I suppose a broken clock is right twice a day. The Raptors have picked my man, Delon Wright – a 6’6″ senior PG from Utah, with the 20th pick and he will play backup point guard as suggested here this morning. He’s the brother of Dorell Wright.
The Toronto Raptors will select Utah's Delon Wright with the No. 20 pick in the NBA Draft, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) June 26, 2015
Welcome lil d wright…
— Kyle Lowry (@Klow7) June 26, 2015
This is a great pick, because in one night the Raptors have completely changed their backup point guard position and upped their defense. Wright is the best defensive point guard in the draft, and even though he can’t shoot (yet), he’ll provide a different variety of offense at PG. His style very much keeps the defense on its toes, and he is a very good ball distributor who uses his size to good effect. Some DX notes:
Wright has excellent size for a point guard at 6-5, albeit with just an average 6-6 ½ wingspan and 179 pound frame. He uses his height to his advantage tremendously as a passer, where he surveys the floor over the top of the defenses, and can make pinpoint passes to cutters and spot-up shooters, primarily in pick and roll and drive and dish situations.
From an athleticism standpoint, Wright is unique, as he is not particularly quick or explosive by traditional standards, but rather relies on a very herky-jerky style that helps keep defenders off balance. Wright plays at a variety of different speeds, changing directions frequently with slithery ball-handling moves and crafty footwork. His distinct pace and shifty style of play makes him difficult to guard, as he utilizes a variety of different Eurostep moves, ball-fakes and other deceptive techniques from his huge bag of tricks—helping him draw fouls at a very nice rate.
Wright’s best attribute from a NBA standpoint is likely his defense. He has quick feet, excellent instincts and a scrappy nature, putting outstanding pressure on the ball. His instincts for getting in the passing lanes and overall timing for making plays off the ball is extraordinary, helping him average an outstanding 2.6 steals per-40 minutes pace adjusted in his two seasons at Utah, with a ton of blocks and rebounds thrown in for good measure.
Wright’s anticipation skills are off the charts, and he does it without gambling in the passing lanes excessively, but rather by simply sniffing out when to help out teammates, and when to make a reflexive play as a sort of free safety. He’s big enough to guard either backcourt spot, which gives his team coveted positional flexibility that is very much in demand in today’s NBA.
The biggest concern about Wright’s transition to the NBA revolves around his outside shooting. He made just 38 of 126 attempts the past two seasons (30%), and is especially limited as an off the dribble shooter. Wright’s pull-up jumper is virtually non-existent at this stage, as he sports a low and slow release on his shot, and gets little to no elevation, which makes it difficult for him to create separation from defenders. His hesitance to shoot off the dribble is something that better defenses scouted and were able to take advantage of consistently the last two years, sagging way off him, going underneath screens on the pick and roll, and generally mucking up Utah’s offense.
Below is some video. Keep in mind that he’s a senior who has played four full years of college basketball, and doesn’t require the development time other prospects would need. He’s certainly a ‘now’ pick rather than a D-League stash. Initial reaction is that Ujiri has made the most of this pick and done very well to solve one particular defensive hole in the rotation.
You can read Dwane Casey’s reaction here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDbDBZ2xFUY
