Backstage With Jordan: Draft Day
Bobcats Managing Member of Basketball Operations and Owner Michael Jordan shared his thoughts on selecting Adam Morrison with the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.
(On weighing the talent in the draft) With any decision that will affect the organization, you’re going to have pros and cons. We have a good group of guys we thought about, including [Rudy] Gay, [Brandon] Roy and [LaMarcus] Aldridge. You have to weigh your options. You sit there and listen to everyone’s opinions of why they think a player will benefit the team. I spent the day playing catch-up to those guys. You have to give credit to the whole staff as to how they kept me prepared, so when I came in all I did was watch tape and see some of the things that I needed to see to make my decision. We narrowed it down, and we just kept making a move each hour and voicing our opinion.
(On making a draft decision) Everybody had a vote, who makes the final decision is a different story. Everybody’s vote means something. There is not one controlling view about a particular player.
(On team defense) It is very typical for a coach to look at a team from a defensive standpoint. Adam has an innate talent to pick up on things in a defensive scheme. There are a lot of defensive-minded players in the league, and some of them are very successful. If you have an attitude to play defense, you will get better at defense. Will you be a great defensive player? Maybe, maybe not. When you understand the team concept and how to apply your individual talent within that team concept you will have a good solid team defense.
(On his mentality before becoming part-owner) I didn’t think much about the draft. Obviously I’m in tuned to basketball, I watch basketball and I see a lot of the talent come through. I’ve worked against them and played against them. I can’t say I dedicated a lot of time to sitting down watching tape, asking questions and researching. A week ago I had to play catch-up. I tried to gather as much information as possible to better educate myself about the players that we must look at in the needs of this franchise. I think we did a great job, I think I did a good job, I think the whole staff already had everything in detail. They were very diligent in putting things in place. I had to come in and see what they had already laid out. I had to form my opinion and listen to what people had to say.
(On what the Bobcats needed) Looking at the team, [scoring] is what we desperately needed. We needed scoring especially in the fourth quarter. I think [Adam] Morrison can provide that for us. Gerald [Wallace] did that for us last year, as well as [Emeka] Okafor. We’ve got a great group of players. Once they get on the floor, they will start playing with some continuity, being around each other and understanding certain roles. I’m very proud of what we have.
(On the Bobcats nucleus) You hope these players mature so they can accept certain roles and certain responsibilities to where they can cohesively stick together. We have a great nucleus and a very good young basketball team. How much they grow together, bond with each other and collectively play together will determine how successful they will be as a basketball team.
(On leaning towards selecting a certain player) I came in with an open mind. I didn’t come in thinking one way or the other. I came in with the option of listening to what was being put on the table, including possible trades and some of the names that were being considered. I came in looking at what this franchise needs to get better and move in the right direction. We narrowed it down at that point.
(On competitiveness) I’ve heard people come in and talk about [Adam] Morrison’s crying at the end of the game, and to me I think it is more about a showcase of passion for the game. That’s what attracted me; that’s a sign that the kid cares about the game of basketball, and he will do anything to help his team win. Emotionally he pours his heart into it which is a positive factor for me. It is hard to find people who are willing to put their heart into something so much that they become emotional about it. It is a trait that you just don’t take for granted.
June 28, 2006
(On the pick) The guys did a good job in terms of dissecting pros and cons and figuring out the emotions and the desires to win. That’s something that you can’t teach. If a guy has that in him as a basketball player, that makes the coach’s job so much easier, and players feed off of that. The overall attitude is about how you approach the game. To maintain a great a career, you have to be as dedicated about playing the game of basketball as anybody.
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