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Delon Wright is Raptors’ man – Brian’s take

By Brian Boake

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The Toronto Raptors selected Delon Wright from Utah as the 20th pick in last night’s NBA Draft. I didn’t cheer.

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The team also moved backup point guard Greivis Vasquez to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for “Flexibility” a.k.a the Los Angeles Clippers’ 2017 first-round pick, a Bucks asset as the result of a trade. We’ll talk about this transaction in a separate and detailed post. For now I limit my comments to saying it’s the flip side of the same coin, one stamped better backcourt defense.

Mar 27, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Utah Utes guard Delon Wright (55) takes the ball away from Duke Blue Devils guard Quinn Cook (2) during the second half in the semifinals of the south regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Back to Delon Wright. He’s a 23-year-old senior who must possess a flexible nature, as he thrived in remote Utah despite being born and raised in Los Angeles. One assumes he won’t have difficulty adjusting to Toronto. Wright is 6’5″ and a scrawny 181 lbs., which is too skinny even for me (I like thin players; they get injured much less often).

Delon is the most complete (i.e., NBA-ready) player the Raptors could have drafted at the slot. He boasts an excellent handle, utilizing changes of speed and a bevy of fakes to find a path to the bucket. He seems an excellent passer, which is where his height comes in handy, as he can look over the heads of most of those guarding him. Delon isn’t a ball dominator, which is something you need to avoid in your point guards. Certainly he can defend; he takes excellent position and uses his active hands to disrupt passes and careless dribblers. In the age of the 3-point shot, a guard who can rebound becomes a necessity. A missed long ball bounces off the rim a considerable distance, often over the heads of the big men. Delon has the quicks and awareness (take note, Terrence Ross!) to grab those boards and initiate the fast break.

Delon’s shooting from outside is questionable. Although his stroke appears sound to my eye, a 35.6% success rate from beyond the shorter college arc isn’t impressive. Oddly, we could live with that rate if he can make it happen from NBA distance. Time will tell.

The selection of Delon Wright indicates clearly that coach Dwane Casey still carries major influence within the Raptor organization. Assuming he makes the big team (and I think he will), Delon gives coach many more options than defensively-challenged Greivis did. Delon will be given every opportunity to be a “true” point guard, unlike Lou Williams, on the second unit. More than that, Delon may be asked to defend opposition shooting guards. I’ll be watching to see interesting guard combinations in pre-season, like Kyle Lowry at the 1, and Delon at 2. Conversely we could see Delon and DeMar DeRozan at the same time. Delon and Lou? Maybe.

Delon Wright’s drafting was a disappointment to me, not because I don’t like him, but I wanted a big man more. However, he’s on board, and we welcome him.

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