Remember The Name: Treveon Graham Finishing D-League Rookie Season Strong
Timing is key for future opportunities and Treveon Graham is peaking at the perfect time in his rookie season with the Idaho Stampede.
After four years at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), the undrafted 22-year-old played Summer League with the San Antonio Spurs and was ultimately signed by the Utah Jazz, only to be waived and allocated to the Idaho Stampede as one of their affiliate players this season.
Graham has a tendency to take his time, soak everything in and then go for the kill. He did not enter VCU as a star, but he definitely left with that moniker. A three year starter, he averaged 13.4 points and 5.7 rebounds before graduating and heading for the pros. He boasted averages of 16.2 points and 7.1 rebounds in his senior year while shooting 43 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point land.
One of the early lessons for Graham since joining the D-League has been learning how to deal with losing as the Stampede are 18-30 (with two games remaining in the season) compared to his team record of 107-33 during his four years at VCU — a stark difference for anyone to handle. Another change is all the roster turnover. Graham is one of 22 players to have suited up for Idaho this season, so finding your niche and role can sometimes be difficult with minutes fluctuating, even for affiliate players.
- November: 33.3 MPG
- December: 22.2 MPG
- January: 28.7 MPG
- February: 26.1 MPG
- March: 39.6 MPG
The Stamped are still only 4-5 in the month of March but they also have their best plus/minus of the season (1.2) since coach Dean Cooper handed the reigns to Graham. This rookie has all the tools necessary to be a rotational player in the NBA, but some players just need a bit of time to find their way and get their feet wet, and he’s blossoming at the right time.
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Graham is at his best when attacking the rim. The play above is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but note his footwork when he gets the first defender off balance and his ability to maneuver himself past the second defender for the finish once he drives. Footwork is vital for wing players just like with post players, especially when that player isn’t an explosive athlete.
Graham isn’t going to blow you away with leaping ability or extreme speed, but he makes up for those shortcomings with fundamentals which have longer staying power than those other skills. At the time of this article, Graham was shooting a blistering 73 percent (106/146) on layups. He only has four dunks on the year, but two points is two points.
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His dribbling ability suits him well in that he rarely over dribbles — meaning, he uses exactly what he needs more often than not. Take the above instance. The first probe wasn’t enough to get past a tough defender (Josh Huestis) but he backs out, reassesses and hits the pull up mid range jumper. At this point Graham isn’t a consistent 3-point shooter but once he adds that to his game, his dribble-drive capabilities will only increase as opponents will have to respect the outside shot.
Right now, attacking is his mindset and it’s worked well since he draws almost six fouls per game, which gets him to the line 4.6 times per contest. He’s only shooting 63 percent from the charity stripe on the season, but since becoming a starter in March that number has risen to an encouraging 72 percent on 6.7 attempts.
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March has been a blistering month for Graham. Through nine games he’s averaging 24.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists (all season highs) while shooting 51 percent on 18.2 field goal attempts. NBA scouts are already watching for next season and Graham is definitely on their collective radars. His 3-point shot is solid mechanically, so as he gets more and more comfortable with the NBA distance, his percentages should improve to a more acceptable level. Through 48 games he’s shooting 33.3 percent (4.4 attempts) and he’s more of a catch-and-shoot player right now, which suits him well at the next level.
This season, 61 of his 65 3-point shots have been assisted and his eFG% jumps by over 20 percent in those situations — clearly he’s much better when he’s set up and not creating his own shot from the perimeter.
This breakdown focused on Graham’s offensive capabilities but his defense is also stifling as he regularly hounds his opponent no matter where they stand on the court. Those habits are set in stone as VCU preaches defense, so those four years entrenched the importance of that end of the court into Graham’s mind forevermore.
Want an NBA comparison? Think Danny Green. Graham is 6-5 and 220 pounds — almost identical measurements to Green. Both have skills rooted in defense first and foremost, and while Green is a prolific outside shooter now, he didn’t come into the league with that reputation. Green also spent some time in the D-League honing his skills before getting his shot with the San Antonio Spurs.
It’s not likely that Graham will get an NBA look this season, but watch out for his name come summer league because he is going to have numerous suitors lining up to sign him.