Christian Koloko offers unique upside for the Los Angeles Lakers in a way Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes simply do not. There is still optimism that the young center can grow into exactly the type of defensive-minded center which the Lakers sorely lack right now.
One consistent believer Koloko has had during his time with the Lakers has been Jovan Buha. The Lakers reporter once again reaffirmed that is still the case during a recent episode of his podcast.
Buha said, "Christian Koloko is the one guy to me within the Lakers ecosystem that if he pops, ... he's the one guy who I could see making a difference as a rim protector, energy big off the bench. I think that's a real need for them."
The Lakers insider thought Koloko would grow into a backup center, or at least a third-string center, sooner rather than later. The hope would be that Los Angeles can reap the rewards of that growth in 2025-26, capitalizing on the development project they took on last offseason.
Christian Koloko fits the exact void Lakers have struggled to fill
When the Lakers brought back Jaxson Hayes in free agency, many were shocked. Hayes destroyed a lot of good will with a disappointing playoff run in 2025. Clearly, it was not enough for Rob Pelinka to give up on him entirely.
Hayes struggled to defend without fouling. The Lakers center was averaging 2.0 personal fouls in only 7.8 minutes per game for Los Angeles. That equates to an average of 9.3 fouls per 36 minutes, putting him on pace to consistently be booted from games and limiting his ability to defend overall due to concerns of persistently drawing whistles.
That is something Koloko has also struggled with early in his NBA career. The former second-round pick of the Toronto Raptors averaged 5.7 personal fouls per-36 during his rookie season. It landed him in Nick Nurse's doghouse pretty early despite showing some clear signs of upside.
The difference was Koloko showing off a clear ability to defend the rim. The former Raptors center averaged 1.0 block during 13.8 minutes per game, equating to 2.6 when adjusted for per-36.
Rewatching Lakers Raptors in December 2022. 21 minutes 4 blocks for Koloko. Fun as a rim protector but also upside as a switching center. Some nice plays showing off the footspeed containing Max & the length to block Dennis. pic.twitter.com/hRgSIifu07
— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) September 15, 2024
Issues with blood clots cost Koloko a year of crucial development early into his NBA career. 2024-25 was an important step in the right direction for the former Arizona Wildcats big man.
Koloko came into the NBA as a slightly older prospect, making it a bit more difficult for him to make up for the lost time. The Lakers center will begin 2025-26 as a 25-year-old. The results will need to be there early.
Koloko was a monster in his last season at Arizona, averaging 12.6 points and 2.8 blocks per game. The two-way big man proved to be a quality rim-running, paint-protecting option for the Wildcats. There was even some evidence of switchability, relative to the position.
That sure sounds like the mold of center Luka Doncic loves playing with. Getting a version resembling that would make Koloko a massive steal from within the organization in the upcoming campaign.