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

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.