Allen Graves and his family filtered into the busy press conference room at OVO Athletic Centre on Thursday afternoon, smiling ear to ear. The life of the unranked recruit out of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, had changed overnight; there was a lot to smile about.
“It’s just a really amazing feeling,” Graves told the media. “Just being able to go through this and being as fortunate and blessed to be sitting here before y’all at such an amazing program.”
Going from a population of 8,000 to 4 million in Toronto will be an adjustment, among other things, but something the Raptors 19th overall pick is ready to embrace. “You’ve got swamps, you’ve got gators, and you’ve got food,” Graves joked about his small hometown.
But it’s not just the lifestyle that will be an adjustment for Graves.
Even from a basketball standpoint, how his unique skill set translates not only to the Raptors but also to the NBA level will be a major talking point moving forward. His physical tools, standing at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan, match the description of everything the Raptors look for in a player: long, physical, toolsy. Coming off the bench for Santa Clara this past season, Graves put those traits to work, showing off his impressive hands on defense, his timing and decisiveness on offense, and a do-it-all approach that made him an analytical darling in this draft class.
“I don’t really take it as nothing.” Graves said when asked about why his game is analytically friendly. “That’s how I play the game. I feel like that’s just what I do on the court. I don’t look into the analytics side of it, never have, and that’s just the way I play basketball. I guess it’s good on charts.”
The (advanced) numbers show a promising future. He had a steal and block percentage of 5, the best of any freshman since 2008, and the only one in his class with those gaudy numbers. His 12.7 box plus-minus, an advanced catch-all metric that attempts to value overall impact when a player is on the floor, ranked in the 97th percentile in his class.
In that sense, the Raptors nabbing him at 19th was a steal. But it’s all theoretical until it shows up on the floor at the NBA level. Graves played just 22 minutes at Santa Clara, averaged over 3 fouls per game in that short span, and while the Broncos have a history of developing NBA talent like Canadian Steve Nash, the West Coast Conference they play in doesn’t provide the best college competition.
“Right now, the focus is just really getting my defensive ability, being able to switch, and being able to guard,” Graves said. “Being a consistent shooter, I feel like that’s where I can bring shooting ability here, and then just my feel for a game on offense, being a connector piece, and I do not need the ball in my hands, but just keep working all around the game, really just want to work on everything, but I feel like the main focus is probably the defensive aspect.”
The self-awareness, alongside the analytics, pops off the charts when Graves breaks down his game. That’ll be necessary as he tries to squeeze into a wing/forward rotation that includes Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Brandon Ingram for starters. It’s fair to be skeptical about how another jumbo-sized, do-it-all wing fits on a team littered with that archetype.
But this isn’t the first time Graves has proved people wrong. In today’s press conference, he told me a story about his mother doubting his basketball ability because of his height. She told him to stick to football despite his breaking his elbow as a freshman in high school. What did Graves do? He grew from 6 feet to 6-foot-7 that summer.
“I feel ready. I wouldn’t have taken it if I didn’t think that I was ready,” Graves said. “I was able to play at this level and compete with the best of them, and just being able to go out there and showcase that I belong is what I’ve been doing my whole life. I’m proving everybody wrong, and that’s what I plan to do here at this next level.”
The Raptors also introduced their 50th overall pick, four-year guard out of Arizona, Jaden Bradley.
Bradley’s story is very different from Graves’. After one season playing in the SEC with Alabama, Bradley moved to Arizona, where he nearly led the Wildcats to a national championship. His winning pedigree, combined with his defensive prowess at the guard spot, like Graves’, fits the build the Raptors look for in their guards.
Blink, and you might think Bradley is a taller version of Jamal Shead on the floor.
“I’ve been battling him for years, “He’s a great player defensively, offensively… Definitely learn from those guys who have been in this system; I haven’t, so they have a lot of knowledge for me. Can’t wait to learn from those guys.”
With Shead, Alijah Martin, and Chucky Hepburn on the roster, all three players who share similar qualities to what Bradley brings on the court, how can he differentiate himself?
“Working on my shooting, being consistent in the playmaking, keeping my turnovers down, getting out for fast breaks, just making it easier for my teammates and myself.” A professional answer for a professional winner.
Ultimately, similar to Graves, it’ll be interesting to see how Bradley fits into what the Raptors want to do, but the draft process is over. The Raptors have welcomed two new faces into their organization, and now, the real work begins.
