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Defence A Priority In Selecting Delon Wright At #20

Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com

The Toronto Raptors made defence a priority on draft night, selecting Utah’s Delon Wright with the 20th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-6, 181-pound senior is a versatile point guard with strong defensive skills who left Utah third-all time in steals despite playing just two seasons with the school.

“We’re excited to get him,” Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s one of the guys that has tremendous upside as a point guard in the NBA. [He] reminds me a lot of Nate McMillan, as far as big and long point guard we had in Seattle. [He] can defend multiple positions so he really fits well in what we’re trying to do. It goes right into the plan with our young group to grow.”

Wright is a Los Angeles native, and the younger brother of 11-year NBA veteran Dorell Wright.

“He’s grown up around the NBA,” Casey said. “He’s been to numerous NBA games, worked out with NBA players. He’s not going to come in shellshocked to go against guys in practice.”

Although the team was looking at a few prospects with the 20th pick, Casey said Wright was the unanimous pick in the team’s war room when they were on the clock.

“As the week went on and [we] studied more film, more film, more film, it became clear to us, as far as what we needed defensively,” Casey said. “Your defence starts on the ball, coming up the court in the pick and roll, you’ve got to have guys to be able to defend the pick and roll and he’s a good start for us.”

Wright averaged 14.5 points,4.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals in 33 minutes per game for Utah last season. He shot 51 percent from the floor and 84 percent from the free throw line. During his senior year at Utah, Wright won the Cousy Award (given to the nation’s top point guard), and was a finalist for the John Wooden Award and James Naismith Award (both given to the nation’s top player). Prior to playing at Utah, Wright spent two seasons at City College of San Francisco.

Casey praised Wright’s defensive abilities numerous times and said the team will begin training camp focusing on the defensive end of the floor.

“He defends, [and he] can run the pick-and-roll very well,” Casey said. “Great kid, good character, good team guy and a really excellent ball mover and passer in the pick-and-roll game.”

Wright worked out for the Raptors in Toronto, but had to finish his workout early after getting kneed in the groin. Casey was able to speak with him when he was in town and spoke with him again shortly after he was selected by the team.        

“[A] tremendous young man, a man of character, a team guy,” Casey said. “Chemistry is an important thing that you also look for and he fits into that mold also.”