The NBA D-League wrapped up it’s annual minicamp in Chicago on Tuesday, and while Raptors Republic wasn’t in attendance (the staff of one is focused on the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs, though a trip to Chicago would have been great), we tried to cobble together some scouring reports from the event. The minicamp annually takes 40 or so of the best D-Leaguers (39 this year) and puts them on display for NBA scouts and executives, following a similar format to the NBA Draft Combine that takes place in Chicago the same week.
It’s tough to get a great grasp on how everything shook out for the two Raptors 905 players in attendance, Shannon Scott and Scott Suggs. (Scott was a late replacement for Davion Berry, who had to pull out with a high ankle sprain.) The coverage of the camp is out there, but not to the depth of providing insight on all 39 players.
To wit, DraftExpress has a look at some of the top prospects, and Upside & Motor and Ridiculous Upside both have some great content up, but neither 905er registered enough to get a mention in the broader wrap-ups. And give my man Chris Reichert a follow – he’s been doing great D-League work all year and just took over Upside & Motor, a well-deserved promotion.
Scott Suggs
Measurements: Measured at 6’6.5″ in shoes, 199 pounds, with a 6’9.5″ wingspan, an 8’6″ standing reach, and a 35-inch max vertical. There’s not data to compare this to, but he has to be pleased with the wingspan measurement, at least, which suggests he could be a combo-wing rather than a combo-guard. He also posted the seventh-best score in the agility test. Considering athleticism is a perceived weakness, those are important.
Games: Suggs started off with a shaky 0-of-5 outing but steadied himself from there, shooting 10-of-16 over the next two sessions. He averaged eight points, four rebounds, 1.3 assists, one steal, and two turnovers while shooting 43.5 percent.
Noise: It sounds as if Suggs impressed with his IQ on the court and his potential as a leader. Considering he won the league’s Sportsmanship Award, that’s mostly expected. It also sounds as if his lights-out shooting from the corners jas been deemed legitimate (it’s a pretty big, beautiful sample by now), though it’s still unclear if whatever kept him out of the NBA last year has changed.
Outlook: I wish I knew if Suggs was planning on doing another D-League season or not. He’s close to the NBA, with a poise that’s rare for the D-League and a lights out spot-up stroke, but the window to cash in on that talent is only so large, and Suggs will turn 27 early in the 2016-17 season. Measuring and shooting well here is great, and he’s definitely the type that would impress team reps if given the chance to meet them, so it will be interesting to see where Suggs lands for summer league or training camp. He’s close, but he’s already done two D-League seasons, and he’ll surely have substantial overseas offers.
Shannon Scott
Measurements: Measured at 6’2.5″ in shoes, 190 pounds, with a 6’5″ wingspan, an 8’2″ standing reach, and a 31-inch max vertical. None of these just off the page, but they’re all improvements on earlier available measures for him. The weight, in particular, is important for him. He also posted the seventh-fastest 3/4-court sprint time.
Games: Scott started strong but followed up with a poor shooting game before settling back in. Over four appearances, he averaged 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and two turnovers while shooting 36.4 percent.
Noise: I didn’t hear much about Scott at all. Considering he was a late fill-in, that’s probably not surprising.
Outlook: Scott had what could probably be called a mildly disappointing rookie season last year. While his defense was great, he never quite found a footing as a playmaker or a scorer, and the ball was often out of his hands. For a small point guard, that’s a tough life. Getting the invite here was important, though, for the experience and for Scott to show his ball-hawking chops on the defensive end. The focus this summer will likely be on improving his range to open up his pick-and-roll game, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in camp with the Raptors again next year.
Davion Berry
Outlook: Berry missing the event is unfortunate but it may wind up being a boon to the Raptors. They’re really high on what he provided after being acquired at the trade deadline, and it’s sounded like Berry plans to return to the D-League again next year if he doesn’t make an unexpected jump to the NBA. What he showed in 2015-16 was that he’s on the radar long-term, and if he and the 905 continue to develop the way they both showed last season, it’s not unrealistic to think Berry could work his way into call-up consideration by the end of next season. An appearance at summer league and possibly a training camp invite could further expedite that growth.
