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Q&A: Will McClay talks Cowboys draft picks, philosophy and more
The Cowboys’ 2019 draft is in the books. They picked eight players: five defensive players, two running backs and a guard. Opinions vary on the quality of the class, but that’s true across the league. It’s far too early to grade the class; nobody knows how well the players will perform. Cowboys officials are confident they have some potential starters and others who will get significant playing time. Will McClay, the Cowboys’ vice president of player personnel, puts the draft board together and has a strong voice in the war room. The Athletic spoke with McClay about every draft pick, the team’s approach and more.
How would you assess the NFL Draft overall?
We’re pleased with the draft because we got a bunch of guys that have the ability to play in different spots for us and compete and make the whole roster better. Competition makes it all better.
It sounds like the first pick came down between defensive tackle Trysten Hill and safety Juan Thornhill in the second round. What did you guys like about Hill?
At the end of the day, it all starts up front and that’s our philosophy. If it starts up front, you can affect the second and third level with good play at the first level. The way we play, it is in waves, and you need quality players. We got some good players, but we can always get better. I think the other thing is when you have the perfect marriage when you match the player’s ability and a player’s mindset with the coach then you can hopefully receive benefit from that investment early. That’s the big thing with him. The kid is all-in on (Cowboys defensive coordinator) Rod (Marinelli) and Rod is all in on the player, and very seldom do you have that.
You’ve got to think about kids coming from a college environment, be it positive and negative, and check with the two sides (player and coach) on this kid. When you come into a new professional environment and want to learn and want to get better, that’s when they will achieve their full potential, so that’s why it will even match more. The safety was a great player but we felt like we had done things in free agency to allow us to look at either player and make the decision that was best for us and potentially the best value.
Trysten Hill didn’t start his junior year at UCF.
He played as many snaps (as a starter).
There were red flags with Hill because of some issues with the UCF staff. How did you guys address those things?
We see the red flag and we’re going to dig on the red flag and make our interpretation based on what we know. Part of this whole scouting business is people talking to people and getting an opinion. That’s where your information comes from and you can take it with a grain of salt and we’re going to dig and talk to every person and find a way to collectively say: ‘This is who this kid is.’ It also stems from us spending time with the kid and knowing the negatives that were said and the positives that were said. We want to find the whole truth and not listen to somebody’s opinion.
The truth will be determined by what we find out and what we believe. There’s something to (Nebraska coach) Scott Frost playing for Rod and knowing who Rod is and the value Rod put into that word, because he knows that person and that person knows him. That gave us a little bit and then we brought him in and spent time with him and found out what he’s all about. That kid is all football, and shoot – I say this every year when people bring up questions about this guy or that guy or they formulate opinions about a guy who is 21 years old on a college campus. We’ve seen things in the news and politics and everything else going back to when people did when they were in college. Let’s not make a judgment on a kid based on who that kid is, being 20 years old, and the decisions that we make.
I assume there were a lot of conversations with the current UCF staff about Hill?
We did our research on that stuff to make that decision. I always say this, college coaches are trying to win games too and whatever issues they had, his ass was on the field. He wasn’t that bad of a player, he wasn’t that much of an issue.
Was there an opportunity to trade up in the second round?
If you stay there (No. 58) and evaluate your board the right way, you should. Our philosophy is to sit and wait and wait for it to come to us because there were players that we liked at different positions that were still there as we were coming down the stretch, the last 15 picks or whatever we felt like, we started watching it and felt like we had guys that we liked there.
This was the first time you didn’t have a first-round pick since you’ve taken over the draft board. How different was this for you?
It was the same mindset; you never know what could happen. Let’s say there was a player we thought was the whole thing, and we really wanted to get our hands, on that was in the Top 10; and let’s say he started sliding down. Then you look at those situations and you have to be prepared for it and knowing the players and what’s it going to cost to do that.
Connor McGovern was a surprise pick. He’s got position flex. What do you guys like about him?
Just an extremely solid football player and is pro-ready, and you never know what’s going to happen. Our offensive line is our strongest unit and Jerry (Jones) says you want to keep strength strong and if that value was there for him, a late second-round player in that round (third), it took a great deal of discipline from us not to do the sexy thing and say, ‘Okay, let’s go get a lesser player that we had valued down in that range.’ If you got a second-rounder up there and you’re in the third round and it’s a good fit, why not do it. And especially with all the things coming up. You’ve got to do business in the NFL as well as go win games.
Everyone expected you guys to take a safety early but does what you did in free agency curtail that somewhat?
We added competitive depth to that position anyway, and if you’re not going to go get the ultimate, ultimate, greatest player ever, it’s a team game, one player is not going to make a difference. That was the thought process there. If you can help the line get better, that makes everybody else’s job easier. We’re very happy with the safeties that we have now. Public opinion says you can do this and do that. We addressed it and tried to improve it. There were no safeties that separated themselves enough that made you go off of the board and potentially miss another good player you could add to the roster.
In general, or in the third and fourth rounds?
In general. There were some guys that we liked that were there that could have helped us but only at the right price.
You eventually drafted a safety, Donovan Wilson in the sixth round. What did you like about him?
When you talk about how we play football and what our style is, defensively we’re a one-gap football team, which means you have to have eight down in the box and you have to trust your free safety. Which we do with Xavier Woods, who is going to be a really good player, that’s developing. You’re looking for a box safety, most of the guys that were in the draft, there were more box safeties than free safeties. We felt like the physical presence that Donovan brings can give us some competition at that spot and a chancellor-like presence in a single one-gap football defense.
The Cowboys’ 2019 draft is in the books. They picked eight players: five defensive players, two running backs and a guard. Opinions vary on the quality of the class, but that’s true across the league. It’s far too early to grade the class; nobody knows how well the players will perform. Cowboys officials are confident they have some potential starters and others who will get significant playing time. Will McClay, the Cowboys’ vice president of player personnel, puts the draft board together and has a strong voice in the war room. The Athletic spoke with McClay about every draft pick, the team’s approach and more.
How would you assess the NFL Draft overall?
We’re pleased with the draft because we got a bunch of guys that have the ability to play in different spots for us and compete and make the whole roster better. Competition makes it all better.
It sounds like the first pick came down between defensive tackle Trysten Hill and safety Juan Thornhill in the second round. What did you guys like about Hill?
At the end of the day, it all starts up front and that’s our philosophy. If it starts up front, you can affect the second and third level with good play at the first level. The way we play, it is in waves, and you need quality players. We got some good players, but we can always get better. I think the other thing is when you have the perfect marriage when you match the player’s ability and a player’s mindset with the coach then you can hopefully receive benefit from that investment early. That’s the big thing with him. The kid is all-in on (Cowboys defensive coordinator) Rod (Marinelli) and Rod is all in on the player, and very seldom do you have that.
You’ve got to think about kids coming from a college environment, be it positive and negative, and check with the two sides (player and coach) on this kid. When you come into a new professional environment and want to learn and want to get better, that’s when they will achieve their full potential, so that’s why it will even match more. The safety was a great player but we felt like we had done things in free agency to allow us to look at either player and make the decision that was best for us and potentially the best value.
Trysten Hill didn’t start his junior year at UCF.
He played as many snaps (as a starter).
There were red flags with Hill because of some issues with the UCF staff. How did you guys address those things?
We see the red flag and we’re going to dig on the red flag and make our interpretation based on what we know. Part of this whole scouting business is people talking to people and getting an opinion. That’s where your information comes from and you can take it with a grain of salt and we’re going to dig and talk to every person and find a way to collectively say: ‘This is who this kid is.’ It also stems from us spending time with the kid and knowing the negatives that were said and the positives that were said. We want to find the whole truth and not listen to somebody’s opinion.
The truth will be determined by what we find out and what we believe. There’s something to (Nebraska coach) Scott Frost playing for Rod and knowing who Rod is and the value Rod put into that word, because he knows that person and that person knows him. That gave us a little bit and then we brought him in and spent time with him and found out what he’s all about. That kid is all football, and shoot – I say this every year when people bring up questions about this guy or that guy or they formulate opinions about a guy who is 21 years old on a college campus. We’ve seen things in the news and politics and everything else going back to when people did when they were in college. Let’s not make a judgment on a kid based on who that kid is, being 20 years old, and the decisions that we make.
I assume there were a lot of conversations with the current UCF staff about Hill?
We did our research on that stuff to make that decision. I always say this, college coaches are trying to win games too and whatever issues they had, his ass was on the field. He wasn’t that bad of a player, he wasn’t that much of an issue.
Was there an opportunity to trade up in the second round?
If you stay there (No. 58) and evaluate your board the right way, you should. Our philosophy is to sit and wait and wait for it to come to us because there were players that we liked at different positions that were still there as we were coming down the stretch, the last 15 picks or whatever we felt like, we started watching it and felt like we had guys that we liked there.
This was the first time you didn’t have a first-round pick since you’ve taken over the draft board. How different was this for you?
It was the same mindset; you never know what could happen. Let’s say there was a player we thought was the whole thing, and we really wanted to get our hands, on that was in the Top 10; and let’s say he started sliding down. Then you look at those situations and you have to be prepared for it and knowing the players and what’s it going to cost to do that.
Connor McGovern was a surprise pick. He’s got position flex. What do you guys like about him?
Just an extremely solid football player and is pro-ready, and you never know what’s going to happen. Our offensive line is our strongest unit and Jerry (Jones) says you want to keep strength strong and if that value was there for him, a late second-round player in that round (third), it took a great deal of discipline from us not to do the sexy thing and say, ‘Okay, let’s go get a lesser player that we had valued down in that range.’ If you got a second-rounder up there and you’re in the third round and it’s a good fit, why not do it. And especially with all the things coming up. You’ve got to do business in the NFL as well as go win games.
Everyone expected you guys to take a safety early but does what you did in free agency curtail that somewhat?
We added competitive depth to that position anyway, and if you’re not going to go get the ultimate, ultimate, greatest player ever, it’s a team game, one player is not going to make a difference. That was the thought process there. If you can help the line get better, that makes everybody else’s job easier. We’re very happy with the safeties that we have now. Public opinion says you can do this and do that. We addressed it and tried to improve it. There were no safeties that separated themselves enough that made you go off of the board and potentially miss another good player you could add to the roster.
In general, or in the third and fourth rounds?
In general. There were some guys that we liked that were there that could have helped us but only at the right price.
You eventually drafted a safety, Donovan Wilson in the sixth round. What did you like about him?
When you talk about how we play football and what our style is, defensively we’re a one-gap football team, which means you have to have eight down in the box and you have to trust your free safety. Which we do with Xavier Woods, who is going to be a really good player, that’s developing. You’re looking for a box safety, most of the guys that were in the draft, there were more box safeties than free safeties. We felt like the physical presence that Donovan brings can give us some competition at that spot and a chancellor-like presence in a single one-gap football defense.
Part 2
You guys snagged two running backs. What are your thoughts on them?
We were looking for a back in the fourth round to add to our stable. We know we got the best running back in the NFL (Ezekiel Elliott) and we know he’s going to be on the field. What else could you add to that while giving yourself depth? With (Tony) Pollard, you did that. He’s tough enough to run inside, you don’t want to make a living there, everybody is saying that. I think he’s extremely tough and can only get better but you add some explosive elements and add some different things potentially to an offense that will allow you to be more flexible in how you use your personnel, because you add a space player. We have those all over the roster now and if we’re creative and use them like we plan to do, now it makes it a lot more difficult.
Pollard adds to that, plus he can give you explosive plays in the kicking game and be a contributor. When you have your game-day roster moves you have to think about, it’s who can contribute in three phases of football. So if you can contribute on two of those on a high level, it gives you some flexibility on game day and within your roster.
Is Mike Weber a traditional running back?
He can do some stuff outside and there are parts of his game that have to develop. He’s a good running back, a young kid with upside that can do some of the things Zeke does. In the same fashion, you plug and play.
Michael Jackson, the corner from Miami, can he plays the slot and outside? Did you see that in college?
He can play inside and outside. Our profile with (defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator) Kris (Richard) is big, long, athletic corners if you can get them. This guy gives you the ability to go long. You might have a package where we have to cover tight ends and so he has the ability to cover tight ends man-to-man and plus the fact, the size of the receivers in the NFL, you want to be able to match those guys and still be able to handle the quickness. You find ways, strategy-wise, to do that. But you also have to have players to execute it.
Let’s talk about the two pass rushers, Joe Jackson and Jalen Jelks, picked on the last day. Looks like Jackson has all the measurables.
He’s got the NFL measurables and the college production at a high level of football. He loves the game, he can play at left end or right end and he can potentially move inside some. It gives you depth and competition at defensive line positions and it’s all competitive, who fits the bit, it’s all competitive, the top guys will make it. But he has that physical trait we’re looking for. We’ve had success and gotten mileage out of those guys who are just really good physical football players up front, and he fit that.
How did you find Jelks?
The scouts go out and do their jobs and our area guys, we tell them they’re the GM of their areas. They go in their areas and they talk about guys and they study guys the whole time in their area. (West Coast scout) Jim Abrams brought him up and watched him progress and we saw him at the Senior Bowl, and it’s one of those things where you see a guy play. To me, there were some things that you saw out of (DeMarcus Lawrence) and the fact he was in a defense playing in a (four-man front) and he was playing heavy and still able to get pressure. This kid played multiple spots, played hard as heck at whatever spot you played him at. He played the defensive end and he’s good at setting the edge on the run. He does a good job when you can go inside and he’s a good enough athlete to win inside. Does he have the (speed) as an outside rusher? That’s to be seen, but he’s going to work hard and he can also get inside and give you matchups there.
Did anything surprise you in this draft?
No, I think we were prepared for anything because anything can happen. I feel like the NFL nowadays is not like the NFL five years ago because people would hold true to the draft chart, there weren’t a lot of trades. It’s changed; nothing really surprised me. You might say (a) team either stretched a little bit based on our board, but our board ain’t theirs. To each their own, there were some things that helped us out. We might have had a guy in a certain round and that guy went to another team in a higher round so that pushed the guys that we liked closer to us.
Why not draft a tight end?
We like what we have. If the opportunity would have presented itself at the right price to add a tight end, you consider it. But this is ongoing, evolving. There’s going to be guys, teams have added players and teams that drop players and players you can look at if we feel like we need to add to that position. You don’t add it all in the draft. A lot of people don’t play with tight ends anymore the way we’re looking for tight ends. That makes a difference too.
I guess the perception was safeties would go off the board high in the second round and at some point tight ends would go. But the first safety didn’t get picked until late in the first round and then two more safeties were selected after you guys picked Trysten Hill. The tight end spot was interesting, we all knew the Iowa tight ends would go and maybe Irv Smith (Alabama) slipped a little bit. It was hard to predict.
It’s all on what you’re looking for. College football produces more pass-catching, match-up tight ends, and then those teams that have Y tight ends, they are either good blockers or good receivers. When you’re trying to find a complete guy it’s difficult. You shouldn’t force it. With our new direction offensively and what we’re talking about doing, it’s about having players that have roles and now it’s the objective to put players in position that we have to succeed.
Now that the draft is over, what’s next?
It’s cleanup time. At end of the draft is when you make sure you have all your people back and formulate a direction you’re gonna go, and we’re starting the offseason program. Now it’s time to evaluate our roster and still looking to improve, and it continues on. And in a couple weeks, we look at the new batch that’s coming in next year.
We were looking for a back in the fourth round to add to our stable. We know we got the best running back in the NFL (Ezekiel Elliott) and we know he’s going to be on the field. What else could you add to that while giving yourself depth? With (Tony) Pollard, you did that. He’s tough enough to run inside, you don’t want to make a living there, everybody is saying that. I think he’s extremely tough and can only get better but you add some explosive elements and add some different things potentially to an offense that will allow you to be more flexible in how you use your personnel, because you add a space player. We have those all over the roster now and if we’re creative and use them like we plan to do, now it makes it a lot more difficult.
Pollard adds to that, plus he can give you explosive plays in the kicking game and be a contributor. When you have your game-day roster moves you have to think about, it’s who can contribute in three phases of football. So if you can contribute on two of those on a high level, it gives you some flexibility on game day and within your roster.
Is Mike Weber a traditional running back?
He can do some stuff outside and there are parts of his game that have to develop. He’s a good running back, a young kid with upside that can do some of the things Zeke does. In the same fashion, you plug and play.
Michael Jackson, the corner from Miami, can he plays the slot and outside? Did you see that in college?
He can play inside and outside. Our profile with (defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator) Kris (Richard) is big, long, athletic corners if you can get them. This guy gives you the ability to go long. You might have a package where we have to cover tight ends and so he has the ability to cover tight ends man-to-man and plus the fact, the size of the receivers in the NFL, you want to be able to match those guys and still be able to handle the quickness. You find ways, strategy-wise, to do that. But you also have to have players to execute it.
Let’s talk about the two pass rushers, Joe Jackson and Jalen Jelks, picked on the last day. Looks like Jackson has all the measurables.
He’s got the NFL measurables and the college production at a high level of football. He loves the game, he can play at left end or right end and he can potentially move inside some. It gives you depth and competition at defensive line positions and it’s all competitive, who fits the bit, it’s all competitive, the top guys will make it. But he has that physical trait we’re looking for. We’ve had success and gotten mileage out of those guys who are just really good physical football players up front, and he fit that.
How did you find Jelks?
The scouts go out and do their jobs and our area guys, we tell them they’re the GM of their areas. They go in their areas and they talk about guys and they study guys the whole time in their area. (West Coast scout) Jim Abrams brought him up and watched him progress and we saw him at the Senior Bowl, and it’s one of those things where you see a guy play. To me, there were some things that you saw out of (DeMarcus Lawrence) and the fact he was in a defense playing in a (four-man front) and he was playing heavy and still able to get pressure. This kid played multiple spots, played hard as heck at whatever spot you played him at. He played the defensive end and he’s good at setting the edge on the run. He does a good job when you can go inside and he’s a good enough athlete to win inside. Does he have the (speed) as an outside rusher? That’s to be seen, but he’s going to work hard and he can also get inside and give you matchups there.
Did anything surprise you in this draft?
No, I think we were prepared for anything because anything can happen. I feel like the NFL nowadays is not like the NFL five years ago because people would hold true to the draft chart, there weren’t a lot of trades. It’s changed; nothing really surprised me. You might say (a) team either stretched a little bit based on our board, but our board ain’t theirs. To each their own, there were some things that helped us out. We might have had a guy in a certain round and that guy went to another team in a higher round so that pushed the guys that we liked closer to us.
Why not draft a tight end?
We like what we have. If the opportunity would have presented itself at the right price to add a tight end, you consider it. But this is ongoing, evolving. There’s going to be guys, teams have added players and teams that drop players and players you can look at if we feel like we need to add to that position. You don’t add it all in the draft. A lot of people don’t play with tight ends anymore the way we’re looking for tight ends. That makes a difference too.
I guess the perception was safeties would go off the board high in the second round and at some point tight ends would go. But the first safety didn’t get picked until late in the first round and then two more safeties were selected after you guys picked Trysten Hill. The tight end spot was interesting, we all knew the Iowa tight ends would go and maybe Irv Smith (Alabama) slipped a little bit. It was hard to predict.
It’s all on what you’re looking for. College football produces more pass-catching, match-up tight ends, and then those teams that have Y tight ends, they are either good blockers or good receivers. When you’re trying to find a complete guy it’s difficult. You shouldn’t force it. With our new direction offensively and what we’re talking about doing, it’s about having players that have roles and now it’s the objective to put players in position that we have to succeed.
Now that the draft is over, what’s next?
It’s cleanup time. At end of the draft is when you make sure you have all your people back and formulate a direction you’re gonna go, and we’re starting the offseason program. Now it’s time to evaluate our roster and still looking to improve, and it continues on. And in a couple weeks, we look at the new batch that’s coming in next year.
Pronman’s IIHF Under-18 highlights: Who will be the No. 3 pick? Plus Jack Hughes and 2020 Draft outlook
The IIHF men’s U18 World Championship in Örnsköldsvik and Umeå, Sweden, these past two weeks was the unofficial conclusion of the NHL Draft season, as most prospects of note have now finished their season.
There’s a lot of information that came out of that event, which will inform our coverage of the 2019 NHL Draft over the coming weeks. For now, here were the main bullet points from the tournament.
Third-overall pick: Four weeks ago if I had polled NHL scouts about who would be the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, most would have answered winger Vasili Podkolzin of SKA in Russia. That answer changed to a shoulder shrug.
Coming out of the tournament, there is no clear third-best player, but rather a rather large group being considered for such a high draft slot, all of which would be reasonable selections for Chicago.
No prospect has truly grabbed that third-best prospect title. Some teams disagree. Some executives think there is a player who has done that, but the player they name is not universal among sources, adding further evidence of a blob rather than a clear candidate.
There are numerous candidates who would fit for Chicago. I’ll go through their cases to be the pick very briefly here in no order, with much more detail to come in the next few weeks. Presume for this exercise Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko are the first two picks. I would not say that is a 100 percent certainty, but I would be 95 percent confident it happens based on discussions with NHL sources, so we’ll proceed with that hypothetical.
These players are picked because I have at least heard their name mentioned at the very top of the draft by at least one NHL source, not because that is where I have them ranked.
2020 NHL Draft: The U18s is typically a tournament about the upcoming draft class and a showcase, in this situation, for the 2001 birth class. The tournament is also usually a foreshadowing of the following draft class and what it has to offer.
For example, in the previous U18’s, we saw Hughes, Turcotte, Caufield, Spencer Knight, Byram, Raphael Lavoie, Podkolzin, Cam York and Kaapo Kakko; not to mention 2020 eligible Alexis Lafreniere was a top player for Canada.
At this tournament, we saw Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz, both U17 players, be key contributors for Sweden on its route to the gold medal game. Raymond was fantastic, scoring a hat trick in the gold medal game and making the case he should at least be in the conversation with Lafreniere for the top prospect in next year’s class. Both Raymond and Holtz are very skilled and smart winger with some differences in their games.
“Raymond’s got smoother dangles, I’ve got a harder shot. We complement each other very well,” said Holtz.
Compared to past recent U18s, the future draft class excitement was not as riveting this season. This reflects a mood among some scouts that the 2020 draft class is not all that exciting right now, with the major caveat that a lot will change in the next 12 months, as it always does.
A few 2020 players did pop, though. Late 2001 defenseman Braden Schneider was one of Canada’s best players and was much more impressive than at the Hlinka. He’s a great skater who plays hard and, despite not having a ton of offensive skill, he moved the puck well. Connor Zary for Canada was also very impressive. He showed a ton of skill and played hard. His feet didn’t overly impress but they looked OK. Both players will be very intriguing to follow next season.
Anton Lundell was very good for Finland. He’s got great vision/IQ and is reliable to push the play in the right direction. He’s got a ton of hype for what he’s done at the world juniors/Liiga at his age, but questions remain as to whether he has enough speed/skill to be an impact NHL forward.
Russia had several 2020 candidates that intrigued. Forwards Rodion Amirov and Marat Khusnutdinov, and defenseman Skahir Mukhamadullin all showed well for Russia. Amirov was one of its best players on the top line, showing good speed, skill and compete. The most notable 2020 performance for Russia though came from its goalie.
The next great goalie prospect: The main reason one of the best USNTDP groups failed to advance to the gold medal game was the play of Yaroslav Askarov in the Russian net. The 2002 born goaltender was deservedly named best goaltender in the tournament and his semifinal performance was largely why. He’s been impressive all season. His U18 coach Vladimir Filatov called Askarov the best goalie in Russian junior hockey in December, although Filatov was more guarded talking about Askarov prior to the start of this tournament. It is very rare to find a goaltender with Askarov’s combination of a 6-foot-3 frame, elite athleticism and elite anticipation/sense. If he stays on his current development track, he will be very highly touted this time next season, with the potential to be a first-round pick – even as a goaltender playing in Russia.
It’s been another great season, and all that’s left is to try and put the pieces of the puzzle together. Stay tuned for the draft rankings and more previews of the 2019 NHL Draft
The IIHF men’s U18 World Championship in Örnsköldsvik and Umeå, Sweden, these past two weeks was the unofficial conclusion of the NHL Draft season, as most prospects of note have now finished their season.
There’s a lot of information that came out of that event, which will inform our coverage of the 2019 NHL Draft over the coming weeks. For now, here were the main bullet points from the tournament.
Third-overall pick: Four weeks ago if I had polled NHL scouts about who would be the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, most would have answered winger Vasili Podkolzin of SKA in Russia. That answer changed to a shoulder shrug.
Coming out of the tournament, there is no clear third-best player, but rather a rather large group being considered for such a high draft slot, all of which would be reasonable selections for Chicago.
No prospect has truly grabbed that third-best prospect title. Some teams disagree. Some executives think there is a player who has done that, but the player they name is not universal among sources, adding further evidence of a blob rather than a clear candidate.
There are numerous candidates who would fit for Chicago. I’ll go through their cases to be the pick very briefly here in no order, with much more detail to come in the next few weeks. Presume for this exercise Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko are the first two picks. I would not say that is a 100 percent certainty, but I would be 95 percent confident it happens based on discussions with NHL sources, so we’ll proceed with that hypothetical.
These players are picked because I have at least heard their name mentioned at the very top of the draft by at least one NHL source, not because that is where I have them ranked.
- Vasili Podkolzin: Podkolzin was an impactful player at most international events the past two seasons, except the most recent one. He’s an elite power winger with good but not great performances in a small sample of league play. There’s a lot of skill and physicality in his game but some skating issues, too.
- Kirby Dach: Dach has all the tools you want in a No. 1 center. He had a midseason lull, but was good down the stretch and especially in the playoffs where scouts were impressed by how he played versus a top team in Prince Albert. Big men with his skill, feet and IQ are hard to find, but he has consistency issues. He missed the U18 tournament due to injury.
- Dylan Cozens: Cozens’ U18 tournament was good not amazing, but he’s been a top player at other events and was great in the WHL. He’s a big center with a ton of speed and power elements. Questions emerged over the season as to whether his puck game is elite enough to be the guy at No. 3, but he’s still a great prospect.
- Bowen Byram: The only player from this group whose season is ongoing as the Giants head to the WHL finals. He’s a dynamic skater and puck-mover who scored a ridiculous amount for a U18 defenseman and plays heavy minutes. Some scouts question if his hockey IQ is elite enough to be the third pick; others believe he could be the guy.
- Alex Turcotte: Turcotte was simply awesome when he was playing this season, but he didn’t play much. Multiple injuries and illness sidelined him for lengthy stretches, creating a sample size issue on his viewings. He showed a ton of speed, skill and grit when he did play and showed he deserves to be in the conversation for the third pick.
- Trevor Zegras: Zegras had a great season, becoming a fixture running USA’s first power play and filling in as the main playmaker when Jack Hughes wasn’t with the team. Zegras is an elite passer who might lack the size or pace of guys like Cozens and Turcotte but can make plays that almost nobody else in the crop can make.
- Matthew Boldy: Boldy was a player who emerged over his two years at the USNTDP. He’s a big winger with a ton of skill and hockey sense. His U18s were also great, minus a poor game in the semifinals. Some scouts think his size and skill combination make him a consideration at this slot.
- Peyton Krebs: Since the summer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Krebs hasn’t had much to work with on a line. Moving from mediocre at best CHL talents as linemates to Cozens and Alex Newhook allowed Krebs to have the puck a lot more. “When you add [Krebs] with those two players, it shows how good a player he is, how well he distributes the puck,” said Canada coach Brett Gibson. Krebs may not be the guy at the No. 3 pick, but his U18 tournament along with his pace and IQ at least made him a plausible pick.
- Philip Broberg: Broberg was one of the best defensemen at the U18s, reminding people how good he can look versus his age group. He was up and down versus men in the Allsvenskan, but he’s got elite feet and enough offense to be intriguing; it just might not be enough for third overall.
- Alex Newhook: Newhook was cut from Canada’s U18 camp in the summer for the Hlinka Gretzky and was good but not amazing at the World Jr. A Challenge. It was thus good to see him as a top player for Canada at the U18’s and one of the better playmakers in the tournament. He might not be worthy of third overall, but his play in the BCHL and 18’s at least got some scouts excited. He’s a dynamic skater and passer.
- Cole Caufield: Caufield was my vote for MVP of the tournament, an honor he did eventually win. He scored 14 goals, moving his season total to 72. He scored them in several different ways. Snipe jobs, hard plays to the net and breakaways. Caufield has had doubters in the industry all season, myself included in terms of the top 10 range, but he’s done too many good things lately. A six-goal game, a 14-goal tournament, so much skill and hockey sense, and a special shot that were all on display in Sweden made him a candidate with the very best in the draft crop. Talking to teams around the tournament, several scouts felt the 5-foot-7 winger was a candidate to be a top-five pick, with others feeling he’s more in the 6-10 range.
2020 NHL Draft: The U18s is typically a tournament about the upcoming draft class and a showcase, in this situation, for the 2001 birth class. The tournament is also usually a foreshadowing of the following draft class and what it has to offer.
For example, in the previous U18’s, we saw Hughes, Turcotte, Caufield, Spencer Knight, Byram, Raphael Lavoie, Podkolzin, Cam York and Kaapo Kakko; not to mention 2020 eligible Alexis Lafreniere was a top player for Canada.
At this tournament, we saw Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz, both U17 players, be key contributors for Sweden on its route to the gold medal game. Raymond was fantastic, scoring a hat trick in the gold medal game and making the case he should at least be in the conversation with Lafreniere for the top prospect in next year’s class. Both Raymond and Holtz are very skilled and smart winger with some differences in their games.
“Raymond’s got smoother dangles, I’ve got a harder shot. We complement each other very well,” said Holtz.
Compared to past recent U18s, the future draft class excitement was not as riveting this season. This reflects a mood among some scouts that the 2020 draft class is not all that exciting right now, with the major caveat that a lot will change in the next 12 months, as it always does.
A few 2020 players did pop, though. Late 2001 defenseman Braden Schneider was one of Canada’s best players and was much more impressive than at the Hlinka. He’s a great skater who plays hard and, despite not having a ton of offensive skill, he moved the puck well. Connor Zary for Canada was also very impressive. He showed a ton of skill and played hard. His feet didn’t overly impress but they looked OK. Both players will be very intriguing to follow next season.
Anton Lundell was very good for Finland. He’s got great vision/IQ and is reliable to push the play in the right direction. He’s got a ton of hype for what he’s done at the world juniors/Liiga at his age, but questions remain as to whether he has enough speed/skill to be an impact NHL forward.
Russia had several 2020 candidates that intrigued. Forwards Rodion Amirov and Marat Khusnutdinov, and defenseman Skahir Mukhamadullin all showed well for Russia. Amirov was one of its best players on the top line, showing good speed, skill and compete. The most notable 2020 performance for Russia though came from its goalie.
The next great goalie prospect: The main reason one of the best USNTDP groups failed to advance to the gold medal game was the play of Yaroslav Askarov in the Russian net. The 2002 born goaltender was deservedly named best goaltender in the tournament and his semifinal performance was largely why. He’s been impressive all season. His U18 coach Vladimir Filatov called Askarov the best goalie in Russian junior hockey in December, although Filatov was more guarded talking about Askarov prior to the start of this tournament. It is very rare to find a goaltender with Askarov’s combination of a 6-foot-3 frame, elite athleticism and elite anticipation/sense. If he stays on his current development track, he will be very highly touted this time next season, with the potential to be a first-round pick – even as a goaltender playing in Russia.
It’s been another great season, and all that’s left is to try and put the pieces of the puzzle together. Stay tuned for the draft rankings and more previews of the 2019 NHL Draft
Kings postseason profiles: Bogdan Bogdanovic believes he can help the Kings play smarter
The Kings can play fast. They’ve proved that during the 2018-19 season.
But can the Kings play smarter?
Playing fast gives the Kings their best chance to be successful, but no team runs 100 percent of the time. It’s in those times, when the game slows down, where the Kings are tested. Those are the moments where the Kings have to prove their worth if their 13-year playoff absence is to end next season.
These are some of the best subjects to discuss with Bogdan Bogdanovic, who in many ways has been the conscience of the Kings’ locker room the last two seasons. Bogdanovic was vocal in his belief the Kings needed to create a more unselfish culture and he liked what he saw overall, even as his role on the team was in flux. He liked, in part, how the Kings played last season, too.
“It’s better for everyone but obviously we have to figure out how to close the games smarter,” Bogdanovic said. “Just whenever it comes to one-point, two-point games, we have to find go-to plays and go-to players. That has to be every single game.”
In short, the Kings still need to find their identity outside of playing fast, and that would be helped by defining what role best suits Bogdanovic. The second-year guard might have been the Kings’ MVP in 2017-18, but last season was one of adjustments and a lack of continuity with his role. A player who pleaded for more ball movement found himself in too many one-on-one situations, trying to create offense with the shot clock nearing zero.
It was a reminder that for all the improvements the Kings were making, there was still work to do before Sacramento could call itself a playoff team. Even with some of the struggles on offense, Bogdanovic is optimistic about the future.
“We’re very close,” Bogdanovic said. “Since last year there’s been progress, step by step. Nothing happens overnight but we’ll see.
This summer is very big for us, for everyone and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
2018-19 stat line: 14.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists
Looking a little deeper
Bogdanovic averaged 5.3 3-point attempts per game last season, up from 4.2 attempts at a rookie. New coach Luke Walton should like that as he wants the Kings to shoot even more 3s next season. But Bogdanovic shot 36 percent from 3 last season, not awful but down from the 39.2 percent he shot as a rookie.
What went right
The Kings’ change in tempo on offense certainly fits Bogdanovic. He’s a smart player who relies on his understanding of the game more than his athleticism, and Bogdanovic can find his spots on offense when the game is free-flowing.
Bogdanovic was a reserve most of the season (17 starts in 70 games) and his production was more efficient in that role, shooting 43.2 percent and on average was overall +1.0 plus/minus in 53 games off the bench.
What can be better
Walton and his staff have to find a more defined role for Bogdanovic, which was an issue once Bogdanovic returned from offseason knee surgery. Even with the changes on offense, his shooting percentages dropped last season. Experiments with Bogdanovic starting didn’t yield positive results overall, as he shot 37.5 percent as a starter.
It didn’t help when Bogdanovic started at small forward, where he was at a distinct size disadvantage and his average plus/minus was -5.4.
Bogdanovic’s highlight shot of the season was his 3 over Tyson Chandler to beat the Lakers at the buzzer on Dec. 27, but too many nights it was tough for Bogdanovic to be the clutch player he wanted to be late in games. Sacramento’s late-game mistakes and some late-game collapses were especially frustrating.
I think this year is mostly based on our talent and athleticism we have on the team,” Bogdanovic said. “Other than that, we make a lot of mistakes, especially to close out the games. All of these, games, one or two points, we won many but we also lost many in the same way. So we have to play at that pace the whole game but when they are tired, outsmart them and be ready because I think can do that to control the game more.”
Overall
Bogdanovic remains a player general manager Vlade Divac sees as key to Sacramento’s future, even if his shooting was off in his second season. The hope is the coaching change will help define Bogdanovic’s role next season.
A steady and settled Bogdanovic is good for the Kings, who figure to need those traits late in games next season to come away with a few more wins and try to make the playoffs.
It will take more than being fast to make that happen. It’ll take some smarts, too
The Kings can play fast. They’ve proved that during the 2018-19 season.
But can the Kings play smarter?
Playing fast gives the Kings their best chance to be successful, but no team runs 100 percent of the time. It’s in those times, when the game slows down, where the Kings are tested. Those are the moments where the Kings have to prove their worth if their 13-year playoff absence is to end next season.
These are some of the best subjects to discuss with Bogdan Bogdanovic, who in many ways has been the conscience of the Kings’ locker room the last two seasons. Bogdanovic was vocal in his belief the Kings needed to create a more unselfish culture and he liked what he saw overall, even as his role on the team was in flux. He liked, in part, how the Kings played last season, too.
“It’s better for everyone but obviously we have to figure out how to close the games smarter,” Bogdanovic said. “Just whenever it comes to one-point, two-point games, we have to find go-to plays and go-to players. That has to be every single game.”
In short, the Kings still need to find their identity outside of playing fast, and that would be helped by defining what role best suits Bogdanovic. The second-year guard might have been the Kings’ MVP in 2017-18, but last season was one of adjustments and a lack of continuity with his role. A player who pleaded for more ball movement found himself in too many one-on-one situations, trying to create offense with the shot clock nearing zero.
It was a reminder that for all the improvements the Kings were making, there was still work to do before Sacramento could call itself a playoff team. Even with some of the struggles on offense, Bogdanovic is optimistic about the future.
“We’re very close,” Bogdanovic said. “Since last year there’s been progress, step by step. Nothing happens overnight but we’ll see.
This summer is very big for us, for everyone and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
2018-19 stat line: 14.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists
Looking a little deeper
Bogdanovic averaged 5.3 3-point attempts per game last season, up from 4.2 attempts at a rookie. New coach Luke Walton should like that as he wants the Kings to shoot even more 3s next season. But Bogdanovic shot 36 percent from 3 last season, not awful but down from the 39.2 percent he shot as a rookie.
What went right
The Kings’ change in tempo on offense certainly fits Bogdanovic. He’s a smart player who relies on his understanding of the game more than his athleticism, and Bogdanovic can find his spots on offense when the game is free-flowing.
Bogdanovic was a reserve most of the season (17 starts in 70 games) and his production was more efficient in that role, shooting 43.2 percent and on average was overall +1.0 plus/minus in 53 games off the bench.
What can be better
Walton and his staff have to find a more defined role for Bogdanovic, which was an issue once Bogdanovic returned from offseason knee surgery. Even with the changes on offense, his shooting percentages dropped last season. Experiments with Bogdanovic starting didn’t yield positive results overall, as he shot 37.5 percent as a starter.
It didn’t help when Bogdanovic started at small forward, where he was at a distinct size disadvantage and his average plus/minus was -5.4.
Bogdanovic’s highlight shot of the season was his 3 over Tyson Chandler to beat the Lakers at the buzzer on Dec. 27, but too many nights it was tough for Bogdanovic to be the clutch player he wanted to be late in games. Sacramento’s late-game mistakes and some late-game collapses were especially frustrating.
I think this year is mostly based on our talent and athleticism we have on the team,” Bogdanovic said. “Other than that, we make a lot of mistakes, especially to close out the games. All of these, games, one or two points, we won many but we also lost many in the same way. So we have to play at that pace the whole game but when they are tired, outsmart them and be ready because I think can do that to control the game more.”
Overall
Bogdanovic remains a player general manager Vlade Divac sees as key to Sacramento’s future, even if his shooting was off in his second season. The hope is the coaching change will help define Bogdanovic’s role next season.
A steady and settled Bogdanovic is good for the Kings, who figure to need those traits late in games next season to come away with a few more wins and try to make the playoffs.
It will take more than being fast to make that happen. It’ll take some smarts, too
Homer Simpson
Superstar
PHILADELPHIA — When it comes down to it, Kyle Lowry draws a line in the sand. He’s pure and loyal in all of his relationships. One of his best friends, Jimmy Butler, stars on the opposing 76ers in this Eastern Conference semifinals series currently tied at 2-2.
“That’s my guy,” Lowry says. “We’re always going to keep it 100.”
But on the court, Butler and Lowry went toe to toe on Sunday in Game 4 and Lowry’s aggressive start helped lead Toronto to a 101-96 victory inside the Wells Fargo Center. In the Raptors’ most critical game of the season, Lowry had 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds and supplied the energy, grittiness and chippy play that has defined him.
And when Lowry’s Raptors traded his close friend and fellow backcourt All-Star mate DeMar DeRozan, Lowry chose his side to support. DeRozan felt betrayed after being traded to the San Antonio Spurs, a trade that brought the Raptors one of the world’s top players in Kawhi Leonard. So Lowry exhibited those same emotions empathetically with DeRozan. That’s what real friends do.
Lowry has commented publicly and privately that he simply plays his role, that he is the Raptors point guard and that Masai Ujiri is the team’s president of basketball operations. That is the extent of his relationship with Ujiri, Lowry said earlier this season. They’ve both been through a lot — both the ups and downs of Lowry’s seven seasons in Toronto. Mostly ups, with one Conference Finals berth and three semifinals appearances to date. Their bond was strained and there hadn’t been much to discuss, at all, between the two.
Then came this February in the days leading up to the Feb. 7 trade deadline. Lowry and Ujiri had a long-awaited, and possibly overdue formal sit-down for the first time since the DeRozan deal. It was vocal and engaging, impassioned and, according to Lowry, worthwhile. They shared their feelings on what had led up to that moment, placed their thoughts in front of each other and strategized on how to move forward … together.
“It was a well-needed conversation,” Lowry told The Athletic. “It was a very professional conversation and it had to be done. We had to get everything on the table. Listen, ‘Let’s have this conversation, let’s get everything out on the table, and move on.’ And that’s what grown men do. They have conversations, they figure it out, and you move on.
“It wasn’t a ‘fukk you, fukk you.’ It wasn’t me asking, ‘Hell, you want to trade me?’ At the end of the day, he’s going to make the decisions, right? I’m going to play no matter what it is. It was about making myself the best player that I can possibly be and getting on the same page about what he needs from me to be the best player — and vice versa. Just getting on the same page.”
For Lowry, the conversation served a practical purpose.
“It was all about the now. It was about: How do we make every day work to the best of our abilities? We said: ‘This is what I would like to see done. This is what you should do. This is how we’re going to keep going.’”
As for the now, the right now, Toronto is trying to reach new heights.
In 2016, they made the Conference Finals for the very first time in team history. This current team has its sights set on the NBA Finals. In the background, there are also the added stakes of what the ultimate conclusion to this season will mean in their efforts to re-sign Leonard in free agency.
This series against the 76ers has the makings of going the seven-game distance, and both teams appeared tight in the fourth quarter on Sunday evening before Leonard made the biggest plays and shots. Butler (29 points, 11 rebounds) was tremendous for Philadelphia, but Joel Embiid struggled as he dealt with sickness, Tobias Harris missed 16 of his 23 shot attempts and Ben Simmons scored just 10 points.
Leonard, meanwhile, had 39 points, 14 rebounds and five assists and shot 13-of-20 from the field — with five 3-pointers. This is why Ujiiri made the trade. This is why Lowry and his teammates have prepared by incorporating one another all season ahead of this playoff run.
Both Lowry and Ujiri are “fiery” personalities, as the five-time All-Star guard would attest to, and perhaps the Raptors would have managed this regular season just fine even if they hadn’t gotten together. The Raptors were 20-plus games over .500 when the sit-down took place. But too much had been left unsaid and needed unpacking after the Raptors’ summer moves — with only one way to do so.
Ujiri told reporters after the trade deadline that Lowry had been aware of trade conversations that involved his name; notably scenarios discussed with the Memphis Grizzlies that included Mike Conley Jr. and Marc Gasol.
Toronto ultimately traded for Gasol, but a deal sending Lowry out was never close, league sources said. Hundreds of frameworks of deals are discussed by all 30 NBA teams during trade deadline season, and many never see the light. Either way, this wasn’t solely about trade conversation for Lowry or Ujiri, it was about moving beyond the sour taste that existed between them. It was about a man-to-man conversation that needed to take place.
“You dwell on things that you don’t need to dwell on, and it makes things worse,” Lowry said. “You have a conversation, you figure things out, you talk about it, and you move on. Shake your hands, and you go about your business. It worked out for the both of us, worked out for everybody.
“At the end of the day, he is the president of basketball operations and I am a player. Those are our roles. People take that the wrong way, but that is very much the truth.”
What’s also the truth is Lowry’s impact on this franchise: Six straight seasons of 48 victories or more, including four straight 50-win campaigns. He’s made five consecutive All-Star games, too. Still, Lowry doesn’t want to think about his place in Raptors history.
“All I do is I do my job. I don’t need the recognition. I don’t want the recognition,” Lowry told The Athletic. “I just want to win and win at the highest level. Whatever comes with it, comes with it. Win, lose or draw, you’re going to take the negative criticism and you’re going to take the positive criticism. As long as I’m happy with what I’m bringing to the table, I can say I put it all out there and I’m happy with that.
“I don’t care what people question. Not in a bad way, but everyone’s got their own opinions and they can have them. I know what I do and I know what my job is. I know my teammates and what they value in me. I know what I’ve been able to do in my career, and people will always have something negative to say. That’s just how the world works. That’s fine, that’s people’s jobs.
“For me, the negative criticism has no effect in my life. I’m still going to go out there and lace ‘em up, play basketball and do my job as hard as possible. I’ll go out and be happy. No matter what, I’m going to go out there and do what I possibly can do to win the game.”
(Top Photo: Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
“That’s my guy,” Lowry says. “We’re always going to keep it 100.”
But on the court, Butler and Lowry went toe to toe on Sunday in Game 4 and Lowry’s aggressive start helped lead Toronto to a 101-96 victory inside the Wells Fargo Center. In the Raptors’ most critical game of the season, Lowry had 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds and supplied the energy, grittiness and chippy play that has defined him.
And when Lowry’s Raptors traded his close friend and fellow backcourt All-Star mate DeMar DeRozan, Lowry chose his side to support. DeRozan felt betrayed after being traded to the San Antonio Spurs, a trade that brought the Raptors one of the world’s top players in Kawhi Leonard. So Lowry exhibited those same emotions empathetically with DeRozan. That’s what real friends do.
Lowry has commented publicly and privately that he simply plays his role, that he is the Raptors point guard and that Masai Ujiri is the team’s president of basketball operations. That is the extent of his relationship with Ujiri, Lowry said earlier this season. They’ve both been through a lot — both the ups and downs of Lowry’s seven seasons in Toronto. Mostly ups, with one Conference Finals berth and three semifinals appearances to date. Their bond was strained and there hadn’t been much to discuss, at all, between the two.
Then came this February in the days leading up to the Feb. 7 trade deadline. Lowry and Ujiri had a long-awaited, and possibly overdue formal sit-down for the first time since the DeRozan deal. It was vocal and engaging, impassioned and, according to Lowry, worthwhile. They shared their feelings on what had led up to that moment, placed their thoughts in front of each other and strategized on how to move forward … together.
“It was a well-needed conversation,” Lowry told The Athletic. “It was a very professional conversation and it had to be done. We had to get everything on the table. Listen, ‘Let’s have this conversation, let’s get everything out on the table, and move on.’ And that’s what grown men do. They have conversations, they figure it out, and you move on.
“It wasn’t a ‘fukk you, fukk you.’ It wasn’t me asking, ‘Hell, you want to trade me?’ At the end of the day, he’s going to make the decisions, right? I’m going to play no matter what it is. It was about making myself the best player that I can possibly be and getting on the same page about what he needs from me to be the best player — and vice versa. Just getting on the same page.”
For Lowry, the conversation served a practical purpose.
“It was all about the now. It was about: How do we make every day work to the best of our abilities? We said: ‘This is what I would like to see done. This is what you should do. This is how we’re going to keep going.’”
As for the now, the right now, Toronto is trying to reach new heights.
In 2016, they made the Conference Finals for the very first time in team history. This current team has its sights set on the NBA Finals. In the background, there are also the added stakes of what the ultimate conclusion to this season will mean in their efforts to re-sign Leonard in free agency.
This series against the 76ers has the makings of going the seven-game distance, and both teams appeared tight in the fourth quarter on Sunday evening before Leonard made the biggest plays and shots. Butler (29 points, 11 rebounds) was tremendous for Philadelphia, but Joel Embiid struggled as he dealt with sickness, Tobias Harris missed 16 of his 23 shot attempts and Ben Simmons scored just 10 points.
Leonard, meanwhile, had 39 points, 14 rebounds and five assists and shot 13-of-20 from the field — with five 3-pointers. This is why Ujiiri made the trade. This is why Lowry and his teammates have prepared by incorporating one another all season ahead of this playoff run.
Both Lowry and Ujiri are “fiery” personalities, as the five-time All-Star guard would attest to, and perhaps the Raptors would have managed this regular season just fine even if they hadn’t gotten together. The Raptors were 20-plus games over .500 when the sit-down took place. But too much had been left unsaid and needed unpacking after the Raptors’ summer moves — with only one way to do so.
Ujiri told reporters after the trade deadline that Lowry had been aware of trade conversations that involved his name; notably scenarios discussed with the Memphis Grizzlies that included Mike Conley Jr. and Marc Gasol.
Toronto ultimately traded for Gasol, but a deal sending Lowry out was never close, league sources said. Hundreds of frameworks of deals are discussed by all 30 NBA teams during trade deadline season, and many never see the light. Either way, this wasn’t solely about trade conversation for Lowry or Ujiri, it was about moving beyond the sour taste that existed between them. It was about a man-to-man conversation that needed to take place.
“You dwell on things that you don’t need to dwell on, and it makes things worse,” Lowry said. “You have a conversation, you figure things out, you talk about it, and you move on. Shake your hands, and you go about your business. It worked out for the both of us, worked out for everybody.
“At the end of the day, he is the president of basketball operations and I am a player. Those are our roles. People take that the wrong way, but that is very much the truth.”
What’s also the truth is Lowry’s impact on this franchise: Six straight seasons of 48 victories or more, including four straight 50-win campaigns. He’s made five consecutive All-Star games, too. Still, Lowry doesn’t want to think about his place in Raptors history.
“All I do is I do my job. I don’t need the recognition. I don’t want the recognition,” Lowry told The Athletic. “I just want to win and win at the highest level. Whatever comes with it, comes with it. Win, lose or draw, you’re going to take the negative criticism and you’re going to take the positive criticism. As long as I’m happy with what I’m bringing to the table, I can say I put it all out there and I’m happy with that.
“I don’t care what people question. Not in a bad way, but everyone’s got their own opinions and they can have them. I know what I do and I know what my job is. I know my teammates and what they value in me. I know what I’ve been able to do in my career, and people will always have something negative to say. That’s just how the world works. That’s fine, that’s people’s jobs.
“For me, the negative criticism has no effect in my life. I’m still going to go out there and lace ‘em up, play basketball and do my job as hard as possible. I’ll go out and be happy. No matter what, I’m going to go out there and do what I possibly can do to win the game.”
(Top Photo: Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In the lion tattooed on his right forearm, Anthony Richardson sees the man he refers to as his uncle.
With small, alert eyes and a crown on its head, the lion represents an unspoken influence and status. Jobbin Lane, who was Richardson’s mother’s uncle, died when Richardson was in sixth grade. Initially, Richardson wanted to commemorate Lane’s life with a tattoo of Lane’s name. But after conversations with friends (another one of Richardson’s uncles performed the tattoo), he realized the lion was more fitting as a tribute.
“I know he’s here with me, but I want him to be here with me forever,” Richardson said. “He was lionhearted. He was basically the man of the family.
“Without him passing, I probably wouldn’t be the person I am today. When he passed, I really dedicated myself to working hard just so I could make it to the league for him. Without him, I wouldn’t be the athlete everybody knows.”
A neighbor from four doors down waved before entering a unit as Richardson spoke outside the apartment building his family lives in. Seconds later, another neighbor greeted him while walking a dog. Richardson, a quarterback for nearby Eastside High, is known around here and within the college football world for being a four-star prospect committed to Florida’s Class of 2020.
The news on Tuesday of Florida quarterback Jalon Jones entering the transfer portal currently makes Richardson a topical name because of the Gators’ depth concerns at the position, but he has long been of importance. Yet as much as Richardson’s initial commitment to Florida, his subsequent decommitment and then his recommitment on April 6 attracted attention, his personality is largely unknown. Perhaps, those close to Richardson said, that’s why some made inexact conclusions regarding his recruitment. A better understanding of Richardson starts with learning about Jobbin Lane.
When Richardson was a 3-year-old living in Miami, Jobbin taught him how to throw a football. One day, Richardson was throwing a football with his mother, LaShawnda Lane, and family outside her grandmother’s yard. LaShawnda ducked when a ball was thrown her way. The ball hit her grandmother’s window. “Then she came out fussing,” LaShawnda said.
“Why are you throwing that ball?” LaShawnda’s grandmother asked.
“Grandma,” she replied, “that was Anthony.”
She didn’t believe her.
“Why are you blaming this on a little kid?” she said. “Look at this little boy. He can’t throw.”
That’s when Jobbin leaned against the wall like he always did and said to Richardson, “Throw that ball again.”
“It just went from there,” LaShawnda said.
A couple of years later, LaShawnda and Jobbin shared a conversation that she still remembers well. He told her to focus on making sure Richardson handled his schoolwork and said that he would handle the athletics part. While Richardson’s father has a role in his life, LaShawnda said, his parents are separated and Jobbin was a vital male figure during Richardson’s early childhood. Richardson said learning of Jobbin’s death (he said he was told Jobbin was sick) was one of his worst experiences. It also motivated him.
“My uncle was always there giving him advice and pretty much helping him through life,” LaShawnda said before pausing. “He helped me with him a lot. He was always there teaching him.”
“When he passed, that hit me hard because he won’t be there physically,” Richardson said. “I know he’ll be there looking down on me. I was always ready to get older to play high school ball so that he could come to my games and eventually go to college.”
Maybe that explains the root of Richardson’s accelerated maturity. Many who know Richardson say the same things about him. Growing up with a single mother and a little brother, he was forced to grow up a little faster. He can be a goofball with friends, but he’s introverted. LaShawnda once pretended to interview him on the ride back from a camp at Miami, which was something he wasn’t thrilled with doing but happened to be useful when he received his first college offers days later. He is laid-back. He’s not inclined to reveal much about himself to anybody unless a level of comfort is established.
“He’s not your typical 16-year-old,” Eastside head coach Cedderick Daniels said. “It’s like, ‘Well, dang, why isn’t Ant over there partying and laughing it up with everyone else?’ He can do it, but he has an on and an off switch, unlike most people his age.
“He is older mentally than what his age puts on. He’s laid back and he’s laid back for a reason. He has a lot of knowledge of the world so far. And that’s what benefits him, because he has seen a lot.”
Richardson moved to Gainesville in 2013, and he loves the city’s quieter, calmer feel compared to Miami. If he’s not practicing, he’s usually at home or with his girlfriend. Coaches at a camp last year kept referring to him as the “silent assassin.” The last party he attended was in eighth grade.
“I don’t really put myself out there as far as my personal life,” Richardson said. “I’m not really an outgoing person in that way. I don’t hang out that much. I don’t like to boast and express myself that much.”
Richardson’s personality helped him deal with his recruitment, but his reluctance to speak out also made it easier for others to create what he deemed as a false narrative. He originally committed to Florida on July 28, 2018, but he decommitted on Feb. 5, 2019. That was around the same time four-star 2020 Jacksonville quarterback prospect Carson Beck decommitted from Alabama and received heightened interest from Florida. Beck eventually committed to Georgia on March 3.
The takes on social media were hot suggesting Richardson didn’t want to be in a class with two quarterback commits and that his decommitment was a product of Florida’s interest in Beck. Richardson, when asked about the reasoning for his decommitment, maintained that competition would be inevitable at the college level and he simply wanted to test waters.
“After I decommitted,” Richardson said, “I was listening to what everybody had to say about me.”
It was a weird position to be in. Out-of-state coaches do not tend visit schools if a local player is committed to a nearby university that has a major football program. On the other hand, there was local pressure from fans asking why he would decommit or wishing ill on him for doing so.
“After I decommitted, everybody was saying I was scared of Carson and stuff like that,” Richardson said. “I was like, ‘What?’ I decommitted because I wanted to, so I could get more offers and see what other schools had to say about me and what they wanted. I also wanted colleges to come and see some of my teammates. That was another reason. But everyone kept saying I was scared of Carson and he was better than me and stuff like that. Again, I was like, ‘What? Why are you trying to make it because of him?’ That was getting to my head.”
Daniels recommended that Richardson get to know Beck. At a recent camp, Richardson and Beck were in the same group and as Richardson put it, “Toward the end, he was goofing around and kind of reminding me of myself.” A friendship was actually struck. Richardson, Beck and Florida State quarterback commit Jeff Sims are friends.
“Why would I be scared?” Richardson said.
When Richardson met with Florida’s coaches during the time after he decommitted, the staff told him they might have to recruit two quarterbacks because their quarterback room might experience departures.
“OK, that’s fine,” Richardson said.
“You sure?” a staffer asked.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Richardson said.
Richardson shared as much in some interviews at the time, including with The Athletic, but that didn’t stop people from connecting dots.
“I wanted to speak on it so bad,” Richardson said. “I wanted to reply to every single person and just tell them the truth. But I stayed composed. If they want to make it a problem, that’s their problem and not mine.”
About a month after he decommitted, Richardson realized it was best for him to again make his intentions public by announcing a commitment to Florida. He was originally going to wait longer despite knowing he wanted to commit to the Gators, but then thought to himself, “OK, I already know where I want to go. So what’s the point of having colleges kind of waste their time?”
“I just wanted to go through the process because I’m young,” said Richardson, who will turn 17 later this month. “This has never happened to me before, people wanting me to come play for their school. So I was like, OK, I want to go through this.”
Richardson maintained a close relationship with Florida quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson throughout the process.
“Florida stuck out to me,” Richardson said. “The reason why I really want to go to Florida is really not all just football for them. Other schools, I feel like they just wanted me because of football. When I talked to (Florida head coach Dan Mullen), most of the time, we don’t even talk about football. We talk about future stuff like what’s going to happen after football, how to get a job and how long it would take to get a master’s degree.”
Richardson plays for Eastside but is actually one of four members of the football team who attends nearby Professional Academy Magnet At Loften High School, which doesn’t have a football team. “I don’t think he’s ever gotten a bad grade,” Eastside defensive coordinator Jonathan Davis said. Actually, there was one time. When Richardson was in eighth grade, his GPA was 1.8 and he therefore wasn’t allowed to play basketball.
“Ever since then,” Richardson said, “my GPA hasn’t been lower than a 3.0.”
Intelligence is one thing Mullen values in quarterbacks, and Richardson can check that box. The others are: mental and physical toughness, leadership, decision-making and accuracy. Richardson is reserved by nature, but that hasn’t stunted his growth as a leader on the field. In Richardson’s sophomore season, Eastside trailed Lake Weir in a Week 4 matchup. The defense was struggling, and Lake Weir moved the ball with ease. The stands at Eastside were restless. At one point, Richardson gathered the offensive players around. He told them not to worry and that they were going to score every time they got the ball. That’s essentially what happened. Eastside won, 41-28.
“When it is time to speak up,” Davis said, “he speaks up.”
Labeled as a dual-threat by recruiting services, Richardson is still working on his throwing mechanics by doing things like practicing his throwing motion 100 times a day without a ball in his hands. While accuracy is valued, Mullen considers it more of a teachable tool than arm strength, which Richardson already possesses. Daniels said he has seen Richardson throw 65 yards down the field and make completions off his back foot. And Davis said he has no answer defensively during practice when Richardson decides to tuck the ball and run.
“He reminds you of a high school version of Cam Newton,” Daniels said.
Newton is Richardson’s favorite player. He has modeled his game after the star Carolina Panthers quarterback. His jersey is No. 2 because Newton wore that number while at Auburn. Newton is a sports idol for Richardson, but his name isn’t the one that is occasionally written on Richardson’s cleats. Jobbin Lane’s is.
“He would be super proud,” Richardson said. “Not just with football, but with everything. If you asked me about seeing myself like this two or three years ago, I would tell you I wouldn’t even see myself like this. I would’ve just been happy to go to college because that was one of my goals. He taught me how to throw a football. If I’m making it for somebody, it’s gotta be for him.”
With small, alert eyes and a crown on its head, the lion represents an unspoken influence and status. Jobbin Lane, who was Richardson’s mother’s uncle, died when Richardson was in sixth grade. Initially, Richardson wanted to commemorate Lane’s life with a tattoo of Lane’s name. But after conversations with friends (another one of Richardson’s uncles performed the tattoo), he realized the lion was more fitting as a tribute.
“I know he’s here with me, but I want him to be here with me forever,” Richardson said. “He was lionhearted. He was basically the man of the family.
“Without him passing, I probably wouldn’t be the person I am today. When he passed, I really dedicated myself to working hard just so I could make it to the league for him. Without him, I wouldn’t be the athlete everybody knows.”
A neighbor from four doors down waved before entering a unit as Richardson spoke outside the apartment building his family lives in. Seconds later, another neighbor greeted him while walking a dog. Richardson, a quarterback for nearby Eastside High, is known around here and within the college football world for being a four-star prospect committed to Florida’s Class of 2020.
The news on Tuesday of Florida quarterback Jalon Jones entering the transfer portal currently makes Richardson a topical name because of the Gators’ depth concerns at the position, but he has long been of importance. Yet as much as Richardson’s initial commitment to Florida, his subsequent decommitment and then his recommitment on April 6 attracted attention, his personality is largely unknown. Perhaps, those close to Richardson said, that’s why some made inexact conclusions regarding his recruitment. A better understanding of Richardson starts with learning about Jobbin Lane.
When Richardson was a 3-year-old living in Miami, Jobbin taught him how to throw a football. One day, Richardson was throwing a football with his mother, LaShawnda Lane, and family outside her grandmother’s yard. LaShawnda ducked when a ball was thrown her way. The ball hit her grandmother’s window. “Then she came out fussing,” LaShawnda said.
“Why are you throwing that ball?” LaShawnda’s grandmother asked.
“Grandma,” she replied, “that was Anthony.”
She didn’t believe her.
“Why are you blaming this on a little kid?” she said. “Look at this little boy. He can’t throw.”
That’s when Jobbin leaned against the wall like he always did and said to Richardson, “Throw that ball again.”
“It just went from there,” LaShawnda said.
A couple of years later, LaShawnda and Jobbin shared a conversation that she still remembers well. He told her to focus on making sure Richardson handled his schoolwork and said that he would handle the athletics part. While Richardson’s father has a role in his life, LaShawnda said, his parents are separated and Jobbin was a vital male figure during Richardson’s early childhood. Richardson said learning of Jobbin’s death (he said he was told Jobbin was sick) was one of his worst experiences. It also motivated him.
“My uncle was always there giving him advice and pretty much helping him through life,” LaShawnda said before pausing. “He helped me with him a lot. He was always there teaching him.”
“When he passed, that hit me hard because he won’t be there physically,” Richardson said. “I know he’ll be there looking down on me. I was always ready to get older to play high school ball so that he could come to my games and eventually go to college.”
Maybe that explains the root of Richardson’s accelerated maturity. Many who know Richardson say the same things about him. Growing up with a single mother and a little brother, he was forced to grow up a little faster. He can be a goofball with friends, but he’s introverted. LaShawnda once pretended to interview him on the ride back from a camp at Miami, which was something he wasn’t thrilled with doing but happened to be useful when he received his first college offers days later. He is laid-back. He’s not inclined to reveal much about himself to anybody unless a level of comfort is established.
“He’s not your typical 16-year-old,” Eastside head coach Cedderick Daniels said. “It’s like, ‘Well, dang, why isn’t Ant over there partying and laughing it up with everyone else?’ He can do it, but he has an on and an off switch, unlike most people his age.
“He is older mentally than what his age puts on. He’s laid back and he’s laid back for a reason. He has a lot of knowledge of the world so far. And that’s what benefits him, because he has seen a lot.”
Richardson moved to Gainesville in 2013, and he loves the city’s quieter, calmer feel compared to Miami. If he’s not practicing, he’s usually at home or with his girlfriend. Coaches at a camp last year kept referring to him as the “silent assassin.” The last party he attended was in eighth grade.
“I don’t really put myself out there as far as my personal life,” Richardson said. “I’m not really an outgoing person in that way. I don’t hang out that much. I don’t like to boast and express myself that much.”
Richardson’s personality helped him deal with his recruitment, but his reluctance to speak out also made it easier for others to create what he deemed as a false narrative. He originally committed to Florida on July 28, 2018, but he decommitted on Feb. 5, 2019. That was around the same time four-star 2020 Jacksonville quarterback prospect Carson Beck decommitted from Alabama and received heightened interest from Florida. Beck eventually committed to Georgia on March 3.
The takes on social media were hot suggesting Richardson didn’t want to be in a class with two quarterback commits and that his decommitment was a product of Florida’s interest in Beck. Richardson, when asked about the reasoning for his decommitment, maintained that competition would be inevitable at the college level and he simply wanted to test waters.
“After I decommitted,” Richardson said, “I was listening to what everybody had to say about me.”
It was a weird position to be in. Out-of-state coaches do not tend visit schools if a local player is committed to a nearby university that has a major football program. On the other hand, there was local pressure from fans asking why he would decommit or wishing ill on him for doing so.
“After I decommitted, everybody was saying I was scared of Carson and stuff like that,” Richardson said. “I was like, ‘What?’ I decommitted because I wanted to, so I could get more offers and see what other schools had to say about me and what they wanted. I also wanted colleges to come and see some of my teammates. That was another reason. But everyone kept saying I was scared of Carson and he was better than me and stuff like that. Again, I was like, ‘What? Why are you trying to make it because of him?’ That was getting to my head.”
Daniels recommended that Richardson get to know Beck. At a recent camp, Richardson and Beck were in the same group and as Richardson put it, “Toward the end, he was goofing around and kind of reminding me of myself.” A friendship was actually struck. Richardson, Beck and Florida State quarterback commit Jeff Sims are friends.
“Why would I be scared?” Richardson said.
When Richardson met with Florida’s coaches during the time after he decommitted, the staff told him they might have to recruit two quarterbacks because their quarterback room might experience departures.
“OK, that’s fine,” Richardson said.
“You sure?” a staffer asked.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Richardson said.
Richardson shared as much in some interviews at the time, including with The Athletic, but that didn’t stop people from connecting dots.
“I wanted to speak on it so bad,” Richardson said. “I wanted to reply to every single person and just tell them the truth. But I stayed composed. If they want to make it a problem, that’s their problem and not mine.”
About a month after he decommitted, Richardson realized it was best for him to again make his intentions public by announcing a commitment to Florida. He was originally going to wait longer despite knowing he wanted to commit to the Gators, but then thought to himself, “OK, I already know where I want to go. So what’s the point of having colleges kind of waste their time?”
“I just wanted to go through the process because I’m young,” said Richardson, who will turn 17 later this month. “This has never happened to me before, people wanting me to come play for their school. So I was like, OK, I want to go through this.”
Richardson maintained a close relationship with Florida quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson throughout the process.
“Florida stuck out to me,” Richardson said. “The reason why I really want to go to Florida is really not all just football for them. Other schools, I feel like they just wanted me because of football. When I talked to (Florida head coach Dan Mullen), most of the time, we don’t even talk about football. We talk about future stuff like what’s going to happen after football, how to get a job and how long it would take to get a master’s degree.”
Richardson plays for Eastside but is actually one of four members of the football team who attends nearby Professional Academy Magnet At Loften High School, which doesn’t have a football team. “I don’t think he’s ever gotten a bad grade,” Eastside defensive coordinator Jonathan Davis said. Actually, there was one time. When Richardson was in eighth grade, his GPA was 1.8 and he therefore wasn’t allowed to play basketball.
“Ever since then,” Richardson said, “my GPA hasn’t been lower than a 3.0.”
Intelligence is one thing Mullen values in quarterbacks, and Richardson can check that box. The others are: mental and physical toughness, leadership, decision-making and accuracy. Richardson is reserved by nature, but that hasn’t stunted his growth as a leader on the field. In Richardson’s sophomore season, Eastside trailed Lake Weir in a Week 4 matchup. The defense was struggling, and Lake Weir moved the ball with ease. The stands at Eastside were restless. At one point, Richardson gathered the offensive players around. He told them not to worry and that they were going to score every time they got the ball. That’s essentially what happened. Eastside won, 41-28.
“When it is time to speak up,” Davis said, “he speaks up.”
Labeled as a dual-threat by recruiting services, Richardson is still working on his throwing mechanics by doing things like practicing his throwing motion 100 times a day without a ball in his hands. While accuracy is valued, Mullen considers it more of a teachable tool than arm strength, which Richardson already possesses. Daniels said he has seen Richardson throw 65 yards down the field and make completions off his back foot. And Davis said he has no answer defensively during practice when Richardson decides to tuck the ball and run.
“He reminds you of a high school version of Cam Newton,” Daniels said.
Newton is Richardson’s favorite player. He has modeled his game after the star Carolina Panthers quarterback. His jersey is No. 2 because Newton wore that number while at Auburn. Newton is a sports idol for Richardson, but his name isn’t the one that is occasionally written on Richardson’s cleats. Jobbin Lane’s is.
“He would be super proud,” Richardson said. “Not just with football, but with everything. If you asked me about seeing myself like this two or three years ago, I would tell you I wouldn’t even see myself like this. I would’ve just been happy to go to college because that was one of my goals. He taught me how to throw a football. If I’m making it for somebody, it’s gotta be for him.”
Second Article
It’s just a gift’: Football is Jon Greenard’s first love, but he has singing talent, too
One of Jonathan Greenard’s chores growing up was vacuuming his family’s home in Georgia while his mother was at work. One day when he was 13, Greenard was cleaning with the radio on. His brother and stepfather were also home, tuned in to the song being played.
Then a voice distracted their ears from the music.
It was Greenard’s. He was singing.
“I was like, OK …” said Greenard’s step-father, Washington Varnum Jr.
Greenard kept singing, his voice hitting all the correct notes.
“Then I realized,” Varnum said, “Hey, this kid can really sing.”
When Greenard’s mother, Carmen Greenard-Varnum, returned from work, Varnum asked, “Hey, have you heard Jonathan sing before?”
Before he transferred to Florida over the winter as an integral addition to its defense, before he established himself as one of the ACC’s best pass rushers at Louisville, and before he even played high school football, Greenard was a legitimate young singing prospect.
It all started later that day when his mother arrived back home and discovered Greenard’s talent for herself while one of the singer Maxwell’s songs played on the radio.
“I thought it was the radio,” she said. “But it was Jonathan. It’s just a gift. I know people who say they can sing. I promise you, when you hear Jonathan, Jonathan has a beautiful voice.”
From that point forward, the family started to put more of an emphasis on singing for Greenard, who was already playing football, soccer and basketball. He started singing in the church’s youth choir. Soon after, his voice was heard among the men in the church.
“That was my passion at first,” Greenard said. “Growing up, I grew up in the church, so we were singing every Sunday and then traveling, too.”
When Greenard was 14, Greenard-Varnum received a phone call from someone about “The Gift,” an “American Idol”-style singing competition sponsored by McDonald’s for Atlanta’s top singers ages 9-15.
Tryouts were on a Saturday. Greenard-Varnum woke Greenard up at 3:30 a.m. that day, and by 5:30 a.m., they arrived at the McDonald’s across town from where they lived.
Out of at least a thousand participants, Greenard finished fourth.
“It was just amazing for him to try out, out of thousands of kids, and he made it,” Greenard-Varnum said. “It showed me that when Jonathan puts his mind to something, he does it.”
Greenard-Varnum hired a vocal coach for Greenard to work on his voice and stage presence. The coach also worked with the R&B group Xscape, she said. Greenard, along with the other finalists from the competition, competed in the finals at the Rialto Center for the Arts.
Greenard finished as one of the runners-up, and producers started contacting his parents about him. He made a couple of trips to studios with his mother, he said. He worked with the vocal coach for one year.
Eventually, he told his mother around the time he was in eighth grade, per her recollection, “Mom, I enjoy singing, but that’s not what I want to do.”
Football was what he was most interested in.
“I had a couple of gigs,” Greenard said. “I could’ve got down with Tyler Perry and stuff like that, but I chose football over that.”
“If I pushed him, he wasn’t going to enjoy it,” Greenard-Varnum said. “I’m glad I followed that and didn’t become an overbearing parent and force it on him. He wanted to play ball, and I stuck with that.”
That doesn’t mean he stopped singing. When he was a student at Hiram High, Greenard impressed kids in talent shows when he wasn’t starring as a two-way player on the football field.
“People don’t know, man,” Hiram High assistant football coach Adrian Steele said. “He has a beautiful singing voice. The guy can sing.”
Steele still remembers the first time he realized Greenard’s on-stage talent. He used to hear Greenard singing in the locker rooms, goofing around. He thought it was just a joke. That is, until a talent show at school.
“When he was on stage, the kids were going crazy, man,” Steele said. “When he got up there and was singing, I was like, holy cow, this kid can sing for real.”
By that point, however, Greenard was already flashing consistently on the field with his power, muscle, speed and football instincts, attracting attention from colleges in the process as a three-star recruit.
“Football, if he wasn’t so passionate abut it, he probably would’ve went with the singing,” said Varnum, his stepfather. “But he was just a natural on the football field.”
Players at Florida may not have heard much about Greenard’s singing prowess, but they have heard his voice. He is vocal on the field, where he quickly impressed this spring. Despite missed nearly all of last season with an injury, his teammates at Louisville leaned on him for support and advice on the sideline. As his past indicates, Greenard can command a room as a well-rounded individual who profiles as a capable leader for the Gators despite being a newcomer.
His goal at Florida is to help a pass rush that lost Jachai Polite, who led the Gators with 11 sacks. Greenard also shined when dropping back into coverage during disguised blitzes in spring practices. If all goes according to plan for both the Gators and Greenard, he will be an NFL Draft pick one year from now. But after that, and when football ends? Greenard isn’t ruling out reviving a childhood passion at some point.
“I just love football that much more and loved it more at that time, too,” Greenard said. “Hopefully, one day, I get to manage both of the two, once I get solidified in this game first and I can definitely continue that dream.”
One of Jonathan Greenard’s chores growing up was vacuuming his family’s home in Georgia while his mother was at work. One day when he was 13, Greenard was cleaning with the radio on. His brother and stepfather were also home, tuned in to the song being played.
Then a voice distracted their ears from the music.
It was Greenard’s. He was singing.
“I was like, OK …” said Greenard’s step-father, Washington Varnum Jr.
Greenard kept singing, his voice hitting all the correct notes.
“Then I realized,” Varnum said, “Hey, this kid can really sing.”
When Greenard’s mother, Carmen Greenard-Varnum, returned from work, Varnum asked, “Hey, have you heard Jonathan sing before?”
Before he transferred to Florida over the winter as an integral addition to its defense, before he established himself as one of the ACC’s best pass rushers at Louisville, and before he even played high school football, Greenard was a legitimate young singing prospect.
It all started later that day when his mother arrived back home and discovered Greenard’s talent for herself while one of the singer Maxwell’s songs played on the radio.
“I thought it was the radio,” she said. “But it was Jonathan. It’s just a gift. I know people who say they can sing. I promise you, when you hear Jonathan, Jonathan has a beautiful voice.”
From that point forward, the family started to put more of an emphasis on singing for Greenard, who was already playing football, soccer and basketball. He started singing in the church’s youth choir. Soon after, his voice was heard among the men in the church.
“That was my passion at first,” Greenard said. “Growing up, I grew up in the church, so we were singing every Sunday and then traveling, too.”
When Greenard was 14, Greenard-Varnum received a phone call from someone about “The Gift,” an “American Idol”-style singing competition sponsored by McDonald’s for Atlanta’s top singers ages 9-15.
Tryouts were on a Saturday. Greenard-Varnum woke Greenard up at 3:30 a.m. that day, and by 5:30 a.m., they arrived at the McDonald’s across town from where they lived.
Out of at least a thousand participants, Greenard finished fourth.
“It was just amazing for him to try out, out of thousands of kids, and he made it,” Greenard-Varnum said. “It showed me that when Jonathan puts his mind to something, he does it.”
Greenard-Varnum hired a vocal coach for Greenard to work on his voice and stage presence. The coach also worked with the R&B group Xscape, she said. Greenard, along with the other finalists from the competition, competed in the finals at the Rialto Center for the Arts.
Greenard finished as one of the runners-up, and producers started contacting his parents about him. He made a couple of trips to studios with his mother, he said. He worked with the vocal coach for one year.
Eventually, he told his mother around the time he was in eighth grade, per her recollection, “Mom, I enjoy singing, but that’s not what I want to do.”
Football was what he was most interested in.
“I had a couple of gigs,” Greenard said. “I could’ve got down with Tyler Perry and stuff like that, but I chose football over that.”
“If I pushed him, he wasn’t going to enjoy it,” Greenard-Varnum said. “I’m glad I followed that and didn’t become an overbearing parent and force it on him. He wanted to play ball, and I stuck with that.”
That doesn’t mean he stopped singing. When he was a student at Hiram High, Greenard impressed kids in talent shows when he wasn’t starring as a two-way player on the football field.
“People don’t know, man,” Hiram High assistant football coach Adrian Steele said. “He has a beautiful singing voice. The guy can sing.”
Steele still remembers the first time he realized Greenard’s on-stage talent. He used to hear Greenard singing in the locker rooms, goofing around. He thought it was just a joke. That is, until a talent show at school.
“When he was on stage, the kids were going crazy, man,” Steele said. “When he got up there and was singing, I was like, holy cow, this kid can sing for real.”
By that point, however, Greenard was already flashing consistently on the field with his power, muscle, speed and football instincts, attracting attention from colleges in the process as a three-star recruit.
“Football, if he wasn’t so passionate abut it, he probably would’ve went with the singing,” said Varnum, his stepfather. “But he was just a natural on the football field.”
Players at Florida may not have heard much about Greenard’s singing prowess, but they have heard his voice. He is vocal on the field, where he quickly impressed this spring. Despite missed nearly all of last season with an injury, his teammates at Louisville leaned on him for support and advice on the sideline. As his past indicates, Greenard can command a room as a well-rounded individual who profiles as a capable leader for the Gators despite being a newcomer.
His goal at Florida is to help a pass rush that lost Jachai Polite, who led the Gators with 11 sacks. Greenard also shined when dropping back into coverage during disguised blitzes in spring practices. If all goes according to plan for both the Gators and Greenard, he will be an NFL Draft pick one year from now. But after that, and when football ends? Greenard isn’t ruling out reviving a childhood passion at some point.
“I just love football that much more and loved it more at that time, too,” Greenard said. “Hopefully, one day, I get to manage both of the two, once I get solidified in this game first and I can definitely continue that dream.”
Nothing in my game is perfect’: Heat’s Derrick Jones Jr. aiming to improve across the board this offseason
Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. has dealt with disappointment before.
In 2016, he went undrafted out of UNLV. It was perhaps the lowest point of his basketball career because it left him toiling in the G League with hopes of earning an opportunity. That feeling of desperation is something he hopes never to experience again, which is why he will not be taking it easy this summer.
In one season, Jones went from developmental project to perhaps one of the team’s cornerstone players alongside Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo.
Still, he is approaching this offseason as if he were trying to earn a roster spot in the fall. Nothing has changed from the days of feeling unwanted.
“Nobody is guaranteed tomorrow,” Jones said. “Nobody’s spot is guaranteed. Anything can happen tomorrow. If the season was to start tomorrow, you never know who will play. I just go out there every day and try to outwork everybody in front of me to stay on the floor.”
Jones averaged career-highs in nearly every statistical category last season. At one point, he was a mainstay in the starting lineup.
The best part is the Heat brass feel he is nowhere near his ceiling. The question is whether or not can Jones prove he is more than just an explosive leaper, a talent he often displayed on high-flying dunks. The player nicknamed “Airplane Mode” will have to show he can be counted on as a consistent jump shooter and defender.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said Jones’ rapid growth played a role in established veteran Kelly Olynyk falling out of the rotation at one point during last season.
“Derrick Jones was making me play him to the point where other people were affected by that,” Spoelstra said.
Jones conquered one of his biggest obstacles by gaining 18 pounds of muscle during the season. His skinny frame was always a question mark because teams felt he could not defend at both forward spots. Last season, though, he was matched against everyone from Blake Griffin to Kevin Durant.
Jones said he wants to put on another 10 pounds before training camp begins in September. He is already working with the team nutritionist.
“Derrick, I would like to see him — and he will after a summer of work — really look like Scottie Pippen,” Spoelstra said. “He has that kind of frame. It’s a matter of just fine-tuning it, and (Heat president Pat Riley) says all the time, world-class shape. Best in the world. I think his game and being able to withstand injury will go to another level of really coming back and his physique looking even better than it did this year.”
Added Jones, “My game has changed a lot. My weight has changed a lot. I’m just trying to get my body in as great shape as possible so I can stay on the floor as much as I can.”
If Jones continues the rapid ascent, the Heat will have four players 25 and under who they are grooming as their future core with Dwyane Wade retiring and Udonis Haslem not too far behind. Also, Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside have said publicly they are considering opting out of the final years of their contracts, potentially creating more opportunities for the young players.
Richardson emerged this season as the team’s top scorer, and Winslow flourished at point guard while Dragic was out two months with a knee injury. Adebayo, too, made huge strides in his second season. An improved Jones would give the Heat a solid young foundation to match with a potential big-time free agent they will have the salary cap space to sign in the summer of 2020. Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are among the names who will be available.
“If you were to redraft today … Josh, as a second-round pick, would probably be a lottery pick today,” Riley said. “I mean, Derrick Jones Jr. — this is rationalization, now — Derrick Jones Jr. would be considered probably a late first-round pick. So we’re happy with how we’ve acquired talent.”
Jones has spent the early portion of the offseason breaking down film of his game to find areas in need of improvement. Among them are his jump shot, pick-and-roll defense and rebounding. When asked what he needs to work on, he responded, “just everything.”
“Nothing in my game is perfect,” Jones continued. “My offensive game definitely isn’t perfect. My defensive game isn’t perfect … I’m going to do whatever I possibly can. I’m going to do whatever I did this year 10 times more in the summer.”
Jones is so focused on improving he is even open to playing for the Heat’s summer league team in Las Vegas in July. The two-week event is typically reserved for rookies, second-year players and anyone still trying to land a roster spot. Two years ago, Jones was clinging to a two-way deal before signing a contract at the start of last season.
The fact that he is willing to play during the summer when it is not a necessity is proof of his commitment to growth.
“I don’t think anybody ever outgrows summer league. It just depends if the organization you’re with wants you to play,” Jones said. “If they want me to play, I’m not going to say no.”
Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. has dealt with disappointment before.
In 2016, he went undrafted out of UNLV. It was perhaps the lowest point of his basketball career because it left him toiling in the G League with hopes of earning an opportunity. That feeling of desperation is something he hopes never to experience again, which is why he will not be taking it easy this summer.
In one season, Jones went from developmental project to perhaps one of the team’s cornerstone players alongside Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo.
Still, he is approaching this offseason as if he were trying to earn a roster spot in the fall. Nothing has changed from the days of feeling unwanted.
“Nobody is guaranteed tomorrow,” Jones said. “Nobody’s spot is guaranteed. Anything can happen tomorrow. If the season was to start tomorrow, you never know who will play. I just go out there every day and try to outwork everybody in front of me to stay on the floor.”
Jones averaged career-highs in nearly every statistical category last season. At one point, he was a mainstay in the starting lineup.
The best part is the Heat brass feel he is nowhere near his ceiling. The question is whether or not can Jones prove he is more than just an explosive leaper, a talent he often displayed on high-flying dunks. The player nicknamed “Airplane Mode” will have to show he can be counted on as a consistent jump shooter and defender.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said Jones’ rapid growth played a role in established veteran Kelly Olynyk falling out of the rotation at one point during last season.
“Derrick Jones was making me play him to the point where other people were affected by that,” Spoelstra said.
Jones conquered one of his biggest obstacles by gaining 18 pounds of muscle during the season. His skinny frame was always a question mark because teams felt he could not defend at both forward spots. Last season, though, he was matched against everyone from Blake Griffin to Kevin Durant.
Jones said he wants to put on another 10 pounds before training camp begins in September. He is already working with the team nutritionist.
“Derrick, I would like to see him — and he will after a summer of work — really look like Scottie Pippen,” Spoelstra said. “He has that kind of frame. It’s a matter of just fine-tuning it, and (Heat president Pat Riley) says all the time, world-class shape. Best in the world. I think his game and being able to withstand injury will go to another level of really coming back and his physique looking even better than it did this year.”
Added Jones, “My game has changed a lot. My weight has changed a lot. I’m just trying to get my body in as great shape as possible so I can stay on the floor as much as I can.”
If Jones continues the rapid ascent, the Heat will have four players 25 and under who they are grooming as their future core with Dwyane Wade retiring and Udonis Haslem not too far behind. Also, Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside have said publicly they are considering opting out of the final years of their contracts, potentially creating more opportunities for the young players.
Richardson emerged this season as the team’s top scorer, and Winslow flourished at point guard while Dragic was out two months with a knee injury. Adebayo, too, made huge strides in his second season. An improved Jones would give the Heat a solid young foundation to match with a potential big-time free agent they will have the salary cap space to sign in the summer of 2020. Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are among the names who will be available.
“If you were to redraft today … Josh, as a second-round pick, would probably be a lottery pick today,” Riley said. “I mean, Derrick Jones Jr. — this is rationalization, now — Derrick Jones Jr. would be considered probably a late first-round pick. So we’re happy with how we’ve acquired talent.”
Jones has spent the early portion of the offseason breaking down film of his game to find areas in need of improvement. Among them are his jump shot, pick-and-roll defense and rebounding. When asked what he needs to work on, he responded, “just everything.”
“Nothing in my game is perfect,” Jones continued. “My offensive game definitely isn’t perfect. My defensive game isn’t perfect … I’m going to do whatever I possibly can. I’m going to do whatever I did this year 10 times more in the summer.”
Jones is so focused on improving he is even open to playing for the Heat’s summer league team in Las Vegas in July. The two-week event is typically reserved for rookies, second-year players and anyone still trying to land a roster spot. Two years ago, Jones was clinging to a two-way deal before signing a contract at the start of last season.
The fact that he is willing to play during the summer when it is not a necessity is proof of his commitment to growth.
“I don’t think anybody ever outgrows summer league. It just depends if the organization you’re with wants you to play,” Jones said. “If they want me to play, I’m not going to say no.”