Rookies usually show up to training camp with loud sneakers, flashy expectations, and a quiet entitlement about playing time. Allen Graves did something entirely different at his first media scrum. He walked down the line and shook every single reporter's hand. When it wrapped up, he did it again.
It's a tiny detail. In the world of professional basketball, it stands out like a neon sign.
Drafted 19th overall out of Santa Clara University this past summer, Graves isn't walking into a wide-open roster. The Toronto Raptors feature an established rotation with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, and Kawhi Leonard locking down heavy minutes. He knows he won't be starting on opening night against the Chicago Bulls. He also knows guys like Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, and Ja'Kobe Walter are standing right in front of him on the bench depth chart.
None of that seems to bother him.
The Santa Clara Blueprint
Graves is no stranger to taking a backseat to build a better engine. During his college journey, he redshirted his first season with the Santa Clara Broncos, a move that critics might have questioned at the time. Instead of panicking or transferring out, he used that year to sharpen his game.
It paid off in a massive way. In his lone active NCAA season, he put up 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He added 1.9 steals and nearly a block every night, earning West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year honors.
He understands the value of patience.
"Whatever the plan is for me, I'm ready and willing," Graves said courtside at the OVO Athletic Centre. "Just hopefully whatever it may be, I'm just going to take every opportunity I get and just run with it."
Earning the Trust of Darko Rajakovic
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic values specific traits in young players. Basketball skill is a given at the NBA level. Habits, punctuality, and defensive intensity separate the players who stick around from the ones who wash out in two years.
Rajakovic wasn't surprised when he heard about Graves shaking the press corps' hands. He's seen that same compulsive attention to detail behind closed doors.
When the team travels, Graves is consistently the first person on the bus. He communicates constantly on the floor, absorbing schemes and trying to figure out where his teammates like the ball.
"All the small things that you teach a young player on how to be a professional, he's doing and he's doing a great job so far," Rajakovic noted.
That mindset is going to dictate how fast Graves sees meaningful minutes, whether that happens in Scotiabank Arena or with Raptors 905 in the G-League.
Handling the Transition to NBA Speed
The jump from college basketball to the pros is brutal. Everything moves twice as fast, and windows to make decisions close before you even catch the pass.
Graves got a heavy dose of that reality during a pre-season matchup against the Detroit Pistons. Playing 23 minutes as Toronto's center, he finished with nine points and eight rebounds. He also struggled to find his stroke, hitting just four of thirteen field-goal attempts and missing all five of his three-point tries against a Detroit squad that kept veteran starters like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren on the floor for most of the contest.
It was a rough shooting night. The reaction from his peers mattered more than the misses.
Instead of getting down on himself, Graves leaned on his support system and his coaches. They told him to keep letting it fly because they watch him knock down those exact shots every single day in practice.
Rajakovic stressed that everyone needs to pump the brakes and let the developmental curve play out.
"When players come, the first thing that they need to adjust is the speed of the game," Rajakovic explained. "For them at the beginning, the game is happening at such a high speed, and they need to slow down in order to understand what's going on around them."
Embracing the G-League Option
Many first-round picks pout if they get assigned to the minor leagues. They view it as a demotion rather than a tool.
Graves views the G-League entirely differently. If the front office decides that Raptors 905 is the best spot for him to log heavy minutes and iron out his shooting mechanics, he's ready to pack his bags and go to work.
"Redshirt years have always benefited me," Graves pointed out. "Obviously, I want to be out there on the court with those guys. I want to be playing with Scottie and playing with those guys. But if they say the best fit is 905 or whatever it may be, and come bring me in later, then that's what it is."
That attitude is rare. It tells you everything you need to know about why Toronto targeted him with the 19th pick.
Keep your eyes on the bench this season. Even if Allen Graves spends chunks of his rookie campaign away from the NBA spotlight, his work ethic guarantees he will be ready when his number finally gets called.
