The Toronto Raptors held two separate workouts at the Bio-Steel Centre on Monday. The biggest name in attendance was former Gonzaga forward Domantas Sabonis, a projected lottery pick expected to be in the mix with the Raptors’ 9th overall selection in the upcoming draft. He got his own private workout, while a handful of prospects likely to be on the board late in the first round (the Raps also own the 27th pick) were also put through the ringer by Toronto’s coaching and training staff:
Vanderbilt’s Damian Jones (7-foot, 244-lbs), Maryland’s Diamond Stone (6’10”, 254-lbs), and UNLV’s Stephen Zimmerman (7-foot, 235-lbs) are all, obviously, big men who have at one point or another seen their names in the lottery of numerous mock drafts, though their respective stocks have taken a bit of a hit as the NCAA season wrapped. They are high-potential picks, and don’t be surprised if one or more pan out at the next level, but none can be realistically expected to contribute for the Raptors right away.
The most notable name in attendance was clearly Sabonis, who many have linked to the Raptors because he fills the team’s most glaring need at power forward and is considered among the top prospects at the position. Last week, the Raptors worked out Marquette’s Henry Ellenson, another power forward pegged to be selected in the lottery. While Ellenson is considered a better shooter, Sabonis’ game is more well-rounded and his workout left the Raps brass impressed.
“He’s got an incredible motor (and) wants to win over individual stats, which is a huge thing for the kind of culture we’re trying to build here,” said Raptors Director of Player Personnel Dan Tolzman. “There’s a lot there to work with.”
Obviously part of what attracts attention to Sabonis is his last name— his dad, Arvydas, was a legend overseas and spent seven seasons toward the end of his career in the NBA starting at centre for the Portland Trail-Blazers. Domantas is hardly the physical force his old man was, but he is a skilled passer for a big man, like his Pa, and his familiarity with the NBA game could give him a leg up. “It’s a thing that people take for granted a lot,” said Tolzman when asked about Sabonis’ lineage. “Kids when they’re around the NBA from a young age, when you see kids shooting around after a game— Steph Curry was a ball boy for the Raptors way back when—just being around that high level of basketball just kind of gets in there by osmosis. It’s definitely a part of skill development that…you can’t really put a price on. It’s something that other kids would kill for.”
Check out the full video from Tolzman’s scrum:
Sabonis also met with the media and talked about his impressions of the draft process, his Lithuanian heritage, and the prospect of playing for the Raptors: