game are you
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HARRIS, HUMPHRIES AMONG PROSPECTS AS WORKOUTS CONTINUE
Burks was the Conference USA Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 16.0 points, 5.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. He is only the fourth player in Memphis history with 1,000 points, 450 assists and 170 steals, joining former Tigers Andre Turner, Elliot Perry and Otis Jackson.
Harris was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Second Team All-America after leading the Badgers with 19.5 points, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals per contest. The early entry candidate started every game in three seasons at Wisconsin.
Humphries is also an early entry candidate after leaving Minnesota where he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2003-04. The 6-9, 235-pound forward became the first freshman to lead the Big Ten in scoring (21.7 ppg) and rebounding (10.1 rpg).
Sow was a First Team All-Big West performer after leading the conference with 9.7 rebounds per game and finishing second with 17.3 points per outing. The 6-10, 250-pound forward finished his career as Cal State Fullerton’s fourth all-time leading rebounder with 654 rebounds.
BobcatsBasketball.com visited with Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff, Burks, Harris and Humphries after the workout:
GENERAL MANAGER & HEAD COACH BERNIE BICKERSTAFF
(on the players in today’s workout)
It was the best collective group that we’ve had. We put in some of our offense just to see how they would work. Burks just showed spurts of real toughness and speed, but he’s got a groin pull, so he really couldn’t get lose. Sow is strong and powerful. Harris is a quasi-guard. Kris Humphries has the proto-type body for an NBA player. I think he could probably one of the kids that develop. I don’t think there’s anything specific that he does right now – he just does a little of everything. Eventually you have to get to the point where you do something specific, but he’s got a great NBA body and he’s got good skills. One of the things we did with our offense was to see what kind of retention ability (they had). It’s different in the pro offense and the college offense in terms of spacing that they create. You could see some of the problems that they had. I think the Big Ten got their lunch handed to them out there today.
(on this year’s rookie class)
I think it’s a good basketball class. I haven’t seen any LeBron’s or Magic’s or Bird’s. So, to me that would be the key if it were top heavy. If you had something to really distinguish yourself. I think where (Okafor and Howard) distinguish themselves is because of size and we are kind of partial to size in this league. I think there are a lot of good basketball players (in this draft), guys who will be in the league for a long time. We’re comfortable that we are going to get a good basketball player. When you are in our situation, you have needs across the board.
(on any news on meeting with Dwight Howard)
Not at all. We’re talking to him. I think we have to make a decision – “If you come in, are you coming in for a workout or are you coming in to talk philosophy?” That’s something that we’ve got to think about. We’ve seen him play, but I think that’s just a decision that we’ve got to make. The way I feel now, I’d like to see him workout. We really want people who want to play here. A lot of the young men that we have talked to in this expansion draft, they really want to be here. To me, that’s important.
ANTONIO BURKS
(on today’s workout)
This was my first workout in a while. I feel good about my workout although I didn’t shoot the ball well today. It was one of my worst shooting days, but I played good defense and made good passes.
(on where he’ll be picked in draft)
At the beginning or middle of the second round. I feel good about my chances of being drafted.
(on why there are other players at his position ranked above him)
This year was probably my best year all around. I made a big push this year, but the other years I was just mid-level. The other players ranked above me have been out there through their whole college career. Their name has been out there and mine has just gotten out there. My job is to go into these workouts and prove people wrong.
(on what are the strengths of his game)
Transition, good defense and finding the open player – if I do that then that will make a good point guard.
DEVIN HARRIS
(on today’s workout)
I think it went pretty well. I shot the ball extremely well. They inserted some of their offense, so we got a grip on what they like to run and I felt very comfortable about it.
(on what you try to show in workouts)
I just try to play my game and show them what I can do. They pretty much know what you can do. You just want to give them a taste of it and just try to work through the drills as hard as you can.
(on playing for Bobcats)
It’s a fresh start. It’s a new experience and it’s new in the league. It would be a fun experience just going through it the first time with a lot of veterans coming in from the expansion draft.
(on where he’ll go in draft)
I really, really can’t say. It’s really a freaky draft – you don’t know who is going to move up and who is going to move down. It’s really hard to pinpoint an exact position or even within two picks.
(on if the uncertainty makes him nervous)
I feel comfortable enough in these workouts that I probably won’t go too low. You never know what it is going to happen. I’m just glad that some team is going to want me and be able to draft me.
(on this year’s rookie class)
We have a lot of young guys, a lot of high schoolers. The potential of the draft is one of the highest ones. We may be young, but over the next couple of years we’ll be something to reckon with.
KRIS HUMPHRIES
(on today’s workout)
I thought it was a decent workout. It felt good to be out here, meet the staff, be around these other good players and get a feel for the organization.
(on where he’ll be picked in draft)
I haven’t really sat down and talked to my agent about those things. I just come and make the best out of my workouts, lay it out on the line here and just let everything fall into place.
(on what he tries to show in workouts)
I just come into the workouts and try to have fun, get to meet the coaches, show them what I can do and let them make the decision from there. If you start worrying about where you’re going to fit in and all that, that’s too much added pressure.
(on this year’s rookie class)
I think we have a lot of talent – a lot of guys that can come in and play. It should be interesting to see where everyone ends up. At Chicago there were 42 underclassmen, so it is definitely a young draft. It’s probably the youngest there has been. It will be interesting to see how everyone adjusts.
(on playing for an expansion team)
It would be exciting to be in a situation where you are laying the ground for the organization – helping to make history in their first season.
(on his decision to jump to the NBA early)
I don’t like to compare myself to other people when I make decisions like that. I gathered information, Coach Munson was behind me, so it was an easy decision for me to make.
(on his multi-dimensional game)
If you look at the NBA now, there are a lot of guys that can go in and out. That makes them valuable to the team to have that flexibility. The fact I can post up against smaller guys and go around bigger guys is something that I pride myself in. It makes it easier to come into a situation and play.
(on his shooting ability)
I’ve worked hard on my game. My jump shot is still developing, but I feel real comfortable where I am. I’ve been shooting the ball pretty well. So, we’ll see where that all takes me.
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