When the Toronto Raptors shocked the basketball world by selecting Santa Clara’s Allen Graves with the 19th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the reaction was… skeptical, to say the least. Fans and pundits alike were left scratching their heads, wondering why the Raptors would burn a first-round selection on another forward when high-upside talents like Labaron Philon and Cameron Carr were still sitting on the board.
Fast forward to the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, and the narrative has shifted from “Why did they pick him?” to “How did we ever doubt him?” Graves has been nothing short of a revelation, putting on a clinic that showcased everything the Raptors’ scouts saw in him: elite rebounding, high-level playmaking, suffocating defensive instincts, and a surprising ability to score from anywhere on the floor.
His debut was the stuff of legend—a 22-point, 13-rebound double-double that featured a flurry of “stocks” (steals plus blocks) and a 3-of-8 performance from beyond the arc. He looks like the ultimate connective piece for a modern NBA roster. But beneath the highlight reels and the soaring stock prices, there is a technical red flag that could turn this dream start into a frustrating reality once the regular season begins.
The “Slow-Motion” Problem
While the internet is currently overflowing with praise for Graves, there is one glaring issue that is being dangerously overlooked: the speed of his jump shot.
Yes, he is hitting his shots. Yes, he is shooting at a high percentage. But there is a massive chasm between the defensive intensity of a college or Summer League game and the ruthless speed of an NBA rotation. In the NBA, defenders aren’t just faster; they are longer, smarter, and possess a “close-out” speed that is absolutely predatory. Graves has a tendency to “load up” his shot with a wind-up that is, frankly, too slow for the current pace of the league.
When you telegraph your shot like that, NBA defenses will treat you like a shooting gallery. They will sag off, wait for the load-up, and then swarm the space before the ball even leaves your fingertips. We have seen this movie before. Look at a player like Kyle Anderson—a respectable shooter by the numbers, yet he struggles to provide real value in the modern forward spot because his shot takes so long to get off that he can barely get a rhythm going. If Graves maintains this current form, he risks being relegated to a “wide-open” or “trail three” specialist, which simply won’t cut it if he wants to be a core contributor for Toronto.
The G-League Solution?
The obvious fix is simple in theory but difficult in practice: speed up the load-up. There is already chatter that starting his season in the G-League could be the best path forward. The objective isn’t to overhaul his entire mechanics—that backfired famously with Gradey Dick in the past—but rather to streamline the motion. It needs to be more seamless, more effortless, and significantly faster.
Graves has all the raw ingredients of an elite NBA role player—he is the kind of high-IQ, high-motor piece that can elevate a team’s ceiling. But the jump from “Summer League standout” to “NBA rotation regular” is paved with technical adjustments. If the Raptors’ coaching staff can help him quicken his release without sacrificing his accuracy, he won’t just be a good pick—he could be the steal of the 2026 draft.
The talent is undeniable, the motor is relentless, and the confidence is sky-high. Now, it’s just a matter of mechanics. If Allen Graves can fix that slow load-up, the rest of the NBA better watch out—because Toronto might have just found their next big star.
Raptors Fans: Are you worried about Graves’ jump shot mechanics, or do you think his production speaks for itself? Do you trust the organization to develop his shot, or should we be concerned about his transition to the NBA pace? Let us know your take in the comments below!
