Draft workout notes: Henry Ellenson and Stefan Jankovic

For the first time in the pre-draft process, the Toronto Raptors had a potential No. 9 pick in to BioSteel Centre for a workout on Thursday. That’s not to say Henry Ellenson is the first top-10 prospect they’ve worked out or interviewed, it’s just the first such session that’s been made public knowledge, with media availability.

What’s interesting, to me as an outsider, is that the Raptors were working out shooters today. The four is a position of need, and shooting’s at a premium at that spot, so it makes plenty of sense. I just say it’s interesting because the team hasn’t seemed to place a great value on shooting in recent drafts, instead believing they can improve a player’s shot (something you’ll notice in the draft track record of a few organizations).

“I think we’re kind of more, ‘Can we bring in guys who fit our culture and roles that we need, and if they shoot, great,'” Raptors assistant general manager Dan Tolzman said Thursday. “Guys like this, we know that they won’t need as many hours of getting up shots, but the more repetitions they get, the more automatic they get.”

As Tolzman outlines, maybe the team’s ability to develop shooting would make an already strong shooter even better. Failing that, there’s still a strong need for shooting, and acquiring it is just as valid a means to a floor-spacing end as developing it. In talking to Tolzman about big-man targets, being complementary with Jonas Valanciunas is important, as is opening up the lanes for Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. This won’t be news to anyone who’s watched the Raptors this year.

The No. 9 pick is a little high for a specialist, so it was paramount for Ellenson to show more than just a good stroke.

“I think with the way the NBA is trending nowadays, it’s all about shooting, or it seems to be very much centered on shooting,” Tolzman said. “They’re (Ellenson and Stefan Jankovic) big men who can stretch the floor, and they can do a lot of things like rebound, grab the board and push the break, and do a lot more than what your typical bigs can do. It’s kind of intriguing to see how they fit in to what we’re trying to do here.”

It’s still early in the process, so don’t read too much into Ellenson being the first publicly released potential No. 9 pick to come in. It’s at least notable, though, that the chatter suggested he turned in a pretty solid workout.

Player Notes

Here’s the full list of players who attended the workout:

Henry Ellenson
Chad Ford Rank: 8, DraftExpress Rank: 13

Ellenson’s been a popular name in the comments section and my mentions all season, but I’m not as sold yet. I understand he’s the prototypical stretch-four as a near 7-footer with a nice shot, but I’m not sure he checks off enough offensive boxes to make up for his defensive shortcomings. He has a nice skill set and the post-game to project him as a fairly effective scorer (read: not just a shooting specialist), but even his motor and athleticism leave him wanting at the other end, and his passing ability and decision-making aren’t quite what you’d expect from a guy who played on the perimeter until his sophomore year of high school, at least yet.

They’re also not traits he really got to show in this type of 1-on-0 and 1-on-1 environment.

“I felt like I was able to show some things I’ve been improving on,” Ellenson said. “Obviously, you don’t get to go through all the game situations, but they put you through good workouts where you can show some stuff. And sometimes, on yourself, you’ve gotta show it on your own.”

So he may not be a sure thing as the type of “playmaking four” who can really help bust high traps or create for others on the dive, but the Raptors will judge from a larger body of work than just a lone workout.

“In a setting like this, it’s pretty difficult,” Tolzman said. “We watch so much film on him. We know he has a really good feel for the game. And we tried to do as many things as we could as far as decision-making on the fly.”

Ellenson being able to create a bit for others is something I’d be looking for, as I’m not sure his shooting alone is enough to warrant a top-10 pick. Given how long the Raptors have been looking for “the guy” at the four, I don’t think plugging in a limited defensive player alongside Jonas Valanciunas (eventually) makes sense. It’s workable, given the team survived with Luis Scola in that spot, sure, and I can see him being a bench contributor. In a weak draft that’s maybe all you need at No. 9, but there are higher-upside plays in that range, and that’s the path I’d prefer to take unless Ellenson can show the team more than what he did as a college freshman.

He can really score, though, in a variety of ways. And don’t be fooled by the 28.8-percent mark from 3-point range – his shot is pretty pure, he’s a strong free-throw shooter, and his shot selection may have hurt his percentages some. In the right environment, it’s not hard to see him being an average or better 3-point shooter out of the gate. He finished the workout hitting 6-of-10 on threes in 55 seconds in a line-to-line end-of-practice endurance drill, and he shot the ball pretty well throughout the workout.

“He’s a skilled 6-11 guy,” Tolzman said. “I think it’s (shooting) what they do primarily, but it’s not just what they do. Guys have a handle and can do a lot of things as far as passing, and can bring a lot of variety to your offense.”

Chad Ford, in particular, is really high on Ellenson, but I tend to trust Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress a little more and don’t share Ford’s optimism that Ellenson could play the five despite measuring like one (although Tolzman did mention positional versatility as a plus). He might be the first Marquette product I’ve ever not been high on. (And yes, he’s close with Steve Novak, a similarly sized and skilled Marquette guy who played for the Raptors.)

Stefan Jankovic
Chad Ford Rank: Unranked, DraftExpress Rank: Unranked

I think it’s probably pretty telling that Jankovic was back for a second workout with the Raptors. I know they liked his effort and energy level Wednesday, and it seems they may have kept him around to push Ellenson – not only is Jankovic a high-motor workout, he has the size and range (6-foot-11, 37.8 percent on threes) to challenge some of Ellenson’s weaknesses and compare his strengths in a workout setting. That doesn’t mean Jankovic is on the draft radar – DX ranks him 79th just among juniors, and it remains a little strange he left Hawaii a year early – but as Dan Tolzman confirmed Wednesday, this process is also about finding potential summer league and D-League players (and just generally gathering information on as many players as possible). Jankovic will probably have international offers, but maybe he’s on the Raptors 905 radar if not.

In any case, he was thrilled to be asked in for his hometown team.

“Definitely. The fact, them bringing me in, is huge for me. I haven’t been home since August,” Jankovic said. “To see my parents, see my family, probably see my friends the next couple of days, it’s huge for me. I used to go to Raptors games, when VC was here, back in those days, when I was a little kid playing OBA.”

Just don’t let Jankovic near Jonas Valanciunas at BioSteel Centre.

“No, honestly. I remember after that we kind of joked about it, you know, I said something in the game,” Jankovic said when I asked if he’s had a chance to joke with Valanciunas in the last two days. “He’s a great guy. I can’t say anything, he gave us 30 points that game, he dunked all over three or four of us at one time. He’s an unbelievable player. Really cool guy, I got to hang out with him a bit after.”

By the way, you’ll notice that Jankovic is in a Canada jersey there, despite previous comments that he identifies as Serbian first and may not be a part of Canada Basketball’s plans. I asked him about that, and the Mississauga native wanted to clarify.

“Obviously, I grew up here, and I played when I was 16, 17, for the junior team. I took a couple years off to focus throughout college. I’m definitely interested,” Jankovic said. “That’s something I want to clear up to a lot of people. Obviously, I’m from Serbia, too, but I grew up here. You know, I’m Serbian, I’m Canadian, I’m proud to be both. So, whatever team has the best opportunity, and both teams are great. Both countries, I represent well, and I’d love to play for both.”

Assorted

*Luis Scola was around working out for a second day in a row. No James Johnson sighting today, though.

*There are no workouts scheduled to have media availability until next week, though I’m sure the team will be talking to players, and even working them out or sending scouts to agency workouts (some agencies like to host workouts for multiple teams and prospects for logistical reasons, and to highlight their guys in the best possible circumstances).

*ONE IMPORTANT NOTE ON THIS PROCESS: We’re going to hear a lot of names rumored or reported to be coming in/meeting/working out/etc. I’m not always going to pass them on, especially this early in the process. A lot of it is due diligence and doesn’t mean a ton (Jaylen Brown, for example), and they’re also just low-value posts (“Rumor: Player X to work out”). And sometimes there will be (good) reasons the team doesn’t want the names public. Obviously, feel free to comment and discuss those rumors (Hoops Hype is a good source for rumor aggregation) in the comments/forums, I just may not always throw a post up. Closer to the draft, that information becomes a little more important.

*I’ve spent a good chunk of this week researching prospects, watching video, reading up, and so on. I was a little behind where I normally am because of the postseason run, but I’m getting close to caught up. Some time next week I’ll probably post my own prospect rankings, and tweak throughout the process from there.

*I’m still kind of heartbroken that Marquese Chriss no longer seems likely to last until No. 9.