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bobcats.com
June 4, 2009
Stephen Curry Video | Gerald Henderson Video | Danny Green Video | Toney Douglas Video | K.C. Rivers Video
2009 Draft Workouts Gallery | 2009 Draft Central
Charlotte’s preparation for the 2009 NBA Draft began Thursday at the Presbyterian Hospital Training Center in Time Warner Cable Arena. Davidson’s Stephen Curry, Duke’s Gerald Henderson, North Carolina’s Danny Green, Florida State’s Toney Douglas, Clemson’s K.C. Rivers, and LSU’s Garrett Temple all participated in second-year Head Coach Larry Brown’s pre-draft workouts.
Stephen Curry, an early entry candidate for this year’s draft, led the nation in scoring (28.6 ppg) in his junior season en route to consensus First Team All-America honors by The Sporting News, Associated Press, NABC and USBWA. Curry was also named to the John Wooden Award All-American team and was the Southern Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season. He became the 25th ranked player in NCAA Division I scoring history (2,635 points) and fourth in three-pointers made (414) in only three seasons. Curry set an NCAA single-season record with 162 three-pointers made in 2007-2008 and owns school career records for three-pointers made (414), free throws made (479), 30-point games (30), and 40-point games (6). He also established new all-time scoring records at Davidson and in the Southern Conference.
Gerald Henderson is an early entry candidate for the 2009 NBA Draft after earning Third Team All-America honors by the Associated Press following his junior season. He was also named to the John Wooden Award All-America Team and All-ACC First Team. Henderson finished his three-year career ranked 20th all-time in Blue Devils history in blocks (69) and 39th all-time in points (1,262). He led his team in scoring (16.5 ppg) while ranking second in rebounding (4.9 rpg), assists (2.5 apg), and field-goal percentage (.450), and third in steals (1.2 spg).
Danny Green played in more games (145) and won more games (123) than any Tar Heel in history. He is also the only player in school history to record 100 or more blocked shots and three-point field goals made in a career. Green is the only player in ACC history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 150 three-point field goals made, 150 blocks, and 150 steals. He ranks third at UNC in career free throw percentage (.845), and eighth in three-pointers made (184) and blocked shots (160). As a senior, Green was second in the ACC in three-point percentage (.418), sixth in steals per game (1.8) and 10th in blocked shots per game (1.3). An ACC All-Defensive Team and All-ACC Third Team selection, Green was also named to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament Team.
Toney Douglas enters the 2009 Draft after a great senior season at Florida State. He was named Third Team All-America by The Associated Press and The Sporting News and led his team to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years, and their first ACC Championship Game in school history. Douglas was an All-ACC First Team Selection, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and runner-up as the ACC Player of the Year as a senior.
K.C. Rivers, a Charlotte native, won 91 games at Clemson during his career, the most of any player in the program’s history. He ranks first in program history with 281 three-point field goals made, sixth in points (1,684), and 11th in rebounds (721). Rivers was named Honorable Mention All-ACC as a senior, while finishing first on his team in three-point shooting percentage (39.2%) and second in scoring (14.2 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg), and three-pointers made (89).
Garrett Temple became the all-time leader in minutes played at LSU during his senior season (4,432). He is one of nine players all-time at LSU to play on two SEC championship teams. Temple finished fifth in the league in assists and steals and was one of three players in the league to have a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio last season. He finished his career ranking fourth in assists (482), seventh in steals (191), and fourth in blocks (113), and was a starter on the 2006 NCAA Final Four team.
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(On today’s workouts)
It was a good group. It was fun, there were a lot of good players here. I got to see Danny (Green), Gerald (Henderson), Toney (Douglas), and Stephen (Curry) all in Chicago. Chicago wasn’t competitive, but we got to see them do drills and we got to interview a lot of kids, so that was real productive, but nothing beats them coming to work out for a coaching staff. You get a much better feel for them, but I would hope the body of work that a kid has in college means a lot more.
(On Stephen Curry)
He was great in Chicago, and he was great here. He’s got good genes, and he can really play. He is a wonderful kid as everybody knows. I don’t think anybody that was in Chicago left without a great feeling about him. I got to watch him play a lot, especially this year. He is going to be fine. He isn’t going to be around when we draft.
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Stephen Curry Workout Video | Curry Prospect Profile
(On today’s workout)
It was a good first start for me. It was my first workout, so it was good to get one under my belt and now I can move forward from here.
(On if the workout was what he anticipated)
Coach (Larry) Brown is known to be a teacher of the game and I learned a lot of details about how to play, but I also got out there and competed. It was definitely what I expected.
(On his father, Dell Curry)
I saw him come in earlier and it was nice to have him here. It was over twenty years ago when he got drafted, so a lot of things have changed, but he wants me to enjoy the whole experience. He has let me experience it for myself and hasn’t really overshadowed me or anything like that. He helps me if I have any questions about the process, but other than that, it is just me doing my thing.
(On his strengths)
I have a great IQ for the game. Terminology, picking up footwork, and things like that I can usually pick up pretty quickly, and that is going to make me a better player down the road. I have a lot room to develop and get better, so the quicker I learn things and can apply them to live action, the better player that I’ll be right away. I think that is to my benefit.
(On working out with four former ACC players)
I’ve played against Danny Green and Gerald Henderson. I’ve seen the other guys on TV, but I haven’t really played against them. I saw a couple of them in Chicago. It was nice to get out here and compete against them because we didn’t compete that much in Chicago. They’re great talents, great guys, they work hard, and it shows why they’ve had great careers in the ACC.
(On this being his first workout)
I got a late start to the workout process because I was still finishing up school. I wanted to make sure I was prepared and not go into it before I was ready. Chicago was a whole week out of my schedule. It was nice to start at home and now I have a foundation to build on for the next couple of workouts.
(On his other workouts)
I’ll be in New York next week and I’m trying to schedule workouts with Washington and Oklahoma City.
(On where he may be drafted)
I’ve heard anywhere from 3 to 14. A lot of point guards are going to go in that range, so if I can compete and keep my name up there, who knows what is going to happen on draft day with all the trades and who is going to be making the decisions. I have to just keep working hard and go from there.
(On his weaknesses)
At the combine, a lot of the critique of my game was about my physical characteristics, including my vertical and how strong I am. I proved that I can compete with other guys in this draft in Chicago. It is just a matter of getting on the floor and showing that. You can do all the tests, but if you can’t do it on the floor, there is no point in the tests. I think my potential has increased a lot since my press conference (at Davidson).
(On his measurements at the combine)
They were definitely better than people anticipated. I ranked up there with the top point guards that are in this draft. I worked hard to get there, and I proved it up in Chicago. Now, I just have to keep it going.
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Gerald Henderson Workout Video | Henderson Prospect Profile
(On the workout)
There wasn’t really any pressure. We’ve all seen each other play and have played against each other. It was really just about competing and trying to figure out the stuff that the coaches were teaching us. It was more of a teaching workout.
(On how he would fit with the Bobcats)
I definitely feel that they need depth at the two-guard position, especially for this upcoming season. This would be a great place for me. I think I could bring a lot to the table defensively. Coach Brown preaches defense and defensive concepts. I feel that coming from Duke, where defense is the most important thing that we do, I’ll have a head start on that.
(On working out with three other former ACC players)
Once you get started, you just want to compete against each other. You’ve seen each other’s games, so you really just go out there and play.
(On how his other workouts have gone)
Different teams have different concepts, especially defensively, so in a workout, they see how well you fit into their style of play. They just try to work with you on those types of things.
(On where he could be drafted)
To come here would be great. If I go higher, that would be a great thing as well. The Bobcats have a great team and a great coaching staff. I would love to play here.
(On his other workouts)
I’ve only worked out at Phoenix, which was about a week ago. I’ve got Chicago on Monday.
(On his game)
I’m not as good as I want to be. I feel like I have a lot of things to get better at. I felt like I was ready to move on to the next step from the college level.
(On the difference between the college and NBA games)
I think a big thing will be the physicality. Guys are bigger at every position, and athletic at every position. I will be going against guys that are just as athletic as me, or better. I just have to use my gifts to do the best I can.
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(On the workout)
It went well. It was my eighth one. It was a lot slower and there was much more teaching in this one. We did some drills but it was more of Coach Brown teaching us and trying to get us focused on the little things. It was uncomfortable for some guys at first, because you think about it too much. As a player, you want to just play so it was hard to think about it, but we got it worked out pretty well.
(On if Larry Brown is similar to North Carolina Head Coach Roy Williams)
Definitely. When he’s talking, nobody else is talking. You have to listen and he is going to make you do it until you get it right. I have some familiarity with it and it is something for me that is easy to adjust to.
(On this being his eighth workout)
It is a grind, but I’m trying to have as much fun with it as possible. It is a process, but you have to enjoy it as much as you can. There’s a lot of traveling and seeing a lot of different cities, players and coaches. You have to work as hard as you can and hope for the best.
(On this workout compared to others)
I’ve definitely learned a lot more from this workout. It is definitely more laid back, not as much on the body, not as much running and conditioning. Some other coaches and teams do a lot more conditioning and shooting, but Coach (Brown) said he already knows what we can do, he just wants to teach us some things.
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(On today’s workout)
I’m always competitive. I love to guard and I love to go hard at game speed. That was the first thing Coach Brown said when we got in the huddle was to go game speed. We did that throughout the whole workout.
(On having previously played against guys that he worked out with)
It benefited me a lot. Each workout, you just have to do your best, do what you do and don’t change anything. You still want to be a student of the game and listen to what you have to work on and what they want you to do. At the same time, you have to go hard.
(On his other workouts)
I worked out for the Chicago Bulls and this is my second workout.
(On his defensive abilities)
I always want to guard the best player on the court. That is my mindset. I feel that you can’t coach toughness. Defense is all about toughness, and I have that.
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(On today’s workout)
The workout went pretty good. There were a lot of guys I am familiar with. Stephen (Curry) and I are both from Charlotte and we’ve been familiar with each other for a while. It was a good crowd, there was nothing to be nervous about. It was my second workout. Coach Brown taught us a lot of stuff and let us enjoy ourselves. It was a good one to have today.
(On working out against three other former ACC players)
It was very competitive because these are the same guys you go against throughout the NCAA season. You want to compete, but at the same time, you are having fun.
(On what he wants to show NBA teams)
I want to show what I’ve been doing in college and that I’ve been working on my game outside of preparing for the NBA. I just want to continue doing the little things I did in college.
(On working out in his hometown)
When you are at home, you feel comfortable. (Curry and I) came in here relaxed, we weren’t up tight or anything like that. We just came in here with smiles on our faces and enjoyed it today.
(On his other workouts)
I worked out with the Houston Rockets. Next, is Golden State on Saturday.
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