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bobcats.com
June 13, 2008
in Charlotte to work out on Friday.
Video - Day 3 | 35 UPDATED PICS - Gallery | Draft Central
Charlotte's preparation for the 2008 NBA Draft continued Friday at the Presbyterian Hospital Training Center at Time Warner Cable Arena with Texas A&M's DeAndre Jordan, Georgetown's Roy Hibbert, Nevada's JaVale McGee and Hyeres-Toulon's Alexis Ajinca (France) all participating in draft workouts with the Bobcats.
DeAndre Jordan is an early entry candidate for the 2008 NBA Draft and is projected to go in the Top 12 in our consensus mock draft. As a freshman at Texas A&M, he led the team in rebounding (6.0, ranked 13th in the Big 12), blocked shots (1.3, ranked eighth in the Big 12) and field goal percentage (.617). He also averaged 9.7 points on his way to earning Big 12 All-Rookie Team honors.
JaVale McGee is also an early entry candidate for the 2008 NBA Draft and is expected to be a first-round pick. Following his sophomore season in 2007-08 he earned Second Team All-WAC honors and was named to the league’s All-Defensive Team. He led the WAC in blocked shots (2.8, ranked 14th nationally), ranked second in rebounding (7.3), and ranked 10th in scoring (14.1 points). McGee finished his two-year collegiate career as the fourth all-time leader in blocked shots in Nevada history with 122.
Roy Hibbert finished his four-year collegiate career ranked 15th in scoring, eighth in rebounding and fourth in block shots on Georgetown’s all-time lists. As a junior, he helped to lead Georgetown to its first Final Four since 1985. Following his senior season in 2007-08, he was selected to The Associated Press All-America Second Team and the All-Big East First Team after leading the Hoyas in scoring (13.4 points), rebounding (6.4) and blocks (2.2). He ranked third in the Big East with a .609 field goal percentage. Hibbert was the key cog in a senior class which led the Hoyas to a 100-36 record over his four years on campus.
Alexis Ajinca is also an early entry candidate for the 2008 NBA Draft. He grew up playing in France as an amateur at Centre Federal (INSEP) in the French NM1 League before making his professional debut in 2006-07. Started pro career with Pau-Orthez before moving to Hyeres-Toulon in 2007-08. In his first season of extensive action, he was averaging 5.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.8 minutes a contest with one game remaining in the French ProA league regular season.
Bobcats Head Coach Larry Brown, Jordan, Hibbert, McGee and Ajinca all spoke with the media following the workout.
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(On the workout)
They were great. They were fun. They worked hard. It was a heck of a group. Those kids, they’re all going to be going early in the draft I think. They are all athletic. They are all coachable. It was an interesting group. I had gotten to see Roy (Hibbert) a lot and DeAndre (Jordan) played for one my ex-players and ex-assistants, Mark Turgeon, at A&M. I’ve seen the others, but seeing them in person, for young kids, they are really athletic and motivated. It was a great workout.
(On the athleticism of these players)
I saw on film Alexis (Ajinca) with the select team. He’s gotten bigger since the last time I saw him, but I knew he was athletic and I knew McGee was athletic. DeAndre (Jordan) I wasn’t sure of, but boy he’s athletic off the charts. Roy’s (Hibbert) is just so coachable, so conscientious. You can tell when a kid has been to school for four years and gone through a good program. He’s fundamentally really sound. They all got better as the day went on.
(On DeAndre Jordan)
I speak to his coach (Mark Turgeon) almost daily. I was really encouraged. I had no idea he was this explosive. He’s very coachable and wants to get better. We can’t lose sight that a lot of these kids are barely 20. Young big kids take a little longer to develop. When they are barely 20 and that explosive and athletic and conscientious, you have a pretty good situation.
I know Mark (Turgeon) thought the world of him and Mark wants what’s best for him. Mark thought if he was going to come out and be an early pick that was something that he should do. Mark said he’s a young kid that wants to get better. It was new to him and the Big 12 is pretty competitive. I remember watching Tim Duncan as a freshman. He wasn’t the finished product we saw after being with Dave (Odom) for four years. He got better and better and better. This kid (Jordan) is so athletic and so quick. I think he’s a good guy. He’s working out in Philly with a terrific teacher in John Hardnett. John’s real excited about his progress. If it was me, I wish they would all, like Roy, go to school for four years and have great coaching. Then when they got to this level, it would be a lot easier. If you draft any of these young kids, it might take time. I’m okay with that.
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(On the workout)
The workout went great. Larry Brown really coached us today. He really taught us today. It really helped us. We all competed, went after each and went hard.
(On what makes this workout unique)
It’s great because he (Coach Brown) teaches. It’s not just an up-and-down, full-court and we’re just going to let you guys bang. He really taught us some things with the ball, without the ball and some moves. If we messed up, he just stopped and taught it to us. He just didn’t blow it off. He was real hands on and really taught us a lot today.
(On his decision to declare for the Draft)
It was difficult. I sat down with my coaches and my family and we all decided it was the best decision. It was good for me to come out and move on to that next point in my life.
(On where he thinks he might be selected)
You hear a lot of stuff, but I don’t really listen to it. I just try to come out everyday and work as hard as I can just to be in a great position when the draft comes around and just go to a great organization.
(On what he knows about the Bobcats)
My former college coach, Coach Turgeon, is real good friends with Coach Brown. He (Coach Brown) coached him and he (Turgeon) coached with him (Brown). His (Coach Turgeon) philosophy is the same (as Coach Brown's). I’m sure it would be a little change, but I’m sure the philosophy is within the same lines. I would probably fit in well.
(On the other workouts he has had)
This is my third one. I went to Memphis and Indiana yesterday.
(On the difference in the workouts)
They were all good. Everybody taught us well. There was some great competition in all the places I’ve been in.
(On his strengths)
There are some things that centers in the NBA can do that I, and my college coaches, feel like I can do like getting up and down (the floor) and helping any team with rebounding, size and athleticism.
(On being taught by Larry Brown)
It’s great. He really cares about people developing their potential. It was great one-on-one and he really helped me a lot out here. Now I have to take it and use it.
(On what Larry Brown talked to him about his jump shot)
(He said) just keep the ball of my palm on my fingertips and just to shoot it high and follow through.
(On if his jump shot is something he needs to improve)
I’m not going to be in the post all the time. I have to come out and set some screens and they will probably leave me open in the 12-15 foot range, so I have to knock that down.
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(On the workout)
It went well. We had three other guys - really big, athletic, long guys. We went really hard today. Everybody gave 110%.
(On what he felt he had to do at today’s workout)
These guys have been through the process and are obviously projected a lot higher than myself, so I had to go out there and be a lot more physical. I felt like I played extremely hard, posted up strong and made some buckets around the rim, so I felt like I did my part.
(On the competition at today’s worktou)
Obviously I love playing against other seven-footers. It brings out a little bit of something else in me. I had fun. It’s a job interview and I had to go out hard today.
(On where else he has worked out)
This is my fifth place. I’ve worked out in Utah, Sacramento, Seattle and the Pacers yesterday.
(On what was different about today’s workout)
What was extremely different was that Larry Brown took the time to talk to us instead of just doing 50 million drills all at once to try to kill us. He actually took the time out during the workout to really teach us some stuff and make sure we were moving the right way and just making sure we got the basics down. Obviously, he’s all about winning and he wants everyone to be precise. I think we did a good job of doing that today.
(On how he feels going to school for four years benefited him)
People said I didn’t have as great year as I should have had, but Georgetown made a run. We lost, but I felt like I learned a lot. I wasn’t physically or mentally ready last year to go through the rigors of an NBA season. I’m one year older and a lot bigger and stronger and mentally ready.
(On what he knows about the Bobcats and what he could bring to the team)
I’d be another inside presence. Obviously Emeka (Okafor) has done a good job. He’s a great defensive player. They have great players. This is a young team. I know some of the players from high school and college. If they pick me up, that would be nice and I would look forward to meshing with them and going on and winning some games.
(On where he hears he might be going)
I hear everything. There are a couple of teams in the lottery that potentially might like me, but I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket, so I’m working out for practically the whole first round, making sure to cover all my bases. I probably have five or six more workouts to go for a group of clubs that really need centers.
(On his strengths and weaknesses)
Obviously playing against those guys, they are more athletically able than me, but a lot of people say I have a lot of skill work in the post and I just have the fundamentals down.
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(On the workout)
I think it went pretty well. I worked hard, showed them what I had. I think I did pretty good.
(On the competition during the workout)
There was a lot of competition. Everybody was working hard. Everybody was blocking shots. It was pretty good.
(On where he hears he might be drafted)
I really don’t know. I’m hearing top 20, top 15, so I’m just trying to get as close as I can.
(On if coming from Nevada makes it more difficult for him)
Mainly because people don’t know who I am, but once they see me play, they understand.
(On his other workouts)
I’ve had seven or eight other workouts - Miami, New York, New Jersey, Phoenix, Memphis and Indiana.
(On how this workout compares to the others)
This is a good work out. Larry Brown, of course, works us out hard. He teaches us everything. It was a good workout.
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(On the workout)
I think the workout for me was good. I showed I can shoot, run and jump. It was a good workout for me.
(On the competition at the workout)
DeAndre (Jordan) played very good and very hard. JaVale (McGee) played good. He (Roy Hibbert) played hard, too. We had a lot of good centers today.
(On playing professionally overseas)
I played professionally with my team in France, but it’s not the same level. I think in France we run more.
Jesse D:
Well it seems like Roy hibbert would be a GREAT pick for us. He is a scoring big man who would fit great with 'Mek on the post. I like DeAndre Jordan too. He again seems like a scorer and maybe a Dwight Howard type of player?
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