http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/prospects_impress_at_workout_no_1.html
We took a few notes during the last 15 minutes of the first round of prospect
workouts on Wednesday, and subsequently spoke to the participants. Take a
look at some observations along with interview transcriptions of Randy
Wittman and former Minneapolis North and Wisconsin guard Kammron Taylor.
Notes and Observations
After Florida forward Joakim Noah, Washington center Spencer Hawes, Towson
guard Gary Neal and Taylor completed a series of drills for the Wolves'
basketball brain trust, the doors were opened for media observation. Present
writers and reporters were treated to games of 2v2 and 1v1. Here's what
happened:
-- Noah and Taylor teamed up against Hawes and Neal in a game of 2v2, with
Wolves general manager Jim Stack running the show (while Wittman, Bob
Ociepka, Kevin McHale, Rob Babcock and Fred Hoiberg looked on). Whoever
scored two buckets first would be the winner.
-- On the first possession, Taylor provided the entry pass for a flashing
Noah, who gave Hawes a terrific up-and-under move for a bucket. However, Neal
countered with a nice look to Hawes, who finished underneath, and then dished
back out to the Towson guard for a three to win it.
-- The rematch was on immediately, this time with Neal pulling up and showing
a silky, hanging jumper that split the net. Neal then dove, attempting to
grab a long rebound on a Taylor miss, and slid at least 28 feet on the floor
(maybe not that far, but he was pretty sweaty). After Hawes swatted Noah,
Neal dribbled to the baseline and hit a leaner for the win. It was quickly
apparent why Neal averaged 25.3 points in college, even if the program he
attended wasn't very notable ... the kid can flat-out score.
-- While his team lost, Noah showed that all of the buzz regarding his work
ethic is certainly not without reason. He was literally all over the court,
doing a little bit of everything, including knocking down jumpers despite his
awkward-looking form. Furthermore, his intensity isn't exhibited solely
through physicality; after missing the chance for an offensive board on a
Taylor miss, he screamed "Two hands!" at himself. There's no way he isn't
effective in the NBA ... he does too many things well and is already a
terrific "glue guy."
-- Noah and Taylor got their revenge when Stack and Hoiberg switched the
drill to a controlled (three-dribble max) high pick-and-roll set in which the
first team to five took the cake. Taylor showed his explosiveness getting to
the rim despite the dribble restriction, and won it for Noah after the UF
grad earned an extra possession with a terrific leaping save when most would
have given up on the play.
-- The final drill of the day featured the two guards taking on the two bigs
1v1. Essentially, Taylor or Neal would start with the ball at half court with
the bigs waiting in the lane. If the bigs got a stop and secured the rebound,
it was a point for them, and if the guards scored, they likewise got a point.
Taylor struggled to find the hole in this particular drill, and both Noah and
Hawes showed strong defensive presence in the lane to emerge with a 5-3
victory. While Hawes is just 19, he has terrific feet and hands, and has all
of the skills you look for in a big man. It might take a year or two, but
just like Noah, it's hard not to think he'll be a good pro. Finally, don't
sleep on Neal just because you haven't heard of him. He has some serious game.
Wolves Head Coach Randy Wittman
Q: On Wednesday's workouts:
Wittman: It was a good experience. As I try to tell these guys, just enjoy
it, be yourselves and don't try to be anything other than who you are. You
know what you are, and in watching you play over the years, we know who you
are and what you're capable of doing. It is hard sometimes, but I thought for
their first workouts they came in and did well.
Q: On considering Kammron Taylor with the 41st overall pick:
Wittman: You've just got to do your homework. This is a local kid that went
and had a hell of a career at Wisconsin, and throughout the process of his
career just continued to improve. I think you've got to always cover your
bases no matter where it is -- whether it's the seventh pick or the 41st
pick. Maybe he goes through on draft day, becomes a free agent... There are a
lot of different scenarios for a lot of these kids that you just want to make
sure you're ready for. He's a kid that we've watched grow as a player at the
university.
Q: On what he looks for from a player like Joakim Noah:
Wittman: I just think that with the game is evolving a little bit, we've seen
how the people in the West are playing and we're looking to become bigger and
more athletic. Obviously that's what Spencer [Hawes] and Joakim provide.
Spencer being a younger guy with a great ability to score in the low post and
has good feet; he's a young kid that has to continue to work on his strength.
Joakim is a guy that's tall, athletic and does all the intangibles -- he
runs, defends and rebounds, all those little things that a coach likes.
Q: On Noah's winning background:
Wittman: Obviously he is a winner. To do what that team did back-to-back, it
hasn't happened since 1991-92 and there's a reason why it was that way: It's
hard to do. You've got to look at that group of (Florida) players there and
know that they're winners.
Q: On whether or not Hawes has received too much criticism for his lack of
agility:
Wittman: Absolutely. He's got great feet and hands, and like I said, it's
just a matter of his body maturing as he continues to get older. He's going
to be a good player in our league.
Q: On Taylor's ball-handling abilities:
Yeah, I think he (could work on) his ball handling a little more. He's got to
show the ability to run a team a little bit rather than just look strictly at
being a scorer. But like I said, where he was as a freshmen going there
(Wisconsin) to where is right now -- he's made great strides.
On enjoying his first "hands-on" draft as Timberwolves head coach:
Wittman: Oh sure (I'm enjoying it). This is a situation where you just make
sure that your bases are covered. All of a sudden maybe somebody falls to
you, whether its a number seven or 41 or becomes a free agent, and we have to
make sure we have our homework done and are ready to make the move that we
need to make in order to get this team better.
Q: On Noah's size and skills:
Wittman: He's a guy that has great size, and along with that size, (he has)
athletic ability. He's a freak a little bit in that nature in terms of what
he can be. He could be one of the great runners in our league up and down the
floor, and he has the ability to guard any position. They had a lot of
switching and pick-and-rolls at Florida where he was put on the point guard,
and he has the ability to move with his feet and rebound and defend. Those
intangibles are things that coaches love, and you'd love to have a player
that's capable of doing all those things while playing multiple positions.
Those are the things that make your team better.
Q: On whether he prefers four-year college veterans to early draft entrants,
given the success of last year's rookies Randy Foye and Craig Smith:
Wittman: Not necessarily. It's all relative to whom you're talking about.
Obviously it helps -- these kids that stay for four years, as we had in Craig
and Randy, or three years, like Joakim Noah -- they come with more basketball
savvy, more basketball IQ. But there are players out there, the Odens and
Durants, those players that are special talents. So you have to weigh the
situation.
Guard Kammron Taylor
Q: On working out for hometown team:
Taylor: It was great. To play in front of a team, in front of the coaching
staff who I grew up watching play, it felt great. It'd feel even better if
they decided to (pick) me at 41, but anything can happen. It was just a great
experience.
Q: On fulfilling his NBA dream:
Taylor: I just want to be able to get on a roster. I know (the Wolves) are
guard heavy but I love competition. I wouldn't be playing basketball if I
didn't. I know that they just drafted, last year, Randy Foye, who's probably
going to be their (starting point guard), but I'm the type of guy who can
come in here and push him and make him better.
Q: On whether he was nervous for his first NBA Draft workout:
Taylor: I was more excited than nervous. Just the fact that I'm trying out
for an NBA team, and it's something that I grew up dreaming about. And to
start my first workout with the home team where I'm from, where I grew up;
it's pretty exciting.
Q: On the his expectations of his first NBA draft workout:
Taylor: It was what I expected. I was down in Indianapolis for about two and
a half weeks training with Ed Schilling -- he used to be an assistant coach
for the New Jersey Nets -- so I kind of knew some of the drills we were going
to be doing. We first came in here and one of the first drills we did was
something that I've been practicing for about two and a half weeks. I feel
like the guy I was training with before got me prepared for it.
Q: On the initial NBA impact he believes he could make:
A: When you get to this level, any team you get drafted to, they're going to
have one or two stars on the team and they're not expecting a 6-2 point guard
to come in and take the team over. They want to be able to trust him with the
ball and make sure he doesn't come in and make bad decisions and I feel like
I've showed that over the last three years at Wisconsin.
Q: On what he thinks NBA teams need to see in his playing ability that he
didn't necessary show at Wisconsin in order to fit into their plans:
A: Probably being able to be a little bit better of a playmaker. When I was
in college I didn't have a high assist (total), but I wasn't turning the ball
over. I could be that type of guy, that's just a solid backup point guard who
could knock down the open shot. You look at a guy like Daniel Gibson, the
things he's doing; I could see myself doing the same thing for any team.
Q: On his expectations on draft day:
A: My expectations, honestly; I want to get drafted. It doesn't matter where
I go, if I'm the last pick, if I'm No. 50, or if I'm No. 41 to the
Timberwolves. I want to get drafted, but if that doesn't happen I'm still
going to work my butt off to try and get on a summer team and prove myself
there.
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