SALT LAKE CITY — From his playing days at the City College of San Francisco to his first season at the University of Utah, Delon Wright has impressed many around the league with his wide range of skills and versatility in the game of basketball.

Although Wright’s abilities at basketball may have come as a surprise for many Runnin’ Utes fans, his older brother, Dorell Wright, who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, knew all along there was something special about his younger brother.

“His basketball play was nothing that I was surprised at because he plays with me every summer with my friends — NBA guys, legit guys,” Dorell said. “He always holds his own. He always stands out because of the little things that he does on the court that not too many other guys do. I’m very proud of him for the way that he finished the season.”

Throughout Delon’s life he has always worked toward and has dreamed of reaching the NBA, Dorell said. While Dorell was expecting to have a career in baseball, Delon was always focused on making basketball his career.

“He knew he was going to be a basketball player,” Dorell said. “I just want him to go out there and use the sky as the limit and just leave it all out there because he can really play, and I know he can play at this level, at a high level at that.”

Related:

Utah's Delon Wright a big boost for budding program

It's been no surprise to anyone that has watched the University of Utah basketball program this season that junior guard Delon Wright has tremendous talent.

With a brother already in the league, Delon has had a close mentor to guide him along the path toward his eventual goal of the NBA and to help him become the player he needs to be to compete at the highest level.

“He always asks me for my opinion. I had the privilege to ask different people, just to pick people’s minds,” Dorell said. “I think there’s a lot of things he wants to improve about his game, and it’s the obvious things because everything else he does is good.

“Once he gets here he’s going to have to play right away,” he added. “I think if he just continues to work on his game, work on his shot, just all-around game and gets better and stronger, he’ll be ready to play as soon as he gets drafted by whomever it is.”

Prior to the conclusion of the 2013-14 season, Delon was projected to be a safe second-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. However, after some discussions with Utes head coach Larry Krystkowiak and his brother, Delon opted to stay for his senior year with a rising Utah team.

Although Delon is talented and efficient in many aspects of his game, his ability to create his own shot and hit a jumper has kept his draft stock relatively down. And although a nice jumper would make Delon a more complete player, Dorell believes his brother could still be an effective and serviceable player in the NBA as he is now.

“Rajon Rondo can’t shoot the ball, and he impacts the game on both ends of the court; he gets guys involved,” Dorell said. “Delon does the same way on both ends of the court. He could play a game and win a game for his team without taking one shot. He’s that good when it comes to getting in the passing lane, getting other guys involved and just being a leader.”

However, Dorell does offer some advice to help his brother take it to the next level.

“I want him to be a lot more aggressive,” he said. “I need him to take at least 15 shots a game. It’s just amazing that someone could average 16 points on five or six shots, or whatever it is. He’s just got to be a little more aggressive and just go out there with that killer mentality every single night — I’ve got something to prove, I’ve got something to show. I’m just rooting for him and hoping for the best for him.”

Delon is currently projected to be a first-round pick in the 2015 NBA draft based on his junior season at the U. However, as the schedule intensifies for the Utah basketball program, his level of competition is only going to get more difficult and tested.

If Delon does get the opportunity to play in the NBA, his brother said he doesn’t care if he plays against him or if he’s his teammate.

“Either or is cool with me,” Dorell said. “I just want to see him accomplish one of his goals. It’s a goal he set when he was a kid.”

At the conclusion of the 2013-14 season, Delon was named to the First Team All-Pac-12 and the All-Defensive team, among several players expected to be drafted in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft.

Wright averaged 16.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game and was the first Ute to receive first team or all-defensive honors from the Pac-12. He also led the conference in steals and was a top 15 athlete in assists (third), field goal percentage (third), blocks (sixth), scoring (seventh), free-throw percentage (ninth) and rebounds (12th).

Related topics