Toronto Raptors pleasantly surprised by former Utah standout Branden Carlson

LAS VEGAS — Branden Carlson ended his five-year University of Utah basketball career as the all-time leader in total blocks (241). Even so, as he was going through the NBA pre-draft process, coaches and NBA decision makers questioned if he could effectively and efficiently translate those skills to the next level.

It wasn’t a question of skill. Rather, many saw that Carlson did not play with the toughness and physical prowess that is often needed against bigger, stronger, more experienced NBA players.

Fast forward to Saturday, when Carlson, fresh off signing a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors, continued to wow the Raptors coaching staff, scoring 13 points to go with eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks in his first game at Las Vegas Summer League.

“Branden is a really good rim protector,” Raptors assistant coach Jama Mahlalela said. “I think we didn’t realize when we first got him how efficient he is at the rim...that’s been exciting for us to see that development. You think he’s sort of a slender frame and you don’t think he’s gonna be sort of that presence at the rim. But his rim protection is great.”

Importantly, Mahlalela pointed out Carlson’s ability to be efficient at the rim, which speaks to more than just the ability to block shots.

“To me it means not falling for shot-fakes, go when I’m supposed to go,” Carlson said. “Staying in front of your guy. You don’t need to go over and try to block it, just going at the right times.”

But that’s not all that has impressed the Raptors where Carlson is concerned.

Back in May, Carlson did not receive an invite to the NBA Combine. Instead, he was one of the players who participated in the G League Elite Camp (a sort of pre-combine showcase for players who are not yet combine participants). A handful of players from the G League Elite Camp get called up to the NBA Combine, but Carlson was not one of those players.

But that didn’t keep NBA teams from setting up pre-draft workouts with the former Running Ute. It could have been a really nerve-wracking time for Carlson, but he felt like a lot of the pre-draft nerves he had were worked out during the G League Elite Camp.

“It helped me to kind of get some of those nerves out for the NBA workouts,” Carlson said. “So I went into those a lot more confident than I thought I was going to be.”

And in those workouts, he felt like he measured up really well against some of the other workout prospects, especially when he worked out for the Raptors. He liked the people in the organization, he liked the way the coaches communicated throughout the workout and came away feeling like it could be a good fit.

Though Carlson went undrafted in June, the Raptors were one of the teams that saw past his age (25), his slender build and the concerns about his toughness. What they liked was the fact that he was a versatile 7-footer who could stretch the floor and be used as a pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop player. He came across as smart, skilled and coachable.

“I always look for opportunities to learn,” Carlson said. “Whether it’s good feedback or negative feedback, you can learn and grow from that and improve on what people tell you. I’ve always liked to be thought of as a coachable guy. That’s something I take pride in.”

So the Raptors offered Carlson a two-way deal, and since then have been pleasantly surprised by how much more impactful of a player he is than they originally anticipated.