TORONTO — Virgina wing Justin Anderson, Arizona forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant headlined the Toronto Raptors’ first pre-draft workout.
Canadian centres Maurice Walker and Dallin Bachynski, of Minnesota and Utah respectively, and Marist guard Chavaughn Lewis rounded out the group of NBA prospects Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre.
Hailing from Calgary, Bachynski is the younger brother of Jordan, who currently plays for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA Development League – the New York Knicks’ affiliate. Walker is a Scarborough, Ont., native and was a three-time member of the Canadian junior national team.
Described as “spirited” by Jeff Weltman, Raptors’ executive vice president of basketball operations, the workout appeared to have left an impression on the team’s brass.
“Today was really good,” Weltman said after the workout concluded. “For all of us who’ve been around and seen a lot of these workouts I would say this was one of the more competitive ones and you can kind of predict that based on who you’re bringing in. It was a very high-energy, spirited workout.”
Toronto has the 20th overall pick in the June 25 draft, which makes identifying who exactly will be available difficult to pinpoint. Whether or not the team’s pick was in this batch of prospects is anyone’s guess.
“You guys know as well as well as we do. That’s the draft,” Weltman said. “We can narrow it down to a loose group, but within that, who knows.
“We do have a defined group that we can predict that our pick will come from this group of players and so we’re trying to really learn that group, and that’s the goal right now.”
Additionally, it’s becoming clearer the Raptors are pushing for a prospective D-League team earlier than later to help accelerate development.
“If we are able to get a D-League team it will definitely present an opportunity for that kid to grow and develop with our hands on him, which is everything, in ways which we can’t do right now.”
An area of concern for the Raptors is the fact the team has six contracts coming off the books, meaning change is likely coming to the team and narrowing in on a player in the draft becomes that much more difficult.
“You have to try to define who the best player is,” Weltman added. “You also have to put that in the framework of what you’re team is and there are moments when you just say it’s a best-player situation and there are moments, depending on what your team is, when you can try to fill a need and you’re always kind of balancing that against what deals you’re looking at and where you think the potential of your team can take you this season.”
Based on the current make-up of the team, any one of Anderson, Hollis-Jefferson or Grant could fill a hole and make an immediate impact on the Raptors.
Here’s more on each of them:
Justin Anderson
(Nell Redmond/AP)
Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward
School: Virgina
Class: Junior
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 230 lbs
Wingspan: 6’11”
The Skinny: The possible three-and-D wing the Raptors are in desperate need of, Anderson also revealed his favourite word might by “phenomenal” on Wednesday.
On how the workout went:
“It was phenomenal, I think it was a great workout. The experience for me, my first time in Canada, so outside of basketball [it’s been] phenomenal as well.”
On the draft workout process so far:
“They’ve been phenomenal, I think. It’s just been a cool experience, you’ve just got to kind of soak it all up and be appreciative of the moment, because we won’t get these moments back.”
As far as what Anderson can bring basketball-wise, he’s the prototypical NBA wing player. Big, thick, strong, athletic (he had the highest standing vertical leap at the combine), and an improved shooter (took his three-point shooting from 29.4 percent in his sophomore year to 45.2 percent this past season).
The biggest concern with Anderson is whether his defence is for real. He appeared to be capable of guarding his own position, but at the same time, Virginia’s pack line defence also helped mitigate any mistakes he may have made.
There’s also the issue of little room for growth as far as development goes, something he views as a strength rather than a weakness.
“What you see is what you get,” Anderson said. “On the court, basketball-wise, my three-point percentage is much better this year, that’s what you’re starting to get. I’m very confident in my stroke, I’m very confident in my defensive ability, I’m very confident that I’m a great teammate.”
Mock drafts have Anderson getting picked anywhere from Nos. 21 to 24, so it seems he’ll be there when NBA commissioner Adam Silver announces the Raptors are on the clock. Don’t be too surprised if they do take him, either, as he was seen in deep conversation with Raptors coach Dwane Casey following the workout.
As far as a Raptors comparable goes, Anderson is a lefty wing with three-point range and can play defence. Sounds a lot like Mo-Pete, no?
Raptors past or present comparable: Morris Peterson
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
(Don Ryan/AP)
Position: Small Forward
School: Arizona
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6’7”
Weight: 211 lbs
Wingspan: 7’2”
The Skinny: “Hi, I’m Rondae Hollis-Jefferson here with the Toronto Raptors working out. Feel free to ask any questions.”
That’s how the former Arizona Wildcats standout introduced himself to the Toronto media Wednesday, and that sums up the 20-year-old perfectly.
A bundle of positive energy, Hollis-Jefferson is the kind of player destined to become both a locker room and fan favourite for his fun, jokester attitude and his relentless tenacity on the defensive end and on both backboards.
Thanks to an incredible motor, a huge wingspan, excellent strength and just plain absurd lateral quickness for a man his size — he recorded the second-fastest time in the lane agility drill at the combine — Hollis-Jefferson has potential to guard all five positions.
Offensively, he will never need a play called for him and will be content to catch lobs in transition, slash and crash the offensive glass for putbacks. His jump shot is still a work in progress, but you aren’t drafting him to score.
His Raptors comparable would be to the ever-popular Jerome Williams purely for his energy and charismatic charm. Mock drafts have him anywhere from Nos. 15 to 24, so it remains a mystery where he will go in the draft, but given Casey’s penchant for defence, he’s likely to get a good, hard look.
Raptors past or present comparable: Jerome “Junk Yard Dog” Williams
Jerian Grant
(Bob Leverone/AP)
Position: Point Guard
School: Notre Dame
Class: Senior
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 198 lbs
Wingspan: 6’7”
The Skinny: A big, heady point guard who knows how to command the pick-and-role, Grant would be ready to step in immediately as the Raptors’ backup point guard, or at least a solid third point guard.
The biggest knock against Grant is that he’s a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. He’s quick, but not lightning quick; can shoot well, but isn’t deadeye; is a capable defender but certainly isn’t an all-world one.
The brother of current Philadelphia 76ers forward Jerami Grant, the son of former 11-year NBA veteran Harvey Grant and nephew of four-time NBA champion Horace Grant, basketball is a family trade and as such Grant is equipped with the kind of support group needed to achieve success at the NBA level.
In fact, just last year, Jerami was going through the same process.
“I definitely go to [Jerami], ask him how the workouts are and kind of what they’re looking for,” Grant said. “He definitely helps get me through it.”
Projected on most mocks to go anywhere from Nos. 18 to 21, Grant is within the Raptors’ range and is comparable to Greivis Vasquez because of the size he brings to the point guard position and proven clutch ability he showed at the collegiate level.
Raptors past or present comparable: Greivis Vasquez