Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com
With rain threatening to interfere with flights for Thursday’s free agent camp and claps of thunder rumbling through the sky outside, the mood inside the Raptors practice court was bright. Helping to keep the vibe light was the flash of darkness when the lights in the gym went out just as the session was wrapping up, as if to signify another day was in the books.
“Today’s workout was really good,” UCLA’s Norman Powell said. ”A lot of the stuff we were doing was full court, shots and things like that. We were really able to play basketball and show what we can do, show our IQs. I really liked this workout. We were able to go against each other, me and Rashad [Vaughn] were able to match up one on one and it was a good workout for me.”
The six-player workout featured just two guards in Powell and UNLV’s Vaughn, and four forwards: Virginia’s Darion Atkins, Louisiana Tech’s Michale Kyser, Wisconsin’s Duje Dukan and Vaughn’s UNLV teammate Christian Wood.
While Powell spoke with the media individually, the team had Vaughn and Wood do their availability together. This provided some entertaining moments that could only be produced between players who are also friends. Asked to describe one another’s games, Vaughn delivered the highest of praise for Wood, immediately comparing the long and lanky forward to Kevin Durant. The compliment made Wood gasp as he laughed before gathering himself to give his assessment of Vaughn’s game.
“What I’d say about Rashad is he’s definitely a competitive individual,” Wood said. “Likes competing against the best. In the workouts that I’ve seen, he works out 100% and just goes hard every possession.”
Although Wood’s description didn’t pack as much of a punch as Vaughn’s, it was in line with what Vaughn wants to show. Known as a scorer, he wants to show that he can also defend and make plays for teammates. He doesn’t want to be labeled as a one-dimensional player.
He’s aware that his ability to score will be important at the next level, though. Leading up to the draft, Vaughn has been watching film on NBA players and recently spent time studying DeMar DeRozan’s game.
“I really try to watch him and see the moves that he does,” Vaughn said. “It’s all going to change for me once I get to the NBA level. I’m going to have to change my moves and change how I do things. I just try to watch his one-on-one moves and how he scores the ball.”
Raptors Expect Range Of Talent At Twenty
Having the 20th pick in the draft means the Raptors will have a wide range of players on their radar. The front office is confident that regardless of how things unfold on draft night, they will get a player they are happy with.
“I would say there is definitely a level of comfort with a good number of players and they are all across the board position-wise,” Raptors Director of Scouting Dan Tolzman said.
Tolzman said one of the biggest parts of bringing players in for workouts can be the time spent with them away from the court. Teams usually get to meet with most players during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, but additional face-to-face time can be crucial when deciding whether a player is a right fit for the team.
“It’s just as important as what they do on the court,” Tolzman said. “We have seen these guys multiple times over the last few years. To get these guys in our building and to eat lunch with them and get to know them, it’s such a different environment. They kind of let their guard down and get comfortable and you get to see what kind of people you will be bringing into your locker room and your culture. You get to see which guys fit what we are looking for.”
While players want to impress during the actual on-court session, it’s how they act away from it that can help them be remembered long after they’ve flown off to their next workout.
“It’s as much about how they will fit with our other players and our staff and even how they treat our staff,” Tolzman said.