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NBA Pre-Draft Camp Media Day (Part One)

NBA Pre-Draft Camp Media Day (Part One)
Jun 10, 2006, 10:23 pm
Interviews from media day featuring Tyrus Thomas, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Randy Foye, J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams.

Check back tomorrow for part two, featuring in-depth interviews with Adam Morrison, Rudy Gay, Ronnie Brewer, Rodney Carney, Patrick O'Bryant and Cedric Simmons.




Tyrus Thomas

Joseph Treutlein How have you been preparing for the draft so far?

Tyrus Thomas Just working out, improving my skills; shooting, dribbling, fundamentals.

Joseph Treutlein You mentioned a lot of skills, is there anything in particular you're working on?

Tyrus Thomas I'm working on everything I'm saying. My weakness is not being perfect.

Joseph Treutlein Is there anything to your game you can offer that we haven't seen at LSU?

Tyrus Thomas I have a lot to offer. You know, you guys like to say that I can't dribble and I can't shoot. That all I can do is dunk and block shots, but that's what was required of me for the team to win, and that's what I did. I could've easily played outside of the system, shot the ball and put the ball on the floor, but we were winning with what we were doing so that's what you stick to.

Joseph Treutlein We understand that, because a lot of times you don't get to fully feature what you can do in college, because of your role, you didn't get to show off some of that ball-handling and shooting.

Tyrus Thomas I let you guys tell it, especially DraftExpress, that I can't do it.

Joseph Treutlein Have you worked out for any teams so far?

Tyrus Thomas I worked out for Portland and Toronto.

Joseph Treutlein How do you think those went?

Tyrus Thomas I think they went well, you know.

Joseph Treutlein Did you work out competitively against anyone there?

Tyrus Thomas No, by myself.

Joseph Treutlein Are you planning to workout competitively against anyone?

Tyrus Thomas No.

Joseph Treutlein Why is that?

Tyrus Thomas I don't feel it's necessary. You know, the teams know what they're going to do. I feel like teams kind of know what they're going to do once the balls come out anyway, you know. So, it's kind of unnecessary for me.

Joseph Treutlein Where do you think you'll be drafted?

Tyrus Thomas I'm not sure, I can't answer that. Where do you think I'll be drafted?

Joseph Treutlein I'm not sure either, you'd have to ask the teams.

Tyrus Thomas I mean, you guys write it, you guys say where we fit best, so you tell me.

Joseph Treutlein I'm not sure, it's hard to say, you'd have to be inside the team's perspective to know that for sure.

Tyrus Thomas Then why do you guys write stuff like that?

Joseph Treutlein I personally didn't write anything in particular.

Tyrus Thomas I'm just saying, you... don't regard this.

Joseph Treutlein If I'm a GM, why should I pick Tyrus Thomas? Sell me on you.

Tyrus Thomas You're not a GM, I don't have to sell myself to you. I mean, I don't know, just watch. GM's watch the game, so there's not much a player has to tell a GM. Because GM's have experience watching what a player is capable of doing and what he's not capable of doing, so I don't have to verbally sell myself to a GM.

Joseph Treutlein Is there anything that you think separates you from a player like LaMarcus Aldridge?

Tyrus Thomas He's a good player, he's talented, he has a drive to win, you know, it's nothing but good players in this draft. You have to have that will. I don't know, I can't really say what separates us.

Joseph Treutlein Do you think you're better suited to play small forward or power forward in the NBA?

Tyrus Thomas Small forward.

Joseph Treutlein What do you think you need to work on to play small forward at the NBA level?

Tyrus Thomas Like I said, you have to keep working on every part of your game. A lot of people don't know, I never played in the post until I got to LSU. It's like riding a bicycle, once you learn, you can't really forget how. I think I'd be better on the perimeter, but if I had to play the post, that's what I'd do.





Brandon Roy

Jonathan Givony

Reporter: Bobby Jones was at the pre-draft camp, having played against him and practiced for four years…he’s really made an impression defensively. What kind of player was he like to play and practice against?

Brandon Roy: For me that was a pleasure for me to have. Bobby Jones is 6-7, he can guard point guards and small forwards. Just his ability to make me change shots, and cut me off…it helped make me a better player. So when I go up against other players now in games and workouts, guys who are trying to shut me down, I went up against one of the best players in the country so I know that it can’t get much harder than that. Playing against him definitely helped prepare me because we played together all summer, he pushed me and I pushed him, so I think that helped me a lot. Everybody says that Bobby is doing great from what I hear. He seems to be playing his best basketball at the best time of his life, so I am definitely happy for him.

Reporter: What is your routine working out?

Brandon Roy: We work out at 9 AM, 9-11. We have lunch, take a nap, then come back from 6-8. We do lots of shooting, some skill stuff, not too much competition. In the morning it’s a little bit more physical, little more playing. Basically just getting ready for the draft, a lot of on ball stuff, pick and roll things, a lot of the things we’ll see in camps so that way when you go into a workout you won’t be like ‘ah, I never worked on that’.

Reporter: Everyone talks about your well rounded game…how would you describe it?

Brandon Roy: I would describe it as trying to do whatever it takes to help the team win. That’s what I’ve always done. At times I’ve had to do things posting up, I don’t mind playing with my back to the basket, and sometimes coach would ask me to handle the ball. I think that over the course of my career, I always wanted to do those things at a high level, so I kept working on my ball-handling, posting up, guarding different players, trying to be all-around and complete…especially in this draft.

Reporter: Some people are saying that you may be a point, and that might be your best position. How do you see yourself?

Brandon Roy: I don’t want to say that I am going to be just a point guard, because I think I can go off the ball and score too. The best label for me would be a combo guard, I think that if you point guard next to me I can still make plays from the wing, and if you put a big-time scorer next to me I can get him the ball, get the bigs the ball. So I think that’s the best part of my game, I am not just a point or just a shooting guard, I can do both.

Jonathan Givony: What happened in the Charlotte workout a week ago with Rudy Gay?

Brandon Roy: The Charlotte workout…everything got messed up. My flight got delayed from Seattle. I got into the airport in Charlotte at 10:30…I got to the hotel at around 12 and I didn’t get any room service that night. Waking up in the morning around 7, it was 4 Seattle time…I was really just jet-lagged. I felt like I was in the middle of the night. I went through the testing and all that…at the end of it I was fatigued, so I talked to Bernie and he understood…we even talked about pushing the workout a little bit with me coming in from the west coast with our time being three hours behind. He understood and I think he wants me to come back later this month…I think he understood and hopefully next time we’ll be better prepared. It was no big deal on their side I think.

Jonathan Givony: So you did the entire workout?

Brandon Roy: No, I just did the agility stuff and things like that.

Jonathan Givony: 15 minutes?

Brandon Roy: No, Charlotte’s is pretty long. About 40 minutes or so it lasted.

Jonathan Givony: Did you do any competitive stuff with Rudy Gay?

Brandon Roy: No, we didn’t get anything competitive in. I think he’ll be in Portland this Thursday with Adam [Morrison]…so that should be a pretty good workout.

Jonathan Givony: Was it disappointing not to be able to do a competitive workout with Rudy in Charlotte considering that they have the #3 pick?

Brandon Roy: More than anything I was more upset that I wasn’t able to do the workout. Talking with Bernie, I think their biggest thing is they don’t care who you work out with, that’s not a big deal to them…they just want to see you get in and do the work done. It’s really weird because the workouts I’ve seen the competitive stuff only lasts 20 minutes, so it’s really hard to judge how guys compete in that amount of time. I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to do the workout…not that Rudy was there or Adam was going to be there. It was just the fact that I wasn’t able to complete it because I was so drained. It was more of that than knowing that Rudy was there.

Jonathan Givony: How did the physicals go today…did everything check out OK as far as the knee is concerned?

Brandon Roy: Yeah, everything is great. I didn’t get back any numbers or anything, but no one said anything so I think everything is pretty good so far.

Reporter: How concerned are you with your knee?

Brandon Roy: Oh, I’m not concerned at all. I think the knee was an issue last year because I tried to come back so early because I wanted to come back and help my team out. Once the season ended my knee was 100%, I didn’t miss any games or practices so I didn’t worry about it at all.

Reporter: A lot of guys have chosen to work out individually, with no competition…why have you chosen to work out competitively?

Brandon Roy: Well that’s my game. I don’t even really like 2 on 2, I wish we could play in 5 on 5 settings. I think people would get more out of me if they saw me make plays off the dribble, create for others, come off the ball and things like that. To go up in an individual workout I think I’ll be fine, but I think I can do better against competition to show people how I can defend and things like that.

Jonathan Givony: How many workouts have you had so far?

Brandon Roy: Actually I only worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers. That was the only one I had. I worked out for them since I was in LA at the time. My agent knew I was going up to Charlotte so he wanted to get a prep workout in. It was a good workout… just to see how they were ran.

Jonathan Givony: What happened with Houston?

Brandon Roy: Houston I had an emergency. And I’ve been saying…at the same time my agent wasn’t too sure he wanted me to go into Houston. We kind of talked about it, and with Houston we thought about rescheduling for a later date. From everything we’re hearing with my agent, we are between 1 through 6. So maybe Houston will try to move up, who knows, but he wanted to see at a later date to see if I go back and workout for them.

Jonathan Givony: How many teams are you going to end up working out for?

Brandon Roy: In the end I think I will do 5. Chicago, Portland, Minnesota, Charlotte again, and maybe Houston. Houston at the end of the month, 24th I think.

Jonathan Givony: No Toronto?

Brandon Roy: No, no Toronto.

Reporter: Do you feel like this is an important week for you, just because you are starting to work out for teams?

Brandon Roy: It’s exciting, Portland is right there, and they are saying that they are very interested, so I want to go in there and play well. Then you have Chicago following, and people are saying that Chicago is considering drafting a wing player. So its going to be a big week. Minnesota is coming up, but at the same time I am excited, but I have to stay ready, stay ready for anything. Just have fun, its basketball, just go out there and have fun, compete against these guys.

Reporter: When do you do Chicago?

Brandon Roy: 17th. Saturday, I think…Portland’s Thursday.

Jonathan Givony: Is this something you imagined last year, you weren’t sure whether to enter the draft or not. It seems like your stock was in MAYBE first round, IF you did good in workouts. Is this something you imagined last year, being in this room, with all these lottery guys…is this surprising to you?

Brandon Roy: I think its something that I always imagined. That’s why I always tried to stay patient, last year and the year before, it wouldn’t have been like this. After coming back this season, I wouldn’t have been able to be in the same company with all these lottery guys. That’s something I’ve always wanted, and now I’m here. I’m excited.

Reporter: Who do you think is the best player in the draft?

Brandon Roy: You mean besides myself? [laughs] I always think that I am the best player. Not to be cocky or anything like that. I think all these guys are great players, but I believe in myself more than anybody.

Reporter: So you said you heard Portland is interested in you?

Brandon Roy: Yeah [laughs]…They are pretty interested. [laughs]

Jonathan Givony: What about Coach Romar…what has his role been in getting you to where you are right now?

Brandon Roy: Its been huge. I think over my four years, he’s helped develop me not only as a player, but as a leader on the floor. So I think his role has been tremendous, especially this last season. He’s put me in so many positions on the floor to do well…I think it’s definitely helped me a lot. You know him being a player’s coach, and him understanding what players go through…and him knowing how to put me in situations to be able to score, and be able to make plays for your teammates.

Jonathan Givony: How do you think UW is going to be next year?

Brandon Roy: I think they are going to be pretty good. I think they are going to be young. I think they’ll do well, I think they’ll have their bumps in the road, and how they handle them is going to determine how good they do. A lot of freshman stepped up for us big time this year and now they have that experience. And hopefully they continue to be successful.





LaMarcus Aldridge

Reporter: How is your relationship with Chris Bosh?

LaMarcus Aldridge: Chris is a great guy, I’ve been working out with him every day in Dallas. We both went to high school in Dallas, so we were big rivals back then.

Reporter: Does it help working out with Bosh every day?

LaMarcus Aldridge: It has been good. It has helped me get used to someone who is as athletic and long as me, and someone who has stronger than me.

Reporter: Do you see yourself as a big forward or a center?

LaMarcus Aldridge: I think I see myself as a combination between a five and a four. My natural position is probably a four, but I can play with my back to the basket and do a lot of different things, so probably a combination.

Reporter: Do you think that the way the traditional center is kind of going away in the NBA is going to help you in this draft?

LaMarcus Aldridge: I think so. Big men these days have to run the pick and roll and shoot the 15-footer all day, so I think that helps me.

Reporter: What is the tone of your workouts with Bosh? It must be competitive…

LaMarcus Aldridge: Of course it is, no one wants to lose. We play a lot of one on one, and it is helping me get used to playing against someone that is longer than me and quicker than me. He is an all-star so if I can get used to playing against him, I think I’ll do alright.

Reporter: How does playing with Bosh in Toronto sound?

LaMarcus Aldridge: It sounds alright. He’s a nice guy and he plays hard, so I don’t think playing with him would be such a bad thing after all.

Jonathan Watters: What teams have you worked out for?

LaMarcus Aldridge: At this time, I haven’t worked out for anyone.

Reporter: Are you going to work out in Toronto?

LaMarcus Aldridge: I don’t know. I let my agent handle that.

Jonathan Watters: If I’m an NBA GM, why do I pick you number one?

LaMarcus Aldridge: I will go out and compete every night and try to win. I work well with my teammates, and will work hard to get better every year.

Jonathan Watters: Who are the players that you pattern your game after?

LaMarcus Aldridge: I try to do it after KG, but also Tim Duncan, because I like to face up and shoot the jumper, but I also can use the jump hook.

Reporter: How tall are you?

LaMarcus Aldridge: With shoes, I’m 6’11.

Reporter: What are you weighing in at?

LaMarcus Aldridge: 235.

Jonathan Watters: Have you put on weight since the end of the season?

LaMarcus Aldridge: I’m probably about the same.

Reporter: Do you think you need to put on weight to play in the NBA?

LaMarcus Aldridge: Everybody says I need to put on strength, that I need add 10-15 pounds, but KG isn’t 275. He’s wiry, and he’s strong enough to compete.

Jonathan Watters: What do you think you need to improve on?

LaMarcus Aldridge: Just on my skill work, playing the pick and roll because that is what the NBA is about. I’ve worked hard on understanding the game, my court vision, knowing when I should fight for position, when I should set a screen, when I should go to the other block, all the little tricks of the trade that I can use.

Reporter: What is your biggest challenge?

LaMarcus Aldridge: Looking back on the season, I think I played well against 4’s like (Kevin) Pittsnogle, but I think getting used to the banging night in, night out will be the biggest transition.

Jonathan Watters: What is one attribute of yours that you’ll be able to use right away in the NBA?

LaMarcus Aldridge: Beyond my mobility, I would say my sky hook. That’s the most unstoppable shot in the NBA, so I feel like if I went out tomorrow I could get my sky hook off on anybody.

Reporter: How much of a goal is it of yours to go number one?

LaMarcus Aldridge I really haven’t gotten into it much. I’m just working out. I think getting drafted is a blessing, so if I end up going two or three, I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Jonathan Watters: What style of play do you think you will fit in best with in the NBA?

LaMarcus Aldridge: I think I can fit in with any style of play, but I think a faster paced team that wants to get up and down and run the floor, I fit in well with that.

Jonathan Watters: We know your agents are handling all your team workouts, but would you personally like to matchup against some of the top guys in a competitive workout?

LaMarcus Aldridge: I really don’t want to get into that. My agent has been doing this for a long time, so I let him handle that.





Randy Foye

Jonathan Givony: It seems like you have a lot of workouts underneath your belt already. Maybe more than anyone else in this room so far. How many have you had so far…six?

Randy Foye: Eight.

Jonathan Givony: So is that the strategy? Just leave no stone unturned? Make sure there is no doubt in anyone’s mind as to where you should be drafted? A lot of guys here haven’t done even one workout yet.

Randy Foye: My main focus was just to get out there and start working out for teams and show them what I’ve got. I didn’t want to just wait around…because obviously I’m not a [smiling] Tyrus Thomas or LaMarcus Aldridge so I just wanted to get out there and start working out for certain teams to show them what I’ve got. I just wanted to show them that I am in shape and everything.

Jonathan Givony: What have you been able to show teams that they haven’t seen already during the season?

Randy Foye: A lot of people tend to question my point guard skills. But once they see my workouts and see how I handle the ball…and then watch more tapes to see how I handle the ball in game-situations, they see that I am more of a point guard than a two. I think that’s something that has been coming out a lot now…that he is more of a point guard.

Jonathan Givony: Has that been an emphasis for you in two on two stuff…showing that you are point guard….people know that you can score, but are you trying to show the other stuff you can do?

Randy Foye: Well when I play, I stick to what I can do. I am a point guard, I think pass first and shot second. But obviously I had to adjust to what my team needed me to do.

Jonathan Givony: How did you prepare specifically for the NBA draft? With a trainer?

Randy Foye: I trained with a trainer. I took two weeks off to get myself back into shape. Getting a lot of shots up, working on my ball-handling and working on certain testing that I know I would have to do.

Jonathan Givony: Who has impressed you the most so far? You’ve had eight workouts… that can be as many as 30 guys you’ve worked out with. Has anyone impressed you in particular that you’ve gone up against?

Randy Foye: J.J. Redick. Every time me and J.J. played on a team we’ve played well together. A lot of people look at J.J. as being just a shooter, but he is more than just a shooter. He can do other things. He did everything pretty well.

Jonathan Givony: What do you see your range being as far as the draft goes?

Randy Foye: I think that all the teams I’ve been working out for. Anywhere from 4 to 14. But it doesn’t really matter where I am drafted as long as it’s the right fit.

Reporter: What is the right fit?

Randy Foye: I think I can play at two different paces. I can play up and down, and I can also play in the half-court, in the pick and roll. I think that any team fits my style of play.

Reporter: Talking to some scouts here in Orlando, they are kind of torn as to whether you are a point guard or a shooting guard. How do you see yourself?

Randy Foye: I see myself as a point guard. It’s kind of hard, because a lot of people that haven’t seen me, they’ve haven’t seen me handling the ball and controlling the ball at the end of games. I look at that. That’s a point guard. I am making big-time decisions. I’m not just taking shots, I’m making decisions when the game is on the line. I can play any position. I can adjust to any position. You play me at the 3, I will adjust to it. Whatever the team needs me to do. I don’t believe in a pure point guard or a pure shooting guard…I am a basketball player. A guard.

Jonathan Givony: The four guard system at Villanova…do you think that helped you show the scouts what you can do…or did that hurt you?

Randy Foye: I think it helped me. Because Kyle played the point guard at the beginning of the game, and I was the backup. Kyle played 27 minutes a game, so those 13 minutes, when he wasn’t on the floor, I was the point guard. That might not seem like a lot now, but when you look at my assist to turnover ratio when he wasn’t on the floor, it was pretty good.

Jonathan Givony: How did the measurements go for you? You are listed at 6-4…did you measure out at 6-4 in shoes?

Randy Foye: No. In shoes I am 6-3. They just made it look good at Villanova [laughs].

Jonathan Givony: Seems like there was a lot of that going on at Villanova this year, huh?

Randy Foye: I am close to 6-4. I worked it out I was like this far [holds fingers very close apart] [laughs]. It wasn’t even an inch. It was like right there at the top. 6-3 and…

Jonathan Givony: Get on your tippy-toes a little? [laughs]

Randy Foye: Na, na not at all.

Reporter: Do you think there is too much made of this size thing, about whether or not you are big enough to be a 2-guard? It seems like you are just a basketball player.

Randy Foye: I don’t see myself as a 2-guard. Like I said, I play point. I know I can play point, and point guard is my true position. I see myself as a basketball player that is able to play any position.

Reporter: So you are saying that size doesn’t…really…matter.

Randy Foye: It’s all about having heart, and toughness. You can have the biggest guy, but if he doesn’t have any heart, there is no use for it.

Jonathan Givony: Do you think that your background growing up without your parents…how has that molded you into the guy you are right now terms of toughness and heart…that seems like something that might have had an impact on the player you are right now.

Randy Foye: I’m just humble. Everything that happened in my past just humbled me. I am the same person. I don’t think that anything is going to be able to change me. Money…celebrity status…you can’t change me. I know where I came from and I know what it takes to get to certain situations. That’s being a blue-collar hard worker and person. And that’s one of my biggest things, just not to change, what happened in the past just try to stay the same, just try to be honest.





J.J. Redick

Jonathan Givony

J.J. Redick:

Jonathan Givony: How did you prepare yourself for the draft? Anything special you worked on that you didn’t do during the season?

J.J. Redick: No, not really. I think that what I did during the season was pretty effective. I didn’t really have to change anything. I’ve been out in LA with Brandon [Roy] and Shelden [Williams], Matt Haryasz, working out with one of Arn’s guys twice a day. Couple of weeks ago we started workouts so we all kind of just dispersed.

Jonathan Givony: What about private workouts? What have they asked you to do there? It seems like shooting drills would be kind of pointless.

J.J. Redick: I think they asked me to do the same thing everyone else what asked to do. Obviously teams are looking at my defense, and whether or not I can score off the dribble.

Jonathan Givony: How do you think you’ve done so far?

J.J. Redick: I think I did as well as I did during the season. Been pretty successful. I know that I have a lot of doubters out there and I am cool with that. I kind of just want to get this month over with so I can start playing ball.

Jonathan Givony: If it were up to you, would the NBA draft be like the WNBA draft, where it’s two days after the NCAA championship game?

J.J. Redick: No, no. The men’s game is so different. I think there needs to be a longer evaluation period. The other big difference is the pay. Teams are making a big investment in us, hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars, so there needs to be an evaluation period. They could probably tweak a couple of things, but it’s worked for so long.

Jonathan Givony: How many workouts have you done so far?

J.J. Redick: I’ve done four so far. I have four or five more scheduled I think.

Jonathan Givony: What teams?

J.J. Redick: Golden State, Utah, Seattle and Houston.

Jonathan Givony: What do you see your range being?

J.J. Redick: I kind of just listen to my agent. I don’t really get caught up in what other people are saying about my range. We feel good about a few teams, from Boston to Houston to Utah. A few teams in there. And then there are probably a few teams that would like me. Wherever I end up, I just hope it’s a good situation.

Jonathan Givony: There’s been a lot of talk recently about the pre-draft camp and how it’s set up. If it were up to you, and everyone would play in the pre-draft camp…would you prefer it that way where you can really go out and show what you can do with all these guys in the room, or do you prefer it this way with all the dodging, posturing, maneuvering and all that stuff?

J.J. Redick: I don’t really think the pre-draft camp, the five on five portion, is necessary. Especially since most of the guys that end up there are four year college players, or guys that played in college. If you’re coming from high school chances are you’re not going to go to the pre-draft camp. Teams have so much scouting tape or have seen these guys in person…a GM or scout was at every single one of my games over the past four years. So what’s the point of me playing in five on five after that?

Jonathan Givony: Well you have a guy like Chris Duhon, or Daniel Ewing, or even Sean Dockery who was great in Portsmouth. It really didn’t seem like we had a chance to see everything he could do in his four years in college, maybe because of the system or whatever…

J.J. Redick: I think it’s good for certain guys. It probably helps them more so than a two on two setting. You also have to figure that guys are being put in situations where they are unfamiliar with their teammates and all that stuff. Some guys are just naturally unselfish.

Jonathan Givony: Well thank you J.J. Good luck in the next few weeks.





Shelden Williams:

Jonathan Givony: You guys had the physicals and measurements today. How did you measure out?

Shelden Williams: I think 6-7 ¾.

Jonathan Givony: Without shoes?

Shelden Williams: Yes.

Jonathan Givony: So a solid 6-9.

Shelden Williams: Yeah, just under 6-9.

Reporter: What are you weighing these days?

Shelden Williams: Probably about 250.

Reporter: Have you been putting on a lot of muscle?

Shelden Williams: I haven’t really been playing up and down like we did during the season. There is a lot of half-court stuff so we haven’t really been working out as much as we usually work out.

Jonathan Givony: How many teams have you worked out for so far?

Shelden Williams: About 6 teams.

Jonathan Givony: Remember which ones?

Shelden Williams: Houston, Golden State, Utah, Oklahoma, Seattle, Boston.

Jonathan Givony: Which one do you think went the best?

Shelden Williams: I think they all went pretty well. I worked out for those 6 teams and, you know, they all went pretty well.

Jonathan Givony: How does the NBA private workout setting suit your individual skills? Do you feel like you are more of a five on five guy, or does two on two suit you well too?

Shelden Williams: Well there is no five on five or two on two. It’s just a matter of positioning anyway, and I think that with me being a four year player they have a pretty good idea of what I can do. So they didn’t have us do something out of our expectations. I think that by them knowing that I can go up against centers, that helped me out a lot.

Jonathan Givony: How was your jumper been falling for you lately? Is that something you’ve been working on?

Shelden Williams: I mean, that’s something I’ve always had, I just never had a chance to showcase it because we have such great shooters out on the perimeter. Most teams have been surprised by how well I can shoot. That’s something that I’ve shown teams and they’ve been surprised by.

Jonathan Givony: How tough is it for you to hear from people that you have no upside?

Shelden Williams: I really don’t read into all that stuff. I just go out there and people know what to expect from me. I’ve been on TV 13 times every year for four years. People know how I play and how aggressive and hard I am. So I really don’t read into what people have to say about potential or upside or anything like that.

Jonathan Givony: How much room do you personally think you have to continue to improve?

Shelden Williams: It really depends on what team I go to. Whatever system I fit in, that will decide on how much I can improve in that system. No one can really say how much they can improve because like I said, it really depends on how well you fit into whatever system you get drafted into.

Jonathan Givony: How do you think Duke is going to do next year?

Shelden Williams: Duke is always pretty well off. That’s a program that keeps on reloading, they never rebuild, they just reload. They have some great talent coming in and I expect some big things from them again.

Jonathan Givony: Did Josh Mcroberts talk to you about the draft?

Shelden Williams: He was thinking about it, but he thought that he isn’t ready for it and that he could really use a second year.

Jonathan Givony: Thanks Shelden. I appreciate it.

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5.8 Points
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19.8 PER
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8.7 Points
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1.3 Assists
10.9 PER
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19.7 Points
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25.8 PER
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2.0 Points
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0.0 PER
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7.5 Points
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0.3 Assists
3.3 PER
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4.2 Points
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15.3 PER
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3.3 Points
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9.4 PER
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19.1 Points
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20.4 PER
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8.2 Points
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2.5 Assists
16.3 PER
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11.6 Points
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2.2 Assists
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2.9 Points
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2.9 Assists
8.0 PER
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5.8 Points
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1.2 Assists
11.4 PER
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3.0 Points
0.6 Rebounds
1.0 Assists
10.0 PER
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