The following is part of Raptors Republic’s series of pieces reviewing the season for the Toronto Raptors. You can find all the pieces in the series here.
Ahead of the 2022 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors worked out a lanky forward out of Pittsburgh named Mouhamadou Gueye. Canada’s team wouldn’t draft or even sign the former Panther, but two years later, that would come to fruition.
“Mo G” as he is commonly referred to initially joined the Raptors organization in July of 2023 to play for Toronto’s summer league team. He had no guarantees past that, but Gueye did what he had done all season, make the most of any opportunity he was given.
Across five games in the summer, the 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward averaged 7.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals and one block a game. He shot 44.8 percent from the field, 61.5 percent from the free throw line, and 25.0 percent from deep on 2.4 attempts per game. Those numbers in around 16 minutes per contest were good enough for the franchise to offer the Staten Island, New York native a spot on the 905 squad for the 2023-2024 campaign.
When he once again made the most of his opportunity and improved.
The former Pittsburgh Panther would enter his second season in the G League but this time north of the border in Mississauga (he spent the previous season with the Texas Legends). Gueye improved in most stat categories in year two, averaging 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.4 blocks and 0.7 steals. Efficiency-wise, he shot 53.7 percent from the field on 10.8 attempts, 22.2 percent from distance on one attempt, and 49.2 from the charity stripe on 2.4 attempts per game.
Gueye showcased his game night in and night out at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre, especially on the defensive end. Averaging 3.1 stocks (blocks plus steals) he was flying around on that end of the court. His 7-foot-3 wingspan and elite athleticism (he is one of, if not the best athlete in the Raptors organization) were major factors in Gueye being really good defensively.
Offensively, the American continued to improve his game. A lot of his looks came from catching lobs, crashing the glass for easy buckets, and getting out in transition. “Mo G” also showed flashes as a three-point shooter. He only averaged 22.2 percent, but that was an improvement from the previous season and he showed a willingness to pull it.
His great work did not go unnoticed, a two-way contract slot opened up later in the year and Masai Ujiri and the rest of the front office offered it to Gueye. He might have only played 11 games with the big squad following that, but this was a huge accomplishment based on where the 25-year-old started the year.
In a small sample size, number 16 put up 2.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks. The New York native shot 28.9 percent from the field (38 attempts) and went 0-for-3 from distance. They weren’t fantastic numbers by any means, but there were a lot of players in and out of the lineup during these games and it wasn’t a very conducive winning environment.
Looking towards the future, Gueye mans a two-way contract slot for the 2024-2025 campaign alongside D.J. Carton. He should once again play heavy minutes for the 905, while possibly getting a look in the NBA should injuries occur. The biggest riser within the organization worked hard at every stage throughout the season to earn the opportunities he received.
From playing JUCO ball only five years ago to playing games in the NBA, Gueye has continued to progress at each and every level he has seen, so who’s to say he can’t keep going?
