DeAndre Daniels

admin

After a season in Australia, 2014 Raptors draft pick DeAndre Daniels is glad to be back. Daniels has been in the city for five weeks and is training daily with Lucas Nogueira and Bruno Caboclo. Visibly stronger, the 23-year-old UConn alum spent his season playing for the Perth Wildcats in a highly competitive league featuring many former NCAA players. Using the season to shift from the power forward spot he played in college to the 3 spot he will play in the NBA, Daniels is eager to get more time in with the Raptors coaching staff.

“I’m here now working and training and trying to get better,” Daniels said. [I want to] show them the stuff I can do and show that I improved and take it from there.”Although Daniels was halfway across the world, he used the time away from everything he was familiar with to learn how to fend for himself.“I loved Australia,” Daniels said. “It was a great learning experience going out there by myself. Australia was great, the organization was great, playing for the Perth Wildcats, I loved it. [I] got better, worked on my game, gained some weight and met a lot of good people.”The Raptors didn’t have a roster spot for Daniels last season, but they stayed in close contact with him. Director of scouting Dan Tolzman said the team sent members of its staff over to see him at various points during the year.Describing the league Daniels played in as “on the come up,” Tolzman mentioned there were players on NBA rosters last season who had spent the previous year playing in the Australian league. For Daniels, the team looked at his season in Perth as another step in his development similar to an additional year of college.“From the front office standpoint, we were in touch with his agent all of the time, always keeping tabs on him and monitoring, letting both him and his representation know that he’s a part of our system,” Tolzman said. “We didn’t send him literally halfway across the world to not care about him. We put him in a spot that we thought was a good fit for him and a place he could really develop.”

Spending much of the year communicating with Toronto teammates via text messages, Daniels was pleasantly surprised to see the changes in Caboclo on and off the floor since the two spent last summer training together.“He’s gotten stronger,” Daniels said. “And definitely, the biggest thing I've noticed is he can speak more and better English. He’s just nonstop talking. It’s good.”Despite being a half-day ahead in terms of time zones during his time in Australia, Daniels still kept up with the Raptors. Even when it meant setting the alarm extra early.“I would wake up sometimes early in the morning just to watch them play at like 4 in the morning,” Daniels said. “Sometimes just to be watching, that was probably the toughest part. I just tried to stay focused, keep working hard and have faith in God.”While the Australian league wasn’t on the same tier as the top teams in Spain or Italy, it was an ideal place for Daniels to hone his skills.“I think the biggest thing is just getting used to the physicality of pro basketball,” Tolzman said. “High level college basketball is good, but when you are playing with grown men that are bigger and stronger, you just get used to the hits and the speed of the game. I think spending a year in Australia really helped him kind of get used to the different positions he will be playing at our level and just learning to take those hits and play through them.”With his first season as a professional athlete under his belt, Daniels is ready for more. In 30 games with the Wildcats, he averaged 14.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and a block per contest. In addition to improving his shooting and ballhandling, Daniels knows his defensive skills will be an important part of his game at the next level. Since returning to Toronto, the coaching staff has outlined what it wants to see from him this summer. He’s taken the instructions to heart.“My goal is definitely to be here,” Daniels said. “This is where I want to be so I’ll be here working hard and try to earn a spot on this team.”

deandre-daniels-ready-to-work-for-spot-with-raptors

DeAndre Daniels Ready To Work For Spot With Raptors

torjsatur

By Angus Crawford - Special to Raptors.com

As part of our NBA Australia's new feature series, 'NBA Passport', NCAA Champion DeAndre Daniels spoke about being selected in June's NBA Draft, his Summer League experience, signing with the Perth Wildcats, and settling into his new home.

What was it like for you to get the opportunity to be a part of a program like UConn, particularly over those last two years with Coach Ollie? 

I mean, it was just great for me because everybody at UConn is a family and Coach Jim Calhoun built it, and Coach [Kevin] Ollie took over, but it was always a brotherhood—no matter what we had each other’s back. It was a great thing just to be a part of. 

With the way that the NBA is trending, it’s becoming more and more important for players to be able to shoot from the outside, to the point that perimeter guys are nearly unplayable if they can’t nail threes at least at a league average rate. You managed to make nearly 42 percent of your threes last season, on a decent volume, is it a goal of yours to become what’s often termed a ‘3-and-D’ player? 

Yeah. Just trying to make my shot more consistently, because in the NBA, a lot of guys are just going to be role players. So, trying to focus on mainly just knocking down my corner threes, and just trying to space the floor, focus on my defence, and becoming a better defender. 

On that theme, is there an NBA player—either past or present—whom you’d like to mould your game on? 

[Pauses] Hmm… I mean I look at a lot of guys but I’m never going to be them. So I try to take stuff from a lot of people; like Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron [James], and Kobe [Bryant], and just try to take stuff of their games (stuff that I can do). 

You were instrumental against Florida in the Final Four, playing so well in the upset win [with 20 points and 10 rebounds]. What was that experience of playing deep into the NCAA Tournament and winning a championship like, and how much did it mean to you to perform like that on the national stage? 

It was just unreal, and our team came together at the right time. And then nobody cared who was scoring the points, all that mattered was, ‘Are we gonna win?’ I feel like that brought us closer. Everybody had one goal, and that was to win a national championship. We believed in ourselves when nobody [else] did, and I think that’s why we won it because nobody wanted it as bad as we did. But it was just an unbelievable experience to go through the whole tournament and win a national championship. It’s still unreal. 

A bit of a personal one from me: I spent much of the past two years living near Toronto, did you get a chance to spend any time there after being drafted by the Raptors? Have you been to Toronto before? 

I actually worked out for Toronto and when I worked out for ‘em, I got to walk around and see how nice the city is. I met a lot of people, and everybody I met was really nice out there. I didn’t go after they drafted me, I went straight to L.A. [to training]. But I’ve been there and it was great. I loved it. 

Did you know much about the domestic competition over here prior to negotiating your deal?

No, I didn’t know much… not a lot. When I knew I was coming I did a lot of research, just looking it up and watching a lot of stuff on YouTube. 

So what was that process like, getting drafted by Toronto, and then finding out from your agent that Australia (and Perth) might be an option? 

After I got drafted, I just talked to the [Raptors] coaches. We weren’t really focused on that, everybody was just going to see what was going to happen. After the Summer League, that’s when we sat down with everybody and figured out what was going to be the best situation.  

[[{"fid":"16807","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","attributes":{"style":"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;","class":"media-element file-default"}}]] 

Did the success of guys like [James] Ennis—who came across and played with Perth last season—factor into your decision to come to the NBL? 

I didn’t really know too much about [the NBL]. My agent and the general manager from the Toronto Raptors [Masai Ujiri], they had it all planned out, and they wanted me to come here. They felt like it’d be the best situation for me to come out here and get better as a player, and as a person. 

Do you have a timeline or a goal in mind for making the move back to North America? 

I know I’m going back home, back to America, around March. 

You recently underwent an operation on your right elbow, how much of a setback was that, and when should we expect to see you on the floor with the Wildcats? 

It was a minor setback, but all I could do is control the stuff that I can control, and that’s just focussing on other stuff that I can do—in the weight room, working on abs and legs. It all worked out. But actually, I just got back, and I had my first practice today. I felt good, and my arms felt good. I’m perfectly fine now. 

Since you arrived in Perth, have you got to know the guys? Have you had the chance to build a relationship with anyone in particular? 

I have a good relationship with all my teammates. I mean, since the first day I got here, everybody welcomed me with open arms. It’s just like being at UConn for me, with the way that they handle their stuff. Everybody is just one big family. I’m also close with Earnest Ross, with him being from the States, too. I knew him before I got here, so that’s definitely helping me a lot, too. 

nba-passport-deandre-daniels

NBA Passport: DeAndre Daniels

Through three games in Las Vegas, Bruno Caboclo has been the main story for the Toronto Raptors. Attention wise, Lucas “Bebe” Nogueira has backed him up. Flying under the radar, but piecing together a pair of noteworthy performances in two Raptors losses, is second-round pick DeAndre Daniels.

The 6-foot-9 forward out of Connecticut had 12 points and five rebounds in Saturday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets. In Monday’s blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Daniels led the Raptors with 16 points, six rebounds and two steals. Over the two games, Daniels shot 10-for-21 from the floor and made four of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc.”

"Whatever the coaches tell me to do, I’m going to do it,” Daniels said. "I’m just trying to go out there and compete. My main focus is trying to get better on defence when we play on the floor, just rotate and not try to be in the lane for three seconds, try to get in and out. I feel like that’s the biggest difference I’m trying to get adjusted to.”

Related: Raptors Prep For Tournament Stage | Tuesday's Practice Video

While Daniels will need to work on gaining size to be able to compete on the NBA-level, his skill level, particularly his ability to handle the ball, has impressed summer league head coach Jesse Mermuys.

“I like what Dre’s done,” Mermuys said. “I really do. The biggest thing with him is obviously the physicality and his shot selection, learning how to fit within the team regardless of what position I play him at. But I like what I’ve seen. He’s got a much better handle than what you’d expect for a guy that’s played inside and is trying to develop as a three man.”

Dwane Casey pointed to the coaching and experience he received from playing with the 2014 NCAA Champion UConn Huskies as a reason why Daniels has been able to step in and contribute.

“He had great coaching in Connecticut,” Casey said. “He’s ahead [of Caboclo] just because he’s older. He had a lot more teaching in a championship program so he’s ahead. With him also he’s got to get stronger, but he’s doing a lot of good things on the court which I think in time will translate to the NBA game.”

Daniels called summer league a learning experience and said the biggest adjustment has been learning defensive techniques and rotations. After Monday’sgame, Mermuys discussed why young players can struggle to pick up things on the defensive end of the floor when they make the jump to the NBA.

“To the naked eye, it’s just basketball but when you coach in the NBA and play in the NBA you understand how technical it is,” Mermuys said. “It’s a very technical, very difficult game to learn because the players are so great the schemes have to be really impressive to stop those players. 

“No one can stop anyone one on one, especially with the rules. There’s a lot of terms, terminology, coverages. It’s not just playing basketball. You’ve got to know what you’re doing while you’re trying to play as well as you can.”

Going into the tournament stage of summer league, Mermuys will shorten his rotation. During Tuesday’s practice the team scrimmaged and played two games in addition to going through a lot of individual drill work. Come tournament time, Mermuys is looking to see if his team can look more like the squad that won their opening game against the Lakers.

“I’m going to try to win that game. [We] take a 20-point blowout and then we take a 30-point blowout, we definitely wanted to see everybody play, everybody get an opportunity. I think at this point we want to go out and win a game. From that standpoint maybe a shorter rotation. Guys may not get as many minutes as they were accustomed to the first three games. I’m going to do what I can scheme wise, coaching wise, ATO wise to get a win.”

daniels-quietly-picking-up-steam-at-nba-summer-league

Daniels Quietly Picking Up Steam At NBA Summer League

nbaplatformservices

Raptors Summer League: DeAndre Daniels - July 14, 2014

raptors-summer-league-deandre-daniels-july-14-2014

Raptors Summer League: Daniels Highlights - July 12, 2014

raptors-summer-league-daniels-highlights-july-12-2014

Raptors Highlights: Daniels With The Putback

raptors-highlights-daniels-with-the-putback

Raptors Post-Game: DeAndre Daniels - July 11, 2014

raptors-post-game-deandre-daniels-july-11-2014

DeAndre Daniels is happy to be dealing with lower stress levels than he was a week ago.

While Brazilian rookie Bruno Caboclo learned that the Toronto Raptors had selected him 20th overall from a journalist’s Twitter account in the backseat of a New York City cab, Daniels was surrounded by family in Connecticut, watching the draft on TV. Or, he was until it got to be too much.

“I was nervous the whole time,” Daniels said. “I kind of wanted to watch it by myself. I kept going back and forth in and out of the room and then when it got to [the 30th pick] I went into my room and laid down. 

“I guess the 37th pick came and they called my name. I was still laying down. Everybody started screaming and running around. I thought, ‘Oh wow.’ Everybody came running into the room, jumping on me, family members crying. It was a great moment.”

More MacKenzie: Raptors Upgrade Depth | Caboclo Begins NBA Journey

The 6-foot-9 forward is in Los Angeles, training hard with some of his new Raptors teammates and coaching staff. After his second session of the day, Daniels laughs easily and is extremely personable, despite the long day in the gym.

“It’s great,” he said. “It’s good to see guys early, come out, get to play with them. Just talking with guys like Amir [Johnson], DeMar [DeRozan], listening to them and doing whatever they tell me to do because these guys have been in the league for a long time. It’s so great to get out here early, get our workouts in and then head out to [Las] Vegas for Summer League.”

Daniels grew up in Los Angeles and has been familiar with Johnson and DeRozan since his high school days. In addition to working out with his vets, Caboclo arrived in L.A. Tuesday.

Reflecting back on draft night, Daniels said the rest of the evening was a quiet affair for he and his family. Rather than going out to celebrate, he elected to stay in and soak up more time with his siblings and said the family was awake until almost 5 A.M. Just talking.

“I definitely shed a few tears with my family and now it’s just the beginning. I have to keep working hard and prove it to the team.”

The past few months have been a whirlwind for Daniels. Besides being drafted in June, he helped lead the Connecticut Huskies to a national championship in April. Named to the FInal Four all-tournament team, Daniels averaged 16 points and 7.2 rebounds in six tournament games.

“Unbelievable,” he said. “Unreal. To this day it still hasn’t hit me. It went by, every game, so fast. It was just a great thing to be a part of. To see our team come together at the right time, playing for each other, going out there playing hard and having fun. It’s an unreal feeling to win a national championship.”

Although Daniels admitted that the can initially be shy when meeting people for the first time, his favourite thing to do on the basketball court is deliver a dunk that energizes the crowd. When he’s not playing basketball, he’s on his XBox playing Call of Duty and NBA 2K, or trying to teach himself the guitar he bought during his freshman year at UConn.

“It’s frustrating because I want to play it now rather than going through all the steps trying to learn,” he said. “I just want to learn it right away but it’s something I try to do to get my mind off stuff.”

A fan of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Carmelo Anthony, Daniels is now focused on showing the Raptors what he can bring to the table. Shooting 42 per cent from beyond the arc last year while leading his team in rebounds, Daniels is excited to see what will be asked of him at the next level. Most of all, he wants people to know he is about winning.

“[I’m] a guy that is willing to do whatever it takes to win,” he said. “Whatever the coaching staff needs [me] to do. Rebound, block shots, play defence, I really can do it and I give 100 per cent. At the end of the day, all I care about is winning.”

Anxious to get to Las Vegas for summer league, Daniels took a moment to recall how it felt to wake up last Friday morning, a day after the draft.

 “I was still happy and excited,” he said. “My little brothers woke me up and they were like, ‘Man. You made it.’ My little brothers definitely look up to me so I’d say that was the best part about it. 