can’t shoot that bring offensive value. Draymond Green and fellow Raptor Jakob Poeltl to name a couple. He has recently found his groove averaging a career-high in points per game. The center’s value is the highest it’s ever been on the offensive end. His off-ball movement is terrific, as he always keeps passing angles open for his teammates so that he’s consistently able to receive pocket passes for easy floaters. Which is exactly what Mogbo can focus on executing this season. Screening and cutting at the right times and with the right pace are all he needs to do to open up the game for the team, and his value will stay intact. He doesn’t land great screens yet, but that can come as he bulks up and learns timing and angles as a screen-setter. As his defensive role will be best employed as a small-ball center, like Green, screening and cutting will be all the more potent from the five-spot on offence. And if the shooting does pop — he is shooting above league average, when it comes to percentages — then he could be a huge offensive plus.

There’s no promise the young Raptor will turn out like Draymond, but his playstyle and potential role trend towards becoming that type of player for the organization. For the team’s sake, they better hope he does because it’s hard to find guys who guard all five positions. If he can only bring the same kind of personality that Green does, maybe he can bring a spark back to the fans and arena. Nonetheless, comparison is the thief of joy, so fans should appreciate what he brings regardless of the player he becomes. 

The post Jonathan Mogbo is following in the footsteps of small-ball greatness first appeared on Raptors Republic.