ADVERTISEMENT

tokoto article

Hopefully he took his foreign language classes already. He'll be speaking Italian or Spanish very soon
 
Hopefully he took his foreign language classes already. He'll be speaking Italian or Spanish very soon

Damn, pretty harsh haha. Hopefully he gets drafted..he did well at the combine. I think he lacks several things but he is good at a few things as well. Maybe he can stick and be a bench player somewhere down the line.
 
If he has to go to Europe and play 2-3 years before coming back over isn't so bad. This sounds like a case where the kid is just ready to be a pro. Playing ball overseas in many instances is very lucrative and way better money than most of us make I imagine. A guys like Keith Langford have made about 10 mill over 10 years playing overseas almost completely. Not a bad gig to say the least.
 
Andre Igoudala 6'6" 215 at 31

JP Tokoto 6'6" 196 at 21

Tokoto has the body to fill that niche but he will have to continue to work onhis body and game. He has the template to fill that niche. Guys have the same wingspan and similar versatility to their games
 
after reading the article, I get it it. I think we all get it. However, the article references that in January, Tokoto had these thoughts. This was about the same time rumblings started in the locker room and the eventual divide with Marcus Paige and Tokoto. Now seeing both sides of the conversation, it's hard not to think that Tokoto was a little disgruntled and wasn't giving the effort needed as Marcus alluded to on 2 separate occassions (although not specifically referencing Tokoto in the media, but internal reports and common sense told the story).
 
Great read. Love the family structure in his home as there seems to be real genuine love there. Good to see his dad be a dad and not his best buddy. From JP's perspective a fourth year at UNC wasn't gonna do anything but hurt his dreams. I get it. And he is prolly more right than wrong. Rooting for things to break his way.
 
Here is my thing, had JP put in the work to expand his game in college his draftability would not be such a question mark today. His dad told him, you have not prepared like you know you can, that is on the player more than the coach.

Had the chance to play for the team most consider to be the best in college ball pre-season but elects to enter the draft in part because he did not want to risk coming off the bench. Competitors are suppose to want to compete, you are supposed to embrace the challenge and not shy away just because you have a worth challenger trying to take your spot. The NBA is all about guys looking to take someone's spot, if you are not willing to take on all comers for your starting spot & PT in college, you gonna have a problem in the NBA.

He says he felt he had developed as much as he could in the college game, is that what ya call his last season, him perfecting his own developement? Because far to often to me it looked as if he had a ton of things he needed to develope. maybe the ability to hit a jump shot vs college players, maybe the ability to pass the ball to guys in a spot that they can handle it and finish?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tru Blu Tar Heel
Here is my thing, had JP put in the work to expand his game in college his draftability would not be such a question mark today. His dad told him, you have not prepared like you know you can, that is on the player more than the coach.

Had the chance to play for the team most consider to be the best in college ball pre-season but elects to enter the draft in part because he did not want to risk coming off the bench. Competitors are suppose to want to compete, you are supposed to embrace the challenge and not shy away just because you have a worth challenger trying to take your spot. The NBA is all about guys looking to take someone's spot, if you are not willing to take on all comers for your starting spot & PT in college, you gonna have a problem in the NBA.

He says he felt he had developed as much as he could in the college game, is that what ya call his last season, him perfecting his own developement? Because far to often to me it looked as if he had a ton of things he needed to develope. maybe the ability to hit a jump shot vs college players, maybe the ability to pass the ball to guys in a spot that they can handle it and finish?

While I'm not saying he's anywhere near the talent that Vince Carter was, Tokoto had all of the tools to at least play somewhere in the same ball park as Vince did at Carolina. I think the lack of preparation and focus doomed him. It sounds as if he was constantly looking behind him at his replacement instead of ahead to his own development.
 
I wish him the best. I understand why he rolled the dice to go pro. Only time and JP will tell if it works in his favor. I also agree, he could have been someone special had he applied himself correctly. I am not sure if Roy's system was not the correct fit for his style of play, or if the college game seemed beneath him. But honestly, he did not play to his potential. I will root for him to explode as a player.
 
Hope he does well for himself. He never lived up to expectations here to be certain, but always represented UNC well and for that I thank him.
 
Sorry, but not sorry. I wouldn't draft JP. Inconsistent jumper, no real handle, turns the ball over too much. No real basketball IQ. Just an athlete. He'll be riding pine in the NBA or playing limited minutes in Europe.
 
ADVERTISEMENT