Young Rap has Wright mentor
Brother’s experience in NBA will help Delon Wright avoid pitfalls of fame and fortune
BURNABY, B.C.— The basketball is going to take care of itself for Delon Wright.
He is big and strong and full of so much potential that decision-makers around the Raptors are genuinely excited for the future of the 2015 first-round draft pick.
It is the life that will present its issues; the money and the fame and people who want a piece of all of it; the users and the takers who always seem to find their way next to young kids just starting out.
It’s gotten to others so often it’s not funny, the immature teens who can handle neither the fame nor the cash nor the responsibility thrust upon them.
Wright has a leg up in that regard — a wiser older brother who has been through it and thrived, an NBA veteran who knows all the pitfalls.
And Dorell Wright made sure his little brother is prepared for what awaits him.
In a heartfelt and personal open letter on the athlete-focused website theplayerstribune.com, Dorell Wright warned his 22-year-old sibling about the dangers that await and cautioned him against falling prey to them.
Dorell talked about avoiding the omnipresent distractions and people who want a piece of a rich, talented young man; he advised against joining the team card game on charters; he talked about the hard work necessary to make it in the NBA. Life stuff. Important stuff. “He told me what to expect, how to carry myself. On the court he just lets me do what I do out there,” Delon Wright said.
A four-year American collegian, Wright does have a bit more basketball experience than the teens who are generally high first-round draft picks. It’s allowed him to stand out early in training camp and infuse Raptors coach Dwane Casey with enthusiasm.
“He has seen it all and on top of that being the brother of an NBA player, he’s heard and seen it all,” Casey said. “He has been around NBA players so he’s not in shock and awe of other NBA guys. This is not overwhelming to him. His temperament is unbelievable”
That savvy could allow the Raptors to accelerate Wright’s contribution. Toronto is already set with Kyle Lowry as the starting point guard and Cory Joseph as his backup, but Casey can see playing two of the three at the same time.
A two-guard lineup of Lowry and Greivis Vasquez worked well two seasons ago for Toronto; playing two of Lowry, Vasquez and Lou Williams was a times an abject failure last year.
“I thought it hurt us somewhat last year when we had two small guards in when you are going against six-six or six-seven guards” Casey said. “But with Cory’s size and Delon’s size I think that is a huge plus for us.
“Kyle can go hide and rest on offence a little bit, if there is such a thing for him.”
Wright knows he’s got as much to learn on the court as he does off it, but one thing the staff has been impressed with is his on-court instincts. The game’s still a bit fast for him and the competition is better and more consistent than anything he’s ever seen but he seems to just “get it.”
“Delon is one of those guys that is not a drill guy . . . Once the lights come on or the official throws it up, he plays the game,” Casey said. “He does some uncanny things where you’re saying, ‘Whoa, what happened there?’ He’s always doing that. He has excellent hands defensively, but he’s still learning.”