More on Delon Wright and the NBA

Ed Isaacson with more on Delon Wright:

"Delon Wright, Utah, Guard, 6’5, 178

(2013-14, 36.4 mpg) 15.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.5 spg, 1.3 bpg
 56.1 FG%, 79.3 FT%, 22.2 3FG%, 63.9 TS%, 58.1 eFG%
 21.4 USG%, 2.1:1 A/TO, 11.3 REB%, 28.6 AST%, 17.3 TO%, 4.1 STL%

Wright made a tremendous impact in his first year in Division I, making the All-Pac 12 First Team after transferring from the JUCO ranks.  He is a versatile guard, capable of playing of playing either backcourt position. Wright is at his best when he is looking to attack the basket, using a very good first step and strong ballhandling to create scoring opportunities. He is a creative finisher around the basket, but he doesn’t shy away from looking to finish strong and he can handle contact and still get a shot off. Wright sees the floor very well and he has a good feel for where to find open teammates, especially when he draws the defense off a drive. He has shown he can knock down mid-range jumpers off the dribble, and he has a great feel for spacing, knowing where to find open spots on the floor. His ability to knock down the mid-range jumper, also allows him to draw defenders to him and use a good shot fake to get by them.  Wright is a good on and off-ball defender, showing good positioning and strong lateral movement. His size allows him to guard multiple positions. Wright reads the floor well and he uses good reflexes to jump passing lanes or get his hand on the ball, leading to turnovers and quick baskets. He uses his size and leaping ability well to challenge shots, and he blocks a good amount for his size. Wright also uses his size and a good nose for the ball to be a very good defensive rebounder. He has no problem chasing missed shots down wherever they are.  Wright is very good in transition, using long strides to get down the floor quickly, and having the ability to take the ball to the rim or finding an open teammate. There is no one who puts together a full stat line like Wright does, and if he can do it for another season, NBA teams will be very interested.

What he needs to show this season:  Wright seemed to do it all last season, though it can still be hard to pinpoint what he excels at. The biggest thing he needs to work on right now is being able to extend his range on his jumper and being able to hit threes consistently. Last year, he only attempted 54 three-point shots, hitting just 12. Though he had little trouble getting to the basket last season, the NBA will be different, and he will need to show he can hit the long-range jumper. Also, because it could be so easy to get to the basket, he could get sloppy and force penetration into the defense or get stuck and make a bad pass. Wright has shown a lot defensively, but he can be a bit of a wanderer, looking to make plays and forgetting about his man. There is a lot to like about Wright’s game, but almost every part of his game could use some improvement before he gets to the pros."