Busting Brackets
Fansided

2015 NBA Summer League: J.P. Tokoto Says his Niche Will be as a Defensive Stopper

By James Fitzgerald

facebooktwitterreddit

Everyone wishes that college players would stay in school as long as they can in order to develop their game and get their education. Anyone that says to the contrary is either lying or is not big on development of mind and body.

More from NBA Draft News

J.P. Tokoto while at the University of North Carolina is one of those players where you saw that he had game, but you also felt he was going to need the full time allotted at school to develop his game in order to be the best player he could become before leaving Chapel Hill for the NBA.

That is why it came as kind of a shock when Tokoto decided to forgo his senior season and declare for the NBA Draft.

Tokoto was coming off of a junior season where he averaged 8.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. He also was named to his second consecutive All-ACC Defensive Team.

It was not like the NBA was out of the question for Tokoto. There was a likely chance that he was going to catch on with somebody even if he decided to leave after his senior year.

But no one really ever knows outside of the player making the decision what the full circumstances are behind making the decision to jump early into the NBA, especially when there was slim to no chance of going in the first round.

Feb 28, 2015; Coral Gables, FL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward J.P. Tokoto (13) shoots the ball as Miami Hurricanes guard Angel Rodriguez (13) looks on in the first half at BankUnited Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Regardless of that, J.P. Tokoto is in the NBA after being selected in the Second Round by the Philadelphia 76ers and is starting to forge his professional career. In this past NBA Summer League season the 6-foot-6 wing player held his own.

In the three Utah Summer League contests he participated in, Tokoto averaged 4.7 points and 6.0 rebounds. In the  Las Vegas Summer League he averaged 6.5 points and 2.8 rebounds through four games.

During his summer stints, he appears to have gotten more comfortable with the complexities of the professional game, or at least that is what it sounds like from this quote in Adam Sobeleski’s article on csnphilly.com.

"“It’s been great. These are my first NBA game. I’m trying to embrace the moment. We had a nice little crowd out in Utah. I had to get my jitters out. To be out there, it felt surreal. In the second game (in Utah), I got a lot more comfortable. Third game, I got even more comfortable. I got a lot more relaxed. Same thing here (in Las Vegas). I know where to get my shots at and where to get my stops at.“"

He is basically trying to fashion himself into a defensive stopper for the pro level which can get you recognition, fan popularity, and notoriety in the league.

Dennis Rodman made the role “en vogue” and Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen with his “First-Team All-Defense” chants brought even more attention to the importance of being a defensive stopper.

Not to mention that San Antonio Spurs guard Bruce Bowen embraced the role, played tough defense and hit corner three-pointers en route to winning championships.

J.P. Tokoto is going into the NBA with a niche in mind and a plan of attack. He already has an idea of how his bread is going to be buttered and he sounds like his mind is totally set on being a top notch defender in the league.

"“I’m a realist, I’ll be coming in and disrupting the other team’s offense. Defensively, I’m always going to go after it. I’ll be coming in for garbage minutes or defensive purposes. Guys that are playing more minutes than me — giving them a breather. I can always get after it.”"

Neither he nor the Philadelphia 76ers are going to be asking for more than J.P. Tokoto can provide on the basketball court.

No one is asking for him to become an explosive scorer, just give a strong effort on the defensive end while making sound decisions on the offensive end and that should be enough to get that direct deposit from the 76ers.

Live Feed

Washington Wizards' Johnny Davis is not ready for a rotational role
Washington Wizards' Johnny Davis is not ready for a rotational role /

Wiz of Awes

  • Washington Wizards sign Dejan Vasiljevic to training camp dealWiz of Awes
  • Can Keyonte George be the primary playmaker for the Jazz going forward?The J-Notes
  • 3 Takeaways from Trail Blazers 2023 NBA Summer LeagueRip City Project
  • Washington Wizards sign high-upside guard Jared Butler to a two-way contractWiz of Awes
  • Why Tre Mann's Summer League was so importantThunderous Intentions

    • Las Vegas Summer League coach Lloyd Pierce assessed Tokoto’s game and probable contribution like this in the same piece by Adam Sobeleski.

    "“He’s a young player. When you try to combine his athleticism with the NBA game, you try to figure where you can use them. We try to put in him some pick-and-roll situations and that’s one of his strengths. He can pass over the top of a defense. He’s got a pretty good handle right now. He needs to clean it up right now. We’re going to put him in different spots. We’ll see where we can help him.”"

    In the end, J.P. Tokoto seems to have come in with a mindset and plan of attack for how he is going to go about finding his niche in the NBA in order to stick in the league and be a factor.

    Fortunately, he may have hooked up with a team that sees that vision and is going to be able to use his talents to their advantage.

    As much talk as there is about how the Philadelphia 76ers look to be without direction or plan, it is nice to see that someone did arrive to the franchise with an idea of what they want to do with their NBA opportunity.

    Next: Harry Giles Narrows School List down to Top Five

    More from Busting Brackets

    Home/NBA Draft News