Bleacher Report - Articles by Ryan Miller

ESPNU Story: Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris Reunited Once Again

Ryan Miller — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:44:17 -0400

Most people are probably checking out this article because of the ongoing LeBron James controversy, but here's a story I put together for ESPN.com about Paul Harris and Jonny Flynn's journey together through high school, college and now with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

TMZ to Release Footage of Jordan Crawford's Dunk on LeBron James

Ryan Miller — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:39:51 -0400

There was another shooter in Rhodes Arena.

Jordan Crawford's dunk on LeBron James at the LeBron James Skills Academy was turned into a historic moment when Nike confiscated two tapes, mine included, after they may have had the slam on camera, and it appeared Nike buried the tape in the Beaverton, Oregon woods along with its failed Air Pressure sneaker.

TMZ now says they will release "the one surviving copy"of the dunk on TMZ TV today and on TMZ.com at 6:45 p.m.

No, this is not my footage. I was filming from the sideline and baseline area on the floor, as was the other cameraman that had his tape taken from Nike.

There is a freeze frame on TMZ.com to build suspense for the video's release that shows an angle from above and behind the far backboard.

The video looks pixelated, as if it was taken from a cell phone camera, but appears to be footage of the actual dunk.

The only recognizable players on the court are No. 1 Patrick Christopher of California-Berkley (No. 1) and Kansas center Cole Aldrich (far right), who were both in the pick-up game. Also, TMZ has somehow trumped the mainstream media in credibility over recent issues, and is not going to promote something so heavily if it doesn't have the footage.
There is a running track that circles above the University of Akron's Rhodes Arena court and that is the vantage point on the video.

CNBC's Darren Rovell brought to my attention this morning that BetUS, an online sportsbook and entertainment Web site - I'm guessing that's just elaborate for gambling site - offered $50,000 for anyone who could come forward with a tape of the dunk.

ESPN has also been offered a shot of the dunk, different from TMZ's footage, and is contemplating at this very moment whether or not to purchase it. That shot is also from above the court, but from the opposite basket as TMZ's.

Story links on "the dunk":

TrueHoop by Henry Abbott

FOX News Interview

Tom Knott from The Washington Times is not very happy

Flynn Dishes out 14 Assists in Minnesota's Second Summer League Contest

Ryan Miller — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:05:23 -0400

Former Niagara Falls High School and Syracuse Orange teammates Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris continued their Las Vegas Summer League play last night as the Minnesota Timberwolves fell to the NBA D-League Select Team 96-91 this afternoon.

Flynn followed up his 11 point, seven assist, seven turnover debut with 12 points, 14 assists and six turnovers while logging a game-high 32 minutes. He ranks second in the summer league with 10.5 assists per game.

Harris contributed seven points, three rebounds, a steal and a block in 15 minutes of action.

Timerwolves beat writer Jerry Zgoda broke down the summer squad after Minnesota's summer league opener:

Jonny Flynn looked quick, strong, alternately decisive and out of control and careless in his pro debut, with an 11-point (3-for-11 from the field), seven assist, seven turnover, 29 minute game. Played both on and off the ball. Let's give him another summer-league game before we write off his career...

TrueHoop's Henry Abbott:

"Jonny Flynn communicates to his team on every offensive possession. He choreographs, directs, goads, and encourages. When teammates need to move from the weak to the strong side for an entry pass, Flynn barks out an order -- and he's almost always right. Flynn coughed the ball up seven times on Sunday against seven assists, but his management skills are there..."

Tweets about Flynn and Harris:

ESPN NBA analyst David Thorpe:

"Flynn is a dynamic driver...Flynn has a very strong presence on the court, without being ostentatious about it. I love that...Flynn has a nice looking jumper. I don't know why he did not shoot well from deep this year." (That's obviously taken from multiple tweets due to the 140 character limit.)

"Can Paul Harris play? I have serious doubts," Thorpe wrote. "He's strong as an ox and moves well, but I'm not seeing much thinking. Yet."

Kevin Love: "Score is 36 to 32 at half...j Flynn looks really good, need to get Wayne Ellington going, but these dudes are GOOD."

The games were free online last year, but if you're a big hoops fan, work B-shift and it's a slow day at the office, or just want to see Paul Harris' new look after he buzzed off his patented corn rows, NBA.com is broadcasting every summer league game live and on-demand for $14.99 (for the entire schedule not one game!).

Former Syracuse Running Back Curtis Brinkley Shot, In Stable Condition

Ryan Miller — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:06:10 -0400

Former Syracuse running back and San Diego Chargers prospect Curtis Brinkley has been hospitalized after being shot in a Philadelphia suburb just after midnight.

The 23-year-old Brinkley is in stable condition at Albert Einstein Medical Center.

WVPI-TV is reporting that Brinkley is able to talk on the phone to family and friends. He suffered gunshot wounds to the shoulder and leg, which will require surgery, but are not life threatening.

The shooting occurred when Brinkley's car was stopped at an intersection. Brinkley's uncle, George Brinkley, said Brinkley was shot when picking up his sister from work. The gunman immediately fled the scene.

In the locker room at Syracuse, Curtis was the go-to guy to talk to for postgame interviews because he wore his heart on his sleeve and was a class act.

Off the field, he's one of the nicest people you'll meet.

Brinkley attended West Catholic's High School where he was a Philly phenom, setting a Philadelphia rushing record, previously held by current Chicago Bears RB Kevin Jones, compiling 7,429 yards on the ground.

Brinkley overcame a multitude of setbacks to graduate from Syracuse and ranked fourth in the Big East in rushing during his senior year. He wasn't selected in the NFL Draft, but immediately signed as free agent with the San Diego Chargers in late April.

He returned from two knee surgeries and a broken right fibula during his Orange career, and lost his father in 2006 to a bout with leukemia.

He rushed for 1,164 yards at Syracuse last year and became the first player in SU history to pile up 100 yards in five consecutive games in a single season.

Let's hope he can overcome this one and have a speedy recovery that allows him to get back on the field and pursue his NFL dream.

(The Post-Standard)

Interview with Jordan Crawford from LeBron James Skills Academy

Ryan Miller — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:56:17 -0400

Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney said players joked before their pickup games with LeBron James that anyone who dunked on the King would collect $500. Not that the guys thought it would really happen.

Then, towards the end of a contest between James' team (Cavs players James, Danny Green, Tarence Kinsey, Christian Eyenga, and James' high school teammate Romeo Travis) and five college players, Xavier transfer Jordan Crawford threw one down with two hands as King James leapt to help on defense.

"We were pumped," Delaney said. "That's priceless. He can brag on that for the rest of his life."

I don't have the tape anymore that may have footage of the dunk, but I was able to shoot an interview with Jordan Crawford on a fresh tape the next day.

"I've got to see a tape of that," Crawford ironically said after our interview.

Witness Protection Program: Notes from My LeBron James Camp Confiscation

Ryan Miller — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:47:24 -0400

Apparently, Nike taking my tape at the LeBron James Skills Academy was a big deal yesterday. I had no idea because I didn't have access to a TV or computer until I got home at 4:30 p.m.

I left Cleveland this morning to drive back home to Rochester from LeBron James' camps in Akron and Cleveland and starting receiving a ton of calls/texts about the King turning dictator.

Colin Cowherd was talking about the tape. ESPN First Take was talking about the tape. So was Scott Van Pelt, and the story was all over the Internet.

Thanks and apologies go out to my girlfriend who "sat home watching boring ESPN when What Not to Wear was on TLC" to keep me updated. Her lack of sports knowledge can be epitomized by a text that read: "Why is Joel Osteen on ESPN?" Um, that is Skip Bayless, honey.

I wrote a more formal statement about the incident, but here are some more fun random notes from the experience at the LeBron camp:

I spoke to LeBron seconds before he told Nike executive Lynn Merritt to take my tape, while he was waiting for his next game to start:

Me: Hey LeBron, my name is Ryan Miller. James: Nice to meet you, where are you from? Me: I just graduated from Syracuse. I'm actually friends with ____ (ironically, we have a mutual friend). James: Yeah, Jonny is my man. Good luck with everything.

I really thought we bonded there and had a conversation we could build on, but right after that: James gets a drink. James gets a towel. James talks to Lynn Merritt.

The best part about the dunk was the reaction from the crowd. Eighty high school players were watching, along with a few dozen media members and camp employees.

Xavier's Jordan Crawford blows by Danny Green on the right wing to get into the lane, LeBron helps on defense, leaving his feet to contest the shot and Crawford throws it down with two hands.

There was the initial collective gasp that comes before raucous applause on a bigtime play...but then no raucous applause, just small buzzes of murmuring between adjacent spectators.

Camp employees and instructors wore shirts that read "Witness" throughout the week, and players donned LeBron James Skills Academy jerseys or the "Witness" tees.

Everyone in the building was a witness, but they know not to cheer a play when the victim's name is eponymous with the camp they are attending. You just don't do that to arguably the greatest athlete in the world, in his hometown, at his own event.

No ovation, just a gasp and near silence.
I awkwardly checked the garbage cans in Rhodes Arena's concourse, but to no avail.
I ended up following Jeff Goodman (FoxSports.com), Gary Parrish (CBSSports.com) and Pete Thamel (NYTimes.com) from Akron to Cleveland, where the King City Classic is held, to grab a late dinner.

There were dozens of D-I coaches roaming the hotel and somehow I ended up at a dinner table with UCLA head coach Ben Howland (not just the two of us, that'd be a little awkward).

When it came time to pay, Howland insisted I don't, saying I provided them with a great story for the night instead. I tried to explain to him I have a six-month grace period on my loans, and now is the time where I have a few bucks in my wallet. So I'm pretty sure Ben Howland bought me dinner.

I have a history of bad luck with Nike:

1) While driving to my internship last summer, a lady parked on the side of the road decided to open the door on her brand new SUV as I was driving by, smashing and totaling my car. Her occupation: Nike corporate marketing employee.

She said at the time to contact her if I ever wanted a job with Nike...I don't think that offer is still on the table.

2) I buy and wear Nike sneakers but for some reason the arches hurt my feet (haha).

I don't even know how well I filmed the dunk. I am positive that James called out "Lynn" to Merritt and spoke briefly with him before Merritt immediately approached me, presumably upon James' request, demanding I give him my tape. I'm not positive the dunk was their motive for asking for the tape.

The only reason I gave it up was because the media relations rep. from a third-party company said he would take it to pacify the Nike execs and he'd give it back to me in the morning. It turns out Merritt asked him for it personally afterwards.

Nike's response was the game was not "after-hours," it was during the regularly scheduled "College Workout No. 3" portion of the LeBron James Skills Academy. The session ran from 8:30 to 10:15 on Monday night and the filming took place during that designated time slot. I checked with media relations earlier in the day to go over rules and regulations for filming and was cleared to film all day. There is no mention of a video policy in Nike's media guidelines.
I never intended for James or Nike to take any heat for taking the tape or sought publicity from it. I probably would've posted it as an afterthought in an article regarding the performances of Syracuse recruits at the camp and it never would have escalated. I just wanted my footage back so ESPNU wasn't ticked off I didn't come through with what I had promised them. The story grew legs when Goodman and Parrish reported it (those crafty, experienced sports journalists).

It is unfortunate James and Nike didn't take a Devin Harris-like approach to the situation. It would've garnered James respect for laughing it off, promoting the heck out of his camp, and given a relatively unknown Jordan Crawford to most college basketball fans the credit he was due.

Ryan Miller's Response to Nike's LeBron James Skills Academy Video Statement

Ryan Miller — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:39:05 -0400

The Associated Press recently published an article about the video taken away from me at the LeBron James Skills Academy, with Nike's response included.

The AP recently contacted me as well, and although The Orange Segment doesn't have any spokespeople or representatives, here's the "official statement" I sent them. I made sure to have my AP Stylebook—a Newhouse School requirement—handy. I'll be posting some humorous anecdotes from the experience shortly:

Associated Press:

Thank you for the email. I would be glad to give you some info:

I attended the LeBron James Skills Academy for my sports blog and to shoot players and interviews for ESPNU.

I arrived at the camp on Monday afternoon and immediately checked in with media relations to ask the rules and regulations regarding filming interviews and players at the camp because I didn't want to violate any policies or film in areas of the gym that were not permitted. They told me to stick to the sideline and baseline, and that all of the sessions/games were open for taping. I began taping around 3:00 p.m.

LeBron James arrived with a few of his Cleveland Cavaliers and high school teammates to play pick-up games with the college players in the evening. ESPNU had requested any shots of LeBron I could get, and being a recent college graduate looking for work, I didn't want to let them down.

I got a few shots of James stretching and interacting with the high school campers before he took the court. I primarily took isolation shots of James, not entire game footage.

In one of the scrimmages, Jordan Crawford, a junior from Xavier, drove past Cavaliers rookie Danny Green. James came over to help on defense, jumped with Crawford, and Crawford finished with a slam. I don't even know how well I shot the play.

James's team won that game but lost the following contest. I thought it was a good time to introduce myself to James. We have a mutual friend (as weird as that sounds) and he was very approachable. Seconds later, he walked up to Lynn Merritt (Nike Basketball Senior Director) and spoke with him. Merritt approached me, telling me to take a seat in a chair, said that I wasn't supposed to be filming, and kept repeating to a media relations representative, "Take his tape."

He didn't give me a clear-cut reason why, but did mention that "these guys shouldn't be filmed when they're not in shape" and "we don't want your stuff ending up on the Internet." I do not know for a fact they wanted it because it could have had footage of the dunk.

I politely asked him if I could at least keep the 15 minutes of high school footage I shot, but he demanded the tape. Merritt told me he saw me filming for at least 15 minutes (I probably had seven or eight minutes of footage since LeBron entered the building). I asked why he didn't just ask me when he first saw me filming, because I gladly would've stopped, sat down and taken notes instead. He didn't want to listen to my line of reasoning.

The media relations official took me aside and said he would give me the tape back in the morning. He just wanted to pacify the Nike executives and hopefully they'd cool off about it. I also didn't want to be banned for the last two days of the camp. Those are the only reasons I complied and handed the tape over.

I tweeted about the dunk and tape being taken, but it wasn't until CBSSports.com and FoxSports.com writers wrote a couple of online articles that it gained publicity. I didn't anticipate or seek out the media explosion that followed.

In the media policy from the camp, there is no mention of restrictions against shooting the NBA players. I was filming all afternoon and evening without objection until the dunk and LeBron's team lost. Here is the link to the media policy:

Thanks and I hope this helps.

Ryan Miller

Shortly after, I sent an addendum e-mail after seeing a new quote from a Nike spokesperson:

Sorry for another email, but I just noticed the Nike spokesperson's quote about an "after-hours" pick-up game.

The game was not after-hours, it was during the regularly scheduled "College Workout #3" portion of the LeBron James Skills Academy. That session ran from 8:30-10:15 on Monday night and the filming took place during that designated time slot.

Syracuse's Wes Johnson Attending LeBron James Skills Academy

Ryan Miller — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:43:08 -0400

Syracuse forward Wes Johnson had to sit out the 2008-2009 per NCAA transfer rules, but he won't have to wait until the Orange's first game in the Carrier Dome to perform on a big stage.

Johnson was invited to participate in the LeBron James Skills Academy this week in Akron, Ohio.

He said he took part in the Vince Carter Skills Academy Jun. 23-25 in Orlando and was asked to attend LeBron's camp this week in Akron.

Nike invites the top 20 college and top 80 high school players from its four camps in late June (Deron Williams-point guards, Vince Carter-wing forwards, Paul Pierce-shooting guards, and Amare Stoudemire-big men) to LeBron's camp.

Yes, this is the same LeBron James Skills Academy that Jonny Flynn made a name for himself in last summer on the winning side of a pick-up game series versus a team headed by James and Chris Paul.

Johnson has two years of eligibility remaining.

The Iowa State transfer averaged 12.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in two seasons with the Cyclones, but was hobbled most of his sophomore campaign with a stress fracture in his foot.

Random note: Johnson said he was working out with Vince Carter the night of the NBA Draft when Carter got the phone call informing him he was just traded to the Orlando Magic, and Carter was ecstatic.

Let the Wes Johnson hype officially begin among Syracuse fans. Haha.

My prediction for 2009-'10: 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds.

Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris Psychic NBA Teammates Interview

Ryan Miller — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:19:27 -0400

I put together a package for ESPNU while I was in Chicago for the NBA Pre-draft Combine. Jonny Flynn's stock was skyrocketing and I'd just witnessed Paul Harris dominate a few projected first round picks in three-on-three games, so basing a story around both players possibly being NBA draft picks seemed like a logical idea.

It turns out the story backfired on me when Harris wasn't selected (with matching Happy Gilmore sound bite and swear word removed because this is a family-friendly blog).

But...I did have the intuition to ask a couple of questions about the likelihood of the high school and college teammates pairing up in the NBA, which is still feasible now that Harris is on Minnesota's summer league team.

If you'd like to hear what they had to say—Jonny was a "Negative Nancy" and thought it was unrealistic but Paul had a more Kevin Garnett approach—the video is posted below.

Paul Harris Heading to Minnesota, Will Reunite with Jonny Flynn

Ryan Miller — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:13:49 -0400

"We Belong Together"...yeah it's it's pretty sad I just quoted a Gavin Degraw song.

Paul Harris traveled to Cleveland for a workout, where the Cavaliers are planning on assembling their NBA Summer League squad.

But he already had an offer from Minnesota for a spot on their summer team.

That and the minor detail that his Niagara Falls and Syracuse buddy Jonny Flynn is on the T'Wolves. Paul Harris and Jonny Flynn, Niagara Falls twin sons together in the Twin Cities.

I heard first from Dave McMenamin (shout out to a fellow SU alum) that Harris is going to play on Minnesota's summer league, then spoke to Harris over the phone.

"I feel like it's a great fit for me going to Minnesota," Harris said. "They've got other young guys fighting for spots just like me so I'm going in hoping to fight to make the roster, and I think it'll be great playing with Jonny Flynn."

Harris will fly straight to Las Vegas on July 9. The NBA Summer League kicks off July 10 but the Timberwolves first game is July 12 vs. Houston.

Before he hung up, Paul said, "I'll see you in Vegas!" and asked me if I wanted to drive with his cousin Dexter. One road trip with Dexter was enough after we drove to Miami and back for the NCAAs haha.

I'll leave you with "Reunited" by Peaches and Herb, where the lyrics kind of make sense in a sick, twisted way after Paul really almost spurned Jonny by going to Cleveland. You knew they couldn't be apart for long.

"I was a fool to ever leave your side
Me minus you is such a lonely ride
The breakup we had has made me lonesome and sad"
Reunited and it feels so good."

Let's just hope Jonny doesn't pin Paul's shots in summer league workouts against the backboard like this if you want Harris to make the team. (The Post-Standard)

Paul Harris' NBA Hopes: Heads to Cleveland for workout

Ryan Miller — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:01:19 -0400

Paul Harris traveled to New York City for the NBA Draft but didn't watch from a seat at Madison Square Garden. Instead, Harris chose to watch the show on TV from his New Yorker Hotel room two blocks away from MSG.

Jonny Flynn said from the green room he thought Paul would be selected at some point in the second round.

I honestly believed a team would call his name until midway through the second round, when names like Marcus Thornton, Chase Budinger, Jack McClinton, and Patty Mills were still on the table.

What could've been a night where Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris celebrated in the Big Apple turned into one which Harris traveled back to Niagara Falls to weigh his options while Flynn was all smiles, ready to take a morning flight his new home in Minnesota.

Now Harris is in Cleveland for a three-day camp, where the Cavs are likely to assemble their summer-league team. The NBA summer league in Las Vegas kicks off July 10 (by the way, Paul can never escape casinos from Niagara Falls to Turningstone to Vegas).

"I'm in the same spot as someone who was drafted in the second round because they don't have a roster spot and still need to make their NBA team," Harris said.

"I'm excited to go out in the summer league team because I have extra motivation. I can go out there and see all the guys that got drafted and I didn't, and work extra hard to try to outplay those guys and try to make a team."

Confidence Lost and Found

I'm convinced that Syracuse was just about the worst fit for Paul out of every major conference school.

There was the proximity to home with a questionable support system close by and the style of play that put a strong man-to-man defender in a 2-3 zone system (especially at 6'3" being in the back of the zone rather than up top where a freakishly long wingspan could've wreaked more havoc) and a rocky relationship with coach Jim Boeheim.

For a guy that made a trademark with his physicality and toughness off the court, he turned into a player without confidence after his issues with Boeheim and a player notorious for failing to live up to expectations.

Harris is absolutely reponsible for his performance at Syracuse, be it the obvious weaknesses to his game or missed practices, but he reached a point on the court where he afraid to make a mistake because he knew he would immediately take a seat. It resulted in Harris being tentative on the cour to the point where he was ineffective and a non-factor because his game is built on aggressiveness.

A change of scenery was the best thing for Paul.

Another year at Syracuse might have made the Orange a better team but he would still be in basketball purgatory. Harris might not have even started with Wes Johnson coming in and would not have improved as a basketball player.

When I saw him play in Chicago, he had a renewed sense of poise and determination.

"I don't think it's a new Paul Harris," Flynn said in Chicago. "I think it's a Paul Harris with confidence. If you're not confident you're basically a waste of your ability and waste of your talent. One here Paul Harris is playing against guys slated in the first round and he's out here destroying guys."

His confidence is back and if Syracuse was one of the worst situations he could have been in and still managed a solid career with more than 1,000 points and 800 rebounds,
I think Harris has got a very good shot at making an NBA roster.

Harris is going to get to camp determined to lock down every player he faces. But if he's not on a team on opening night and loses that confidence, I don't know if he can be a Matt Barnes or Bobby Simmons type guy, able to fight his way through the D-League to the NBA.

"I'm not giving up," Harris said. "I have such a positive view after going to Chicago and being able to hold my own against guys that were drafted and some NBA players that came to work out."

Dennis Nett/The Post-Standard

No Combine Invite

Not being invited to the NBA Pre-draft Combine was a big setback for Harris' draft aspirations.

He would've generated a lot of buzz with a 6'11" wingspan and 42" vertical jump, and could have given Blake Griffin a run for his money for most bench press reps. The result would've been a lot more phone calls to Leon Rose to schedule individual workouts, and working out for a higher number of teams equals a higher probability of being drafted.

Cleveland Is a Better Fit Than Minnesota

I know, Syracuse fans and Niagara Falls would've loved to see Paul and Jonny reunited on the same NBA team—which still might happen because if Harris doesn't make the Cavs' summer team the T'Wolves have already offered him a spot—but I think Harris has a better shot at making the Cavs' roster.

The Timberwolves have two rookies (Flynn and Ellington) with guaranteed contracts who will get playing time (maybe three if Rubio stops crying or isn't traded).

The Cavaliers have one, Christian Eyenga from Congo, and he could be a couple of years from stepping on the court.

Also, as much as Paul would love to team up with Jonny again, it might be best for him to get away from Flynn's shadow.

The free agency madness begins tomorrow and the Cavaliers could be set to lose a few players.

Joe Smith might retire, Anderson Varejao wants to get paid in free agency and might not be retained, and the Cavs aren't going to pay Wally Szczerbiak anywhere near the $13 million he made last season.

Lorenzen Wright played on three different teams last year and barely saw the hardwood, and Tarence Kinsey, who has a non-guaranteed contract for 2009-10 was just arrested for DUI.

Cleveland is a veteran team and one of the best in the league. Minnesota doesn't even have a head coach, not the fit a sometimes immature player like Harris needs.

Also the Cavs carried an extra roster spot for most of last year, and one of the closest male figures in Harris' life is SU assistant Mike Hopkins, who has strong ties to the Cavaliers organization.

Blake Griffin Q&A: "People Have the Idea All I Do Is Dunk, Make Layups"

Ryan Miller — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:41:15 -0400

Here is the link to an interview with Blake Griffin from the NBA Pre-draft Combine in Chicago.

Griffin outlines his process training for the draft and what he wants to prove to people in the NBA, and pretends like he doesn't know the Clippers are drafting him.

What have you found most challenging through the whole process?

Just managing my time and always making sure I get all my workouts in. You know, having to go different places. I’ve been to L.A. and New York and just kind of all over the place. I need to get everything in and do what’s important.

Can you tell us what a typical day is like in your world?

When I’m back in San Francisco working out we wake up at 6 and do basketball from 7:30 to 10:30 or 11.

Then we have a little bit of time off and we do our strength and conditioning workouts, and then we go back at night and either shoot or play.

So is there any down time?

We get to eat here and there (insert fake laughs by the media because he’s the No. 1 pick). We have our days off but that’s the way it should be right now. That’s what I’m really focused on is working and trying to get better.

Are you under the assumption you’re going to the Clippers or do you see something happening?

I’m playing it as if I don’t know right now, which I don’t, so I’m not guaranteed anything and I’m going through it just like everybody else is.

So when Dunleavy comes out and says, “We’re definitely drafting you,” you don’t put much stock into that?

Um (laughs)…I’ll say um, I believe him, as one of my next coaches I believe him. But anything can happen and that’s the way I’m looking at it.

You never say never, and like I said, I’m just going through it like I have no idea.

What do you want to prove to people once you get in the NBA?

I think a lot of people have the idea that all I do is dunk and all I do is make layups. Hopefully I can show that I’m more versatile, that I can score from the outside, I can dribble a little bit and be more than just a one-dimensional player.

Is it fun reuniting with old friends and opponents?

I’ve seen some of these guys since high school. You see them every summer and to be around them is great. To see how everyone else is doing and where they’re working out and how it’s going to them is good.

What’s been your favorite part of the whole thing?
Some of the restaurants have been pretty good (laughs). Food is a big part of my life.

Just getting to meet people and the different players that I’ve got to meet and getting a perspective from those guys and taking advice from them.

You’re going to be the No. 1 pick. What does that mean to you?

It means a lot. Going No. 1 or going No. 3 or 4 or 5, it doesn’t change what kind of player I am. I’m still the same player and still do the same things, so to me it doesn’t make me better to go No. 1, but it’s definitely a goal and definitely an honor so it’s humbling.

Did the late Wayman Tisdale have an impact on your game at all?

He did. I didn’t really get to know him until I was in the middle of my freshman year at Oklahoma.

The influence he had on my game and my life, just the way he looks at life in general and the way he views it is a positive influence and something I’ll always remember.

Given your circumstance, how many teams are you going to work out for?

Um, right now we have one workout scheduled and I don’t know other than that, we’ll see.

Are you more aware now that you have all eyes on you in public?

You just have to know that there’s people watching you and you’ve got to be a positive role model and not put yourself in bad situations.

Five years from now, what do you think your life will be like (a different reporter's question)?

Hopefully I’ll still be playing basketball. I’d love to be a guy that’s really helping a team make a run at championships, and a guy that has really improved his game and is halfway through or starting a great career.

Blake, were you done answering that question?

Yes, ma’am (great manners).

Did you offer Willie Warren (Oklahoma freshman that decided not to enter the NBA Draft) any advice?

I told him if you come back you have to dedicate yourself to it and you’ll be fine, and if you don’t (come back to college) you’ll be fine too. So either way I’m here for you and if you ever need anything just let me know.

Does his decision surprise you at all?

A little bit. You know, people said so many things about him leaving and him staying that I just kind of took it as it was. I’m just glad he came to a decision he was happy with.

If somebody described you as the “next blank,” a certain player, who would you wish that to be or who do you model your game on?

I really like how Amare Stoudemire came into the league and I feel like we’re kind of in the same position.

He really liked to use his athleticism and dunk all the time and he slowly developed his jump shot and that’s something that I’m working on right now so hopefully I can kind of be in the category.

Playing basketball as a youth, was there anyone you looked up to in the league?

Obviously Michael Jordan, but when I was younger there was always a different player that I loved watching. I was a big fan of Shaq when I was little, but I don’t think I’m going to play too much like him, though.

I was watching ESPNU today and they were questioning your height. What did you measure?

6’ 8.75” without shoes and 6’10” with shoes.

What did you do in today’s combine workout?

We did the height and measuring yesterday. We did the vertical today, bench press, 20 yard spring and lane agility. I did 22 in the bench (of 185 pounds).

Have you had any conversations with Dunleavy?
I actually met him in the lobby yesterday. It was just very brief.

I know my agents have talked to him and have a good relationship with him, so I look forward to spending more time with him when I go to visit.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results:

Height w/o shoes: 6' 8.5"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 10"
Weight: 248
Wingspan: 6' 11.25"
Standing Reach: 8' 9"
Body Fat: 8.2 percent
No Step Vert. 32.0
Max Vert. 35.5
Bench Press: 22
Lane Agility: 10.95
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.28 sec.

Q&A with Tyler Hansbrough: "I'm going to prove a lot of people wrong"

Ryan Miller — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:25:32 -0400

Is there a criticism of your game that bothers you and you feel is unfair?

I think a lot of times people perceive me as a hard worker and sometimes my skills get overlooked. I’m a capable mid-range shooter, and I think I’ll prove that in a lot of these workouts. Some people say I’m not athletic. I think I move very well and I move my feet well, too.

Does it motivate you when you hear the criticism?

A little bit. Everybody’s already heard this, but I’m not really worried about it. It’s just a bunch of people saying whatever they want. I think I’m going to prove a lot of people wrong.

I heard your dad say one time that they doubted you in high school and they doubted if you’d be a success at North Carolina, but this has always been a dream for you to be in this position.

Yeah, it is a dream for me, but I bet if someone saw me in high school, I bet they kind of doubted me in high school and said I wouldn’t be a good college player. I bet not a lot of people thought I would be the ACC all-time leading scorer. They can doubt me, but I got the job done, and I’m a national champion too, so that’s great. Doubt me all you want, but I think I have a lot to prove.

How beneficial have these couple of days in Chicago been for you?

It’s good just to come out here and get a chance to show all these teams different aspects of your game that you might not get to show them during the regular season. It’s good to come out here and get some competition, too.

Talk about your game from college to pro and your evolution as a player.

I think I’m expanding my game a lot to prepare myself for the NBA. I’ve worked on my outside jump shot a lot and I think that’s coming along. Just getting a lot more skills moves down like ball handling and working on my left hand.

Full video of the interview available here.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results:

Height without shoes: 6'8.25"
Height with shoes: 6'9.5"
Weight: 234
Wingspan: 6'11.5"
Standing Reach: 8'10"
Body Fat: 8.5 percent
No Step Vert.: 27.5
Max Vert.: 34.0
Bench Press: 18
Lane Agility: 11.12
Three-Quarters Court Sprint: 3.27 sec.

Q&A with Sure-Fire Top Five Pick James Harden from NBA Pre-Draft Combine

Ryan Miller — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:08:40 -0400

With the Internet and all the information that’s out there and mock drafts, do you ever check them out to see what’s going on?

I did. I did. But now it’s all out there and guys don’t know where they’re going. Now it’s a process of working out and trying to get a spot on a team. The guys here in Chicago are in the same situation as I am.

Where do you think you’re going?

I have no idea yet. Hopefully in the top five range is my predication.

Do you have workouts scheduled?
Yeah, I have workouts set up later in June. I don’t know which teams. Maybe Memphis, Oklahoma City, Sacramento and Washington.

Is there a team you think you could really play well in their system?
There are a couple teams. Oklahoma City is young and have a two-spot open, which is a great fit. Washington has a great chance of making the playoffs next year, so there are a couple great situations I can be in.

Is there a player in the league you resemble?

Two players, [Manu] Ginobili and Paul Pierce put together, who can find his way to the basket, can shoot the pull-up and deep three balls. Whatever the coach needs him to do he’ll do.

What do people miss when they look at you with what some of the mock drafts are saying about you?

My athleticism. They say I’m not athletic but I feel I can get up there with those guys. I can jump. I probably didn’t show it as much as they wanted me to during the season but I can get up there. And my mid-range game is something I needed to work on over these last two months and I think I’ve improved a lot on that.

Which player did you try to model your game after?

I’m an L.A. guy, so Kobe. He’s a guy I would go home after school and watch him play and see what he has in store.

Have you meet Kobe?

Yeah, I have. We have the same agent so I’ve met him a couple times. Even when I’m back home working out, I’ll go to the Lakers games and watch him play in the playoffs.

Do individual workouts tell your whole story or should we look at what you accomplished at Arizona State?

I think individual is part of it, showing skills you can do as an individual, but put me out there with a good group of guys that want to win and I think I can show more than just my individual talent. I’m not just as scorer, I can pass the ball. I think those last two years at Arizona State helped me because I was a facilitator more than a scorer.

How crazy has this week been? They woke you up at 6:30 this morning?
Yeah, which is like 3:30 or 4:30 in L.A. so it’s really crazy. They just have us doing so much. It’s fun because you get to be around these guys and get to meet the guys. You actually see them play in games and you get to meet them and talk to them in person. I guess it makes the process a lot better just to have fun with it.

Was it just the agility workouts today?
Yeah, we had agility and little workouts today, the vertical tomorrow. I didn’t participate today (he’s too cool). We had the physical and took shots. They weighed us and took our height and things like that.

So your vertical is tomorrow and you mentioned how people might underestimate you vertical. I’ll be back tomorrow to check on your vertical then.

(Laughs) Yeah, I’ll get to prove some people wrong.

NOTE: Harden was right. His 37” vertical jump was tied with Louisville’s Terrence Williams and tied for seventh out of 48 participants, and Harden clocked in at 11.10 seconds in the lane agility, which is almost identical to Chris Paul’s time. He also benched 185 pounds 17 times, but did have the sixth highest body fat percentage at the combine (10.1 percent).

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6' 4"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 5.25"
Weight: 222
Wingspan: 6' 10.25"
Standing Reach: 8' 7.5"
Body Fat: 10.1 percent
No Step Vert. 31.5
Max Vert. 37.0
Bench Press: 17
Lane Agility: 11.10
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.13 sec.

Q&A with Chase Budinger: Speaks at NBA combine about "friends with benefits"

Ryan Miller — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:31:45 -0400

Full video of the interview available here.

[Could your] style of play could lead to an immediate impact in the NBA?

Yeah, definitely. I feel that with my maturity and my experience that I could definitely go on a team and help a team out very quickly and not be one of those guys that takes a year or two to be ready. I feel that I am ready and am able to play right away.

What’s been the most eye-opening part of the combine?

Probably the face to face stuff. Some of the questions you get, them trying to pick at your brain.

What was the craziest thing you were asked?

(Laughs) One of the teams, they were asking about the personal stuff and one of the coaches asked me if I had a girlfriend. I was like, “No, I don’t have a girlfriend.” And then another coach was like, “So do you have 'friends with benefits'?” When he first said that it kind of shocked me and I really didn’t understand the questions and I was like, “Oh, God” after I realized what he was saying. Just things like that they want to know a lot about and they want to know a lot about your personal life.

What’d you tell them?

'No comment' (laughs).

How much have you been prepped for the interviews and psychological testing?

I’ve had some help working on that part but not too much of it. Mostly it’s pretty much on my own just being myself in these interviews, telling the truth, and telling them what I know about things, and that’s pretty much it. I’m not trying to be someone else in these interviews, just trying to be myself.

How important is the interview portion?

It’s important because that’s [when] teams are trying to 'get it'. That’s why teams try to ask tough questions and different types of questions to get us players off our game and off our routine answers and to kind of get to know us on a personal level. I think it’s important for us to be ourselves in these interviews so they get to know us personally.

Chase talks about working with Steve Shenbaum from Game On Media to prepare for interviews. Game On is an organization that focuses on improvisation, role-playing, and humor to help athletes. Shenbaum has worked closely with several BDA Sports athletes in media awareness.

On the “three coin” technique he learned at GameOn (having three different personal stories to share and connect with people):

I’ve got a bunch more 'coins' than three. It’s [the role-playing that] helped me be able to tell stories on certain questions. Steve’s a great guy. Every time I meet with him I love his fun games that we play, a lot of improv stuff.

Has that helped you in the interview process?

I think it’s helped to be more relaxed and be myself, knowing that I have those coins in my back pocket that I can always fall back on. It’s definitely helped me. There have been plenty of times I’ve used the coins. I never thought I would be using those, but there have been perfect questions where I could definitely use one of those for that question.

Did you get connected to Game On through your agent?

Yeah, it’s through my agent. You go and meet with him [Steve]. He’s a fun guy. He was an actor. You do a bunch of improv stuff with him. It gets you kind of flowing instead of being very nervous with your answers and things like that. It gets your more relaxed and you go through a bunch of questions and have stories behind the questions because most teams don’t want you to just answer a question, they want you to give examples about the questions.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6'6.25"
Height w/ shoes: 6'7"
Weight: 206
Wingspan: 6'7"
Standing Reach: 8'5"
Body Fat: 10.0 percent
No Step Vert.: 29.5
Max Vert.: 38.5
Bench Press: 10
Lane Agility: 11.08
Three-Quarters Court Sprint: 3.24 sec.

Q&A with DeJuan Blair: His Weight Dropping and Stock Rising to Lottery

Ryan Miller — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:36:48 -0400

Here is the link to the video of the interview with DeJuan Blair.

You weighed in at 276?! How much weight did you lose?

This morning I saw that I said, “Oh, man!” because I went to Phoenix and they weighed me and I was 289. That was three days ago. I don’t know what I did but it was cool.

Some people think your weight could be an issue

A lot of people are saying that weight can be an issue, but I’m not going to let that be an issue. That’s not going to bring me down. I like the way my body looks. I like the way I feel, and I’m going to keep it up. I’m going to stay healthy and I’m addicted to the weight room now, so that’s all I do.

What’s been the difference? Diet? Exercise?

Both. My nutritionist is on my hard. No more candy bars and no more fried chicken from Primanti Brothers. There’s a lot of things I don’t eat. I’m trying to keep this diet on a high protein and low carbs, and trying to stay in shape that way. It’s going to be pretty good.

Some people say you made a mistake by signing so early and that you should’ve waited to see where you were in the draft

I don’t think so. I think that’s something that they just wanted to see me in college again or might’ve thought I wasn’t ready for it.

There are a lot of things that people couldn’t went from, but I think I’m ready for it. I’m trying to adjust to it, trying to adjust to the NBA life. It’s going to be great.

Like I said before, if your dreams in front of you, why not go and reach for it. You never know what can happen. My dream was in front of me, I reached and grabbed it, and I’m holing on to it tight.

With a lack of height, you’ve got to want to mix it up with a lot of bigger guys to excel down low

Yeah, I love going against taller players because it brings my toughness out. I can be physical.

If someone’s smaller than me like you all saw in college, they’re dropping down, it’s a foul and I’m out.

I can’t wait to go to the NBA because everybody’s big and huge, and it’s a physical game. I think I’m stepping into home, that’s how I feel.

Where’d you get the physical mindset from?

I just got that from when I was younger and playing against older players. Being from my neighborhood and coming up hard.

I came from nothing. When you come from nothing you’ve got to work your way around and be tough. Pittsburgh is tough, period. If you can survive through there, you can survive anything.

Was one of the reasons you turned pro because of your physical superiority at the college level?

Yeah. Like I said, my dream was in front of me and I had a chance to go do it. Why not go do it?

I did everything in college. Our team was going to be great with me. I could’ve got the All-American again and the Naismith and all of that, but I just wanted to go to the NBA. I felt it was the right move signing an agent.

A lot of people were mad but they’re not in my shoes. I’m just having fun. This is the funnest time of my life, doing what I love to do, playing basketball. I’m just working out and trying to be the best man I could.

What did college teach you? What was the biggest lesson?

College taught me how to be mature. You can go to class and they’re not going to tell you what to do. They give you a blackboard with a whole bunch of writing and you learn it and do it all over again.

It taught me a lot of maturity and it taught me how to become a man. Nobody woke me up or took me to practice or do anything, so that’s just another step from high school.

It was pretty fun coming to college and adapting, adapting to people coming from New York and Philly and becoming a family. I like it.

I’m a beautiful teammate so I like to be cool with my teammates because if you don’t got them, what do you got?

You’ve been compared to Shaq personality-wise in terms of being outgoing. Is that something that you think you can bring to a team?

Of course. I love to smile because God woke me up this morning. He woke me up for a reason, to go out there and have fun and do what you do.

You’ve got to have personality. I love to have fun with the media, with my family and with my teammates. You’ve got to make them feel comfortable.

I think I should make y’all feel comfortable just like you make me feel comfortable.

How often do you think about “the play” (giving up the game-winning basket to Scottie Reynolds and Villanova in the Elite Eight)?

I don’t think about it at all. I don’t even know what happened. Can you tell me what happened? I forgot what happened. I don’t even think I was on the court.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6' 5.25"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 6.5"
Weight: 277
Wingspan: 7' 2"
Standing Reach: 8' 10.5"
Body Fat: 12.0 percent
No Step Vert. 26.0
Max Vert. 33.0
Bench Press: 18
Lane Agility: 11.50
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.45 sec.

Q&A with North Carolina's Wayne Ellington from the NBA Pre-Draft Combine

Ryan Miller — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:27:46 -0400

Video of this interview can be found here.

What are people telling you about your game from the collegiate level to the pro level?

Wayne: I think it’s going to be a pretty easy transition, going to Carolina and playing with a lot of talented players around me and playing that style of basketball will definitely help me adjust.

What adjustments do you think you’ll have to make to the pro game?

It’s a whole different level of competition. There are going to be bigger, stronger guys, more athletic guys, and it’s just going to be a level of competition that you have to raise your game to.

Is there a team or teams that match your style or Carolina’s style?

There are a couple of teams. I think a lot of NBA teams run a lot of open sets on the floor that are similar to Carolina, and I’m just looking forward to taking that next step and getting out there and having an opportunity to play.

You entered your name into the draft last year. How improved are you after this past season?

For me, I think I’m just more prepared. Just going back another year and working on my all around game and becoming a more complete player, I definitely feel I’m more prepared this year. We all did the same thing and came back and accomplished something very special. Now we’re here this year looking to take that next step.

In 2005, Florida’s guys came back, won a championship and there stock all rose. Do you see hopefully happening?

Yeah, I think so. I think we definitely didn’t hurt ourselves at all. We came back and we all got better, individually and as a team and we did it on the biggest stage. I think that definitely helps your resume.

You really elevated your game the second half of the year:

I think March is a critical point in the season. I just wanted to raise my play and elevate my game and show some different things that I could do. As a result I think it helped our team a lot and helped me individually as well.

Were you surprised with the MVP award?

(Laughs) A little bit, man. A lot of talk I was doing some work and I was playing well, but at the same time I had a lot of other players on my team doing well. I just thank God.

Talk about your relationship with Gerald Henderson, growing up together, and what this means coming into the NBA together:

We have a great relationship. We do almost everything together. We have the same agent and have been working out together getting ready. We’re just having fun. It’s a fun process and something that’s a dream of both of ours, and we’re happy to be able to do it together.

This preparation process seems to fly by. Has it hit you yet that this is it?

You don’t even really think about it. It’ll probably hit me later that this is the process that I’ve been waiting for all my life. At the same time, right now all you can do is work. I’ve been working hard getting ready to prepare myself to the best of my ability.

When you say you’ve widened your game, what do you feel you do better now than this time last year?

I think I do a lot of things. I think I’m a lot tougher of a defender. I’m a better rebounder. I’m a lot better off the dribble. I think I understand the game a lot better. I think those things are some of the things that are definitely key that I improved in.

What do you feel the ACC does to prepare guys?

I feel like there’s a lot of talent in the ACC. Not only does the ACC prepare us but we go against great competition every night. I feel like that’s a key that helps guys come into the next level. Every night a team can beat you and you’ve got to bring your "A" game every night.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6'4.25"
Height w/ shoes: 6'5.25"
Weight: 202
Wingspan: 6'6.5"
Standing Reach: 8'4"
Body Fat: 5.5 percent
No Step Vert. 31.5
Max Vert. 38.0
Bench Press: 13
Lane Agility: 11.14
Three-quarter Court Sprint: 3.20 sec.

Hasheem Thabeet: One-on-One with the NBA Draft Prospect

Ryan Miller — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:33:02 -0400

How much do you weigh right now and how many pounds to you need to put on before the season?

During the season I went up to 278. At the end of the season, I started doing a lot of conditioning, a lot of shooting, a lot of working out.

In the offseason, I never did weights. I was doing the core and mobility with the Navy Seals in California. I dropped off to 267 right now, and my goal is to get up to 280 or 285, just add muscle.

Has Dikembe Mutombo been an influence to you?

Yeah, I look up to him. He had a great career. Him being not too far from my country and being able to stay in the league for that long and accomplish what he accomplished. He is one of the people I look up to.

Do you think you can be as good as Mutombo?

(Laughs) He’s a great player. I’m looking forward to maybe having a great career like him.

Do you see yourself as being a guy that will have in impact offensively in the NBA?

You can see me from my freshman year to my junior year. I started in my freshman year averaging six points, to the time I was leaving UConn I was averaging 15.

Every year, I keep changing, working hard, and listening to the coaches. That’s the only way I’ll be able to be successful.

You’ve been training with the Navy Seals?

Yeah, the guy I’ve been working out with is a former Navy Seal (Scott Roth). We were out in California. It was me, Darren Collison, and some other guy working out down there. I’m going back to L.A. on the second to keep doing that.

It’s not maybe the way you think. We don’t be in water, it’s a core and mobility workout.

You went head-to-head with DeJuan Blair several times. What makes him so tough of an offensive player to defend?

He is strong. He is strong and heavy and he’s a good player. He’s really skilled and really tough with his size differential.

Sometimes he got me and sometimes I got him, but he was a great matchup and I think he’s tough. He works hard. He works hard all the time.

From what I saw last year, the way he was working, he’s going to be a good player.

NBA Pre-Draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 7'1.25"

Height w/shoes: 7'2.5"

Weight: 267

Wingspan: 7'6.25"

Standing Reach: 9'5"

Body Fat: 6.7 percent

Note: Thabeet was too cool to perform any of the strength and agility testing.

Villanova's Dante Cunningham Wants To Do the Dirty Work

Ryan Miller — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:39:54 -0400

Q: I was just talking to Sam Young about this same topic. Do you see advantages in being a veteran college guy that had to work hard for everything you achieved at the college level, rather than being drafted as a one-and-done based on potential?

A: Definitely, at this point we have the experience. We’ve been through pretty much everything that most of these younger guys haven’t. The NCAA Tournament every year, the Final Four, and the grind in every sense that you’re going to come up against that maybe you don’t get after one year or two years.

Q: What are the best qualities that you bring to the table for an NBA franchise?

A: My work ethic and ability to continue to get better. Doing the defense and rebounding and all the dirty work that most people don’t want to do that I’ll get out there and do it day in and day out.

Q: Have you had workouts for teams yet and where have you been training?

A: I had two workouts, Miami and San Antonio. I’m still at school. My coach, Doug West, does my individual workouts.

Q: Your mom and dad are in the Air Force. Have you heard Hasheem Thabeet’s working out with Navy Seals? You’re not doing any military training?

A: (Laughs) No, nothing crazy like that. I’ve got a weight trainer that pretty much should’ve been in the Army or something. He’s very hardcore and doing everything right to get me ready.

Q: You improved your scoring average every season at Villanova. I was at in Villanova covering your game against Syracuse for the SU media, and you torched the Orange for 31 points. How much did your ability to step out and shoot the mid-range jumper help you offensively this season?

A: I definitely made a great effort in extending my range out to the 15- to 17-foot area. Right now I’m still working on extending out to the three-point line.

I think I’ll be a great power forward just because I’m strong enough to handle a four man. I can also guard guards, but also as a pick-and-pop four when the come out on me. I can give them pump fakes and go around them and things like that.

Q: Last thing, my mom loves Jay Wright. Every time you play on TV she mentions what a great dresser and good-looking guy he is. Would you agree that he’s the best dressed coach around?

A: (Laughs) Of course. He stays in his sharp suits. You hardly ever see him with his tie down or messed up. He always looks the same when he comes into the game and leaves the game.

Q: Didn’t he also have a lucky pig or something for the NCAA Tournament?

A: His daughter gave him a little toy pig and it was good luck. All of a sudden it got out, and by the end of the tournament, everyone on our coaching staff had a pig somewhere. We all had pigs. It was something that was good luck, and it was working.

Q: So he’s a good dresser and a good dad?

A: (Laughs) Good dresser, great dad.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6'7"
Height w/ shoes: 6'8.25"
Weight: 227
Wingspan: 6'11"
Standing Reach: 8'10.5"
Body Fat: 4.8 percent
No Step Vert. 28.0
Max Vert. 35.0
Bench Press: 18
Lane Agility: 11.18
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.26 sec.

Terrence Wiliams at NBA combine: "I get to showcase that I can shoot"

Ryan Miller — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:32:27 -0400

Do you feel like the pre-draft combine format hurts you because your strengths come in a team game with defense, rebounding and passing and the camp is primarily individual-based?

Two weeks ago I would’ve agreed with that because that is my game, but I think a lot of people need to see how well I shoot the ball now. It kind of benefits me because a lot of people that know my game already know that I can do that, passing, rebounding and play defense already. I think the setting is kind of weird because we’re not playing against each other, but I think it does help me also because I get to showcase that I can shoot.

Where do you see yourself playing in the NBA, more of a SG or SF or even being able to bring the ball up the court?
I would say point forward, a player that you don’t label under a certain position because I can get the rebound and run the offense, or I can get the ball and start the offense on the wing.

You’ve played in the Big East for four years, won a Big East Tournament and reached the Final Four. With so many NBA teams drafting on potential, how do you bring a different element to the table?

Sometimes when you draft on potential you pick the right guy and the right guy works out for that team well when you pick a person that’s older, the teams know what they’re capable of. They know that they’re going to get a hard-working guy that knows how to win and knows how to lead a team because he was a senior or a junior in college. When you pick off potential it can go either way, sometimes it works out for a team, sometimes it really doesn’t.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results:

Height w/o shoes: 6' 5"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 6.25"
Weight: 213
Wingspan: 6' 9"
Standing Reach: 8' 7.5"
Body Fat: 5.1 percent
No Step Vert. 30.5
Max Vert. 37.0
Bench Press: 9
Lane Agility: 11.15
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.18 sec.

Marquette's Jerel McNeal Says Defense Will Make Difference in NBA

Ryan Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:35:20 -0400

How was today’s workout?

We stretched out a little bit and went into some skill work on the court. We did a lot of stuff in transition, coming off pick-and-roll situations and also coming off screens and shooting the ball a lot. After that we went to the other court and did all the physical testing: vertical, approach jump vertical, lane agility stuff, ¾ court spring, bench press 185.

You were known as one of the top defensive players in the country (a Big East Defensive Player of the Year) in college. How will you be able to translate that same defensive intensity to the NBA?

I think it’s a situation where that’s going to be one of my strong points and separate me from a lot of other people that play my position. It’s an added bonus that I can bring to the table. Not only can I do things offensively but I’m in situation where I can come in and change the game on the defensive end of the game as well.

With so many individual offensive drills and workouts with teams, is it difficult to show them how you can make an impact on defense?

With a lot of the workouts you end up playing a lot of either one-on-one, two-on-two, or three-on-three. You try to make your mark then not only on offense but on defense as well. You show that you can guard your man one-on-one without any help. Like you said, it’s a little difficult to show, not actually being in a five-on-five set where you’re actually playing and competing and can guard the ball. It’s something that I feel like I’ve proven throughout the course of my career in college too, so hopefully the teams will understand and know what they’re getting.

You’re known as a defender, but made huge strides at Marquette on offense and left as the career leader in points (1,941). Do you think that improvement can show teams you’re still improving at scoring the ball?

It’s definitely a part of it and a part of the progression throughout the course of my career. Each year I played in college my scoring average went up. I make the biggest jump from my junior year to my senior season. Like I said, It’s going to be one of the things that I feel is going to separate me. I feel like I can get it done on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results:

Height w/o shoes: 6' 1.5"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 3"
Weight: 190
Wingspan: 6' 7.25"
Standing Reach: 8' 3.5"
Body Fat: 5.4 percent
No Step Vert. 31.5
Max Vert. 36.5
Bench Press: 10
Lane Agility: 10.61
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.25 sec.

Interview with Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal at NBA pre-draft combine

Ryan Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:18:08 -0400

Have you worked out for any teams yet?

I have my first workout June 1 at Minnesota so I’m looking forward to that and I’m just going to have fun with the whole process.

On how he makes up for his lack of height:

I make up for my lack of height with my length, athleticism, explosiveness, they way I play with a lot of energy and as a high motor guy, so I think I will put all those critics to rest if a respective team will give me the opportunity.

On his performance at the combine:
It’s gone well. I think I’ve played well, shot the ball well, showcase my skills in the drills, tested well, so I think it’s been an overall positive move forward for me.

On seeing guys from high school camps and McDonald’s All-American teammates again:
It’s cool seeing familiar faces. The biggest thing, like I’m saying, is you can’t be too uptight. It’s basketball at the end of the day, it’s what we love and what we have fun doing. You’ve got to prepare for it and work hard, but at the same time have fun.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results:

Height w/o shoes: 6' 7.75"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 9"
Weight: 229
Wingspan: 7' 0"
Standing Reach: 8' 10"
Body Fat: 7.2 percent
No Step Vert. 30.0
Max Vert. 34.5
Bench Press: 17
Lane Agility: 11.93
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.34 sec.

Interview with Duke's Gerald Henderson from the NBA Pre-Draft Combine

Ryan Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:02:23 -0400

On the pressure in preparing for the draft:

"There’s pressure put on you to do well in these workouts. It’s fun, though. I love the game and love competing, and you put a lot of work in these last few months to see how good you are. You just go into those workouts, show them what you’ve got, and hopefully, come June 25, everything works out like you planned."

What changed your mind after you initially entered the draft without an agent?

"There wasn’t any changing of my mind, I just didn’t have an agent at that point. My coaches, and everyone close to me, knew that I was going to go. It’s just at that point, I hadn’t decided on an agent."

Talking about going through this process with high school teammate Wayne Ellington:

"Wayne’s my best friend. I played with him in high school and we’ve been friends up to this point. He’s been great. He had a great career at Carolina. It’s ironic how we came out of high school in the same year and are going on to the next level in the same year.

It’s cool to have him in this process by my side. It’s crazy for something like that to happen, even him coming to Episcopal and both of us being McDonald’s All-Americans.

I’m sure that hasn’t happened a lot. It’s just crazy how that’s happened. We’ve both got the same agent. I was talking to his dad about that a few weeks ago and how it’s worked out like that."

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6' 4"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 5"
Weight: 215
Wingspan: 6' 10.25"
Standing Reach: 8' 6.5"
Body Fat: 4.4 percent
No Step: Vert. 31.5
Max: Vert. 35.0
Bench Press: 8
Lane Agility: 11.17
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.14 sec.

Interview with USC's DeMar DeRozan from NBA Pre-Draft Combine

Ryan Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:45:08 -0400

What’s the thing that people don’t know about you that they should know?
How hard I really play. Every time I’m out there on the court, I do whatever it takes to win, and at the end of the day, I just want to win as a team and not think about anything individual, just enjoy the game of basketball with my team.

Do you pay attention to the mock draft boards?

Naw, I really don’t pay attention to it. People tell me and say stuff, but I don’t really pay much attention to it. I just want to go out there, work hard and let my ability take me where it’s going to take me.

Who do you think you model your game after?

My favorite player is Kobe, but I really don’t compare myself to anybody because I just want to be a player that can work hard and have my own name. That’s one thing I really try to focus on.

How hard was the decision to come back after one year and not spend more time in college?
It was tough. College was fun. I learned a lot in college and grew more as a man in the time I spent in college. It was a hard decision for me, and I was close to home so my family could see me play. So it was close. It was something I talked to my family about, and they just encouraged me to do what I felt was best for me.

Do you think you’ll miss college?
Of course. When I came to college I missed high school, so I know definitely I’m going to miss college.

Obviously, the Wizards are a team that’s interested in you. What can you add to their system?

Whatever they need. That one year of college really made me focus on defense. I really love playing defense now and want to lock down players at my position and get stops. That’s one thing I think I can bring to a lot of teams.

What else did you learn in college that you need to apply to the NBA?
How hard you’ve got to play every play. You can’t let down. Players are too good these days to take one play off or two plays off, because on any given night anybody can give you 20, 30 points. You’ve go to play hard every time down.

Who do you have workouts scheduled with?
Next week I have a couple workouts with Sacramento, Oklahoma, and Washington. I should have a couple more in the next two weeks, too.

Talk about fitting into the Kings program:

The Kings are a great team. They really get out and run. They have a lot of talent over there. They were a great team the past couple years but just need to put in the right pieces. I think that would be a great system for me to fit in as well.

Did you interview with the Kings? Did they surprise you with anything they asked?

I did last night. Everything went good. Every team surprises me in things they ask. It was enjoyable. They asked me what I could bring to their organization. I kept it honest and told them what I can do.

Are you surprised with how much background knowledge and information teams have?
Yeah, it’s crazy how much they know about you, but that’s their job to know a lot of stuff about you, especially if they want you to be a part of their organization. They’ve got to know what type of kid you are, what type of player you are, so you know, it was crazy but I wasn’t surprised.

Did you talk to Washington already?
Yeah, I talked to Washington last night. They knew a lot about me. One of my good friends, Nick Young, plays for them. They compared me to him and were cracking jokes, it was funny.

You’ve been linked to the Knicks. Do you think D’Antoni’s style is okay for you?

Oh yeah, coming out of USC I haven’t really had a problem with any kind of style. I really like D’Antoni’s style how they play and get up and run and push ball. That’s one offense that really caught my eye.

For someone that hasn’t seen you play, what kind of player are you?

Besides my athleticism I just like bringing excitement to the game. Coming out there, giving all that I’ve got and really getting my team going. Getting the crowd involved and doing the little things that motivate us to do more.

How were the drills this morning?
They went good. It felt good to get out on the court because we didn’t do too much yesterday when we got in. It felt good to get in and get some shots up and shoot with the fellas.

How tall were you?6’5” without the shoes and 6’6.5” with shoes.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6' 5.5"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 6.5"
Weight: 211
Wingspan: 6' 9"
Standing Reach: 8' 6.5"
Body Fat: 4.9 percent
No Step Vert. 29.0
Max Vert. 38.5
Bench Press: 5
Lane Agility: 11.88
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.31 sec.

Jeff Adrien interview: "Some of these NBA teams need some toughness"

Ryan Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:07:52 -0400

Going through this whole process with two other Connecticut teammates, does it make it easier and more comfortable?

Yeah, it definitely is. Having those two guys that you’ve been playing the last three years with does make it a little easier and everything, knowing that they’re going through the same thing. But coming out here, it’s like an honor to be out here. You’re surrounded by great players and I’m happy to be here.

Is toughness one of your best attributes you’d bring to an NBA team?

Definitely. Toughness, leadership, rebounding, inside scoring. I think I bring a lot to the table. Just going out there and showing them that I can do that stuff at the next level. Toughness is a very big thing and some of these NBA teams need some toughness.

What position do you feel you would be in the NBA?

I think I’m an undersized four. There are guys at my position that have had great success and I’m trying to fall in their footsteps. I definitely feel I’m physical enough to play the position. That’s my game.

How has this experience in Chicago gone?
Hopefully they don’t wake us up at six again but it’s cool. Today we got out there, broke a sweat, played a little basketball. Stuff that we love to do and the whole process of being here is fun. Being surrounded by great player and being one of the top 52 players out here is an honor.

A couple months later, what’s it like looking back on that six overtime game. You know when the ESPY's come around its going to be the game of the year:

If the ESPY's come around and it’s the game of the year, I hope I’m there to honor it. It definitely was fun game. I loved every second of it. Even though we didn’t win, it still felt like we won. There are some games where you come out and you still feel like you won. We felt like we really gave it our best, and I really think that game helped us get to the Final Four. It was good to have that game.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6' 5.25"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 6.5"
Weight: 236
Wingspan: 7' 2"
Standing Reach: 8' 11.5"
Body Fat: 7.9 percent
No Step Vert. 27.5
Max Vert. 31.5
Bench Press: 16
Lane Agility: 11.34
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.32 sec.

Earl Clark: "I'm Going To Be a Real Special Player in the NBA"

Ryan Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:38:49 -0400

Have you had any workouts for any teams so far?
No. I’m going to start working out after the combine. I’ve just been working out in Florida with IMG and in L.A. at the 360 club.

How has working out at IMG with other great players helped your game?

It’s helped me a lot getting in shape. Coach Thorpe definitely pushes us to a limit you think you can’t go to. He always talks about building the inner beast, and that’s what he does at IMG. He pushes you so hard that you take your game to another level.

What are your expectations here in Chicago at the combine?

My expectations are to show people the person that Earl Clark really is. I just want to open up more and let more people inside the person I am. I’m really a guy that keeps to myself so there’s a lot of people that think they know me but don't really. I’m just here ready to talk to these GMs, show them what type of person I am, and just have fun because it’s an honor to be here.

What kind of NBA player do you expect to be?
I can bring a lot to a team to help offensively as far as getting my teammates involved, rebounding, and defending. I think I can play multiple positions. I think I bring a lot to the table that some of these other guys in the draft can’t bring, so I think I’m going to be a real special player in the NBA.

On the competition growing up in the tri-state area:

You were just battling with everybody, and you become better and took your game to another level. It’s an honor to be here. I want to represent the New York and New Jersey area to the fullest. I’m going to come here and just try to do what we do and play hard-nosed basketball.

When did you start thinking you could make a career out of this?
I always had a dream since I was five years old. A lot of people told me I was nuts. All my teachers used to tell me that every kid that comes here wants to be an NBA player and you’re just another kid. You need something to fall back on. I just stuck with it. I always believed no matter what people told me. I knew one day I was always going to be here. It’s just a blessing to be here, and to accomplish all the things that I have done.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6' 8.5"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 10.25"
Weight: 228
Wingspan: 7' 2.5"
Standing Reach: 9' 1.5"
Body Fat: 5.2 percent
No Step Vert. 28.5
Max Vert. 33.0
Bench Press: 5
Lane Agility: 11.17
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.35 sec.

DaJuan Summers at NBA combine: I bring a lot of versatility to the draft

Ryan Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:00:42 -0400

Who did you interview with yesterday and how intense were they?

I had Philly and San Antonio yesterday. They were different. You don’t really know what to expect. It’s seven people in the room and everybody’s just sitting and staring at you and grilling you, but it’s good. A lot comes into it, but its fun. We’ve got to be formal, get dressed up, and speak well and just have a good time.

You endured some criticism leaving Georgetown early, but you’re one of the top 50 guys in draft by being invited here to Chicago:

I think I bring a lot of versatility to the draft, just a bigger forward who can do multiple things. I feel like that’s a need in the NBA right now. As far as leaving Georgetown early, I think I was ready. I think it’s my time. Me and coach talked about it and he supported my decision, so that helped me make my decision.

Where have you been preparing for the draft?

I’m in Los Angeles, that’s where my agency, Wasserman Media Group in Santa Monica. That’s where I train when I’m not on the road. I just did my first workout here for the Bulls Monday.

How’d the first workout go with Chicago?

It went well. It went well. I think I performed well and I think they liked me, so it went well.

You guys have a crazy schedule at the combine. I heard they woke you up today at 6 in the morning.

Yeah, we got up at 6 this morning for blood work and drug testing. It’s been crazy, but everybody here is pretty close. We know each other from some form of basketball camp or playing in the same league, so it’s cool and everyone knows each other.

What are you trying to show NBA coaches about your game that they maybe didn’t know before?

Just my overall game and the things I’ve improved on. I think I’ve improved on my whole overall game. Just showing that by being more explosive, making better decisions with the ball, just my overall game.

What's your best memory at Georgetown?

Definitely the Final Four my freshman year. That’s my most memorable memory. That whole season we had a pretty good season, a lot big wins, a lot of nail-biter games, so that was probably the most memorable of times.

You’ve had a chance to play against another DeJaun, DeJuan Blair. What makes him so tough?

I think it’s just his will. He wills his way to get rebounds and score, and he’s just very passionate about the game and he shows it. He plays hard every possession. Most guys take plays off and he doesn’t seem to do that.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6' 7.25"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 8.5"
Weight: 243
Wingspan: 7' 0.75"
Standing Reach: 8' 10.5"
Body Fat: 6.6 percent
No Step Vert. 29.5
Max Vert. 34.5
Bench Press: 15
Lane Agility: 10.94
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.17 sec.

Ty Lawson Interview: Teams Will Get a Lot from a PG in This Year's Draft

Ryan Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:48:50 -0400

Here is the link to the YouTube video of the interview.

How much do you see height as an obstacle?

I don’t think it’s an obstacle at all. The NBA is changing. There are a lot more little guys, and they made a rule where you can’t touch the players when you’re driving, so it’ll be an advantage for the little guys. I don’t think it’s an obstacle at all besides mismatches and posting up, but other than that I think it’s better to be little.

This year’s draft is being labeled as a weak draft class, but the point guard position is loaded:

They said it’s weak overall, but there’s a bunch of very good point guards like Johnny Flynn, Jeff Teague, Ricky Rubio (if he comes over), and me. I feel it’s very strong in the point guard position. A lot of teams will get a lot from a point guard that they draft this year.

Does your quickness make up for your height disadvantage?

It does, but also being strong, and having quick feet and quick hands helps me on defense. If someone tries to post me up I can probably get around and not let them post me up, and things like that, so I think the way I’m built helps me out a lot even though I’m a short person.

Have you had the chance to talk to Tyler Hansbrough much here in Chicago?

Not really, we’ve both been kind of busy. He’s in different groups than me. Also, with the team interviews, we haven’t really had the chance to talk.

How do you think Tyler will fare in the NBA?

He’s a hard-working player. He’s been working real hard. Whatever he’s weak in, besides physically like his height, maybe his shot, he’s going to get better in and he’s going to perfect in. I think he’s going to do a lot better than what people think he’s going to do in the league.

Have you worked out for any teams yet?

I’ve only worked out for one team, Phoenix. It went real well, I think I shot the ball real well, which most teams didn’t think I could do. I just want to go there and show teams I can do that, but I’ve only had one workout so far.

You were an early entrant last year before withdrawing your name. How much different is the setup at the pre-draft camp this year?

Yeah, it’s real different. Last year playing games, you could probably up your stock in the five-on-five games. This year it’s just shooting drills and stuff like that, so where you’re coming in the draft is probably where you’re going to stay at. So whatever slot your slot is, that’s probably where you’re going to be at. Pretty much workouts with individual teams are the most important thing, not the combine this year.

When you decided last year to come back to school, how complicated was that decision?

It was real complicated because I had a couple teams saying they would draft me in the higher 20s where I really didn’t want to go. There were “maybes” with the lottery teams, but nobody gave me a definite answer. It was kind of tough to gauge whether I should go or not.

NBA Pre-Draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 5' 11.25"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 0.5"
Weight: 197
Wingspan: 6' 0.75"
Standing Reach: 7' 10.5"
Body Fat: 6.6 percent
No Step Vert. 29.0
Max Vert. 36.5
Bench Press: 14
Lane Agility: 10.98
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.12 sec.

Wake Forest's Jeff Teague NBA pre-draft combine interview

Ryan Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:33:56 -0400

When did you start becoming serious about basketball?

It was my junior year that I really got serious about basketball. My sophomore year I played with great players, and I really didn’t get a great opportunity to be on he court a lot. So when I finally got my chance my junior year he said (his HS coach), “You could be really good with his.” He told me, “If you keep working you can go to a big-time school and are probably going to play a lot.” He gave me the confidence. He instilled it in me and ever since then I’ve just been rolling.

How much influence did your father have in basketball (Jeff’s dad played ball at Missouri and Boston University)?

My dad pushed us to the limits. He played basketball so he knew what it took. He played college basketball and he always pushed us. But my coach was the one that told me because my dad didn’t really know about scholarships and how to get recruited because when he came out there weren’t AAU tournaments and things like that. My high school coach really helped me with that.

What's the most important thing you learned in college to prepare for the next level?

I learned a lot of life lessons. It wasn’t even basketball. It was more growing up, being more mature, being on your own because I was eight hours away from home. I had to learn how to survive on my own, I had to make my money stretch. I had to eat, get good meals and things like that. I think that was the biggest lesson for me.

As you grow into an NBA player and improve, is there a player that you think you could play with that would really help your career?

Any great point guard. I want to learn for someone. The Jason Kidd’s, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and just learn from them. I like to soak things up. When Chris comes back in Winston Salem, I try to listen to everything he says. He’s been there, he knows what it takes to be an All-Star. I just listen and I want to play behind a great point guard and try to learn and develop like that.

Was there any added pressure coming in as a replacement to Chris Paul?

I knew coming in as a point guard for Wake Forest I would have some great shoes to fill. But if you’re a basketball player you want that kind of pressure. You want to come and try to see where you’re at. When I came in, I think I did a pretty good job for Wake Forest in the two years I was there.

Do you see yourself as an NBA PG or SG and is Aaron Brooks’ the type of player you think you are that’s tough to guard on the perimeter?

I feel that any position on the floor, you have to have the ability to score. As a point guard, guys will not respect you and they’ll sag off. It kind of hurts your offense. I always want to be in attack mode and show that I can score, but I really have to show my ability to run a team, pass and get other involved. Aaron Brooks was a prime example this year of what I’d like to be in the NBA.

You’re projected as a mid to late first round pick. You’ll likely go to a playoff team so do you mind having to learn behind a veteran point guard for a year or two?

Every player in the NBA is really good. Whatever team you go to, there’s going to be a starting point guard, and they’ve been in the league for more than one year. You’re going to learn something from them. They had a year of doing this. I’m willing to learn from anyone. If you’ve been there before, I’ll soak it up, and I’ll try to learn as good as I can.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results:

Height w/o shoes: 6' 0.25"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 1.5"
Weight: 175
Wingspan: 6' 7.5"
Standing Reach: 8' 2.5"
Body Fat: 4.5 percent
No Step Vert. 30.5
Max Vert. 36.5
Bench Press: 13
Lane Agility: 11.05
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.18 sec.

Dionte Christmas: "I can definitely be an asset to someone's team"

Ryan Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:13:03 -0400

What are you trying to showcase to coaches and GMs?

Today we had a light skills workout, and I’m just trying to go in there and show these coaches what they want to see and what they expect out of me. All the coaches know I can shoot, and I just try to go into these drills and shoot the ball the best as possible, and show the coaches that I can definitely be an asset to someone’s team.

Are the 76ers in that mix (born and raised in Philly and played for Temple)?

I hope. I hope to God they are. That’d be great. I’ve grown up watching the Sixers play. They have a great history, a great coaching staff, a great young team now. They definitely could use a shooter. There are a lot of good shooters in this draft and I just want to stand out and I hope that the Sixers can see that.

How have you enjoyed the whole experience?

It’s been great. It’s been crazy but I’ve been enjoying the process. I worked out for Chicago and that was my ninth workout. I’m just enjoying the process, man. I’ve been to nine different cities in a week and a half, it’s crazy. Today we had a nice little workout session and I got a chance to work out with some of the best guards in the country, and it’s fun competing against these guys. Hopefully when the draft comes up I’ll hear my name called.

What kind of crazy things do teams ask you?

They ask some crazy things.

Did they ask anything off the wall like if you were a tree what would you be?

(Laughs) They ask you little things like when you see a logo what’s the first thing that pops into your head and things like that. I was surprised at how much those guys know about your background. They even knew how many uncles I had. There’s nothing you can hide from those guys. Anything you say, you can’t lie because those guys know everything.

Is there anyone you worked out with that stuck out that you hadn’t seen before?

I’ve never had the chance to see DeMar DeRozan. He’s athletic. He was dunking the ball and doing all kinds of stuff in the air. He’s a great athlete. Jack McClinton is a great shooter. I never got the chance to see him play on TV, and he was shooting the ball pretty well today. Some of the guys I never got the chance to see on TV showed reasons why they’re here.

What’s the best nickname you’ve heard on ESPN or highlights using your last name?

I’ve heard a lot. “It’s five months of Christmas” and “It’s Christmas all year ‘round” but I never really had any nicknames. I’ve had a lot of slogans written on papers.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results:

Height w/o shoes: 6' 4.25"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 5.5"
Weight: 211
Wingspan: 6' 9"
Standing Reach: 8' 6.5"
Body Fat: 7.1 percent
No Step Vert. 27.0
Max Vert. 33.5
Bench Press: 3
Lane Agility: 10.83
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.21 sec.