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Player workouts for the 2006 NBA Draft began Tuesday at the Presbyterian Hospital Training Center at Charlotte Bobcats Arena with Wake Forest's Justin Gray, Jacksonville State's Walker D. Russell and Grambling State's Brion Rush all in town.
Gray made 104 starts in 120 games in his four years at Wake Forest, where he spent time at both point guard and shooting guard. He earned second team All-ACC honors and was a midseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award, given annually to the top college basketball player. The Charlotte native led the team and ranked fourth in the ACC in scoring with 18.2 points, fifth in the ACC in assists with 4.27 and had the ACC’s fourth-highest three-point percentage (.361) while ranking second only to Duke’s J.J. Reddick with 95 treys made. The versatile guard finished his career ranked in the Top 10 all-time in 14 categories.
Russell was a fixture at the point for Jacksonville State, starting in 83 of his 86 career games with the Gamecocks. He finished his senior season ranked first on the team in assists (6.8) and steals (1.48), and third on the team in scoring (14.0) and three-point percentage (.434) while playing a team-high 35.2 minutes each contest. In his three years at Jacksonville State, he averaged 13.7 points, 6.9 assists and 1.86 steals in 86 games after coming over from the Chipola College in Chipola, Florida, following his freshman season.
Rush was selected the Southwestern Athletic Conference 2006 Men’s Basketball Player of the Year after leading the SWAC in scoring with 25.8 points (fifth in the NCAA). He tallied the top scoring performance in the NCAA in 2006 with a career-high 53 points against Southern. He finished his four-year career with the Tigers averaging 19.6 points in 105 games and breaking the 2,000-point plateau with 2,054 total points scored.
BobcatsBasketball.com visited with Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff, Gray and Russell (Rush got sick during the workout) after the workouts:
BOBCATS GENERAL MANAGER & HEAD COACH BERNIE BICKERSTAFF
(On if Justin Gray can make it in the NBA) Well, I’ve watched some of the workout and he does have an instinct to know when he has an open shot. So he’s very clever. I think his is the cerebral part of the game. I see great quickness. He knows how to freeze people, he knows when the defense is off balance and one thing he can really do, he can shoot the ball. And that’s a need in the NBA.
(On if he’s a one or a two) Well I think he’s a basketball player. When you get young players like that, as soon as they are matched up in the backcourt, he can play either. I’m really looking for a basketball player.
(On if he goes undrafted, he said he wants to be here) Well, we always like guys who want to be here. And they brought him in for a specific reason. The three guys that made it today, I think one guy didn’t make it through, but the three guys that were specifically for if they didn’t get drafted or were a late second or early second-round pick. That was an executive plan to bring them in.
(On if the Bobcats are trying to get a second round pick) Well there’s a decision to be made on the June 12, on the one pick we have (from Sacramento) in the Jason Hart deal. Then I think we will have a better read on it when we go to Orlando (for pre-draft camp), and just take a look at that. He’s a guy like Alan Anderson was last year. We tried to acquire a second round pick (to get him).
(On how the potential second round pick from Sacramento works this season) It’s in Orlando’s hands right now, so if it doesn’t happen this year, then we get Sacramento’s pick automatically next year. It came from Utah originally, and there are a lot of scenarios in there. Essentially though, it’s up to Orlando to decide if they want that pick this year, if they don’t, we have the option of taking the pick.
(On if he thinks Gray hurt himself by playing the two and the one this past season) No, I think he was good. I think the more aggressive he is, he makes it that much more good. He proved that he can do both. I think that denounces that situation.
(On what he thought of the workout) Yeah, they worked hard against the other guys -- one guy (Rush) got sick, so it didn’t work out. But it’s our same workouts. It’s a tough workout and it encompasses everything -- the ball handling, the shooting, the agility drills, strength and conditioning. We always ask guys to come in good condition. From where I was observing from, they underestimated that a little bit.
(On how many guys he anticipates brining in for a workout) We are somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 to 12 and I think what happens in Orlando will be a big factor in what we do from that point on.
(On how many of those 10-12 players he would consider taking with the third pick) Anywhere from five or six of them we would consider at No. 3.
(On if they will be traveling to see any players work out or if all workouts will be done in Charlotte) Most guys come here. We can get most of the guys who we think will be at that pick to come here. And Kenny’s done a real good job with making real good matchups coming in here.
(On how he feels the process of getting players in is going thus far) Well, the process is beginning and the matchups are going to be terrific. Some of the guys we have coming in – (Rudy) Gay and Brandon Roy together (on Friday) and then there’s (LaMarcus) Aldridge and (Tyrus) Thomas and that kid out of Memphis (Rodney Carney), I think we are trying to get into that group, so we’re trying to get some real competitive matchups. So the process is going along real good.
JUSTIN GRAY • 6-2 • 194 LBS. • GUARD • WAKE FOREST • SENIOR
(On the workout) First of all, I would like to say that I’m glad to be home. I was born in raised in Charlotte, so this is a great opportunity for me to come out and workout for the Bobcats. As soon as my agent asked me where I wanted to workout, the first place I told him was Charlotte. They wanted to wait until the Draft Lottery, to see where they were selecting before they started signing people up for workouts, but I think it went really well. This is my sixth workout so far, so I’ve been through the bumps and grinds and flying around, so I’m just glad to be back in Charlotte.
(On where else he’s worked out) I’ve worked out for Houston, Milwaukee, Indiana, Washington and Utah.
(On the feedback he’s received) They really love the way I shoot the ball. You know the big question with me is, am I going to be able to run the team? I’m confident and ready to work towards doing that. I think I proved myself to these coaches.
(On working out with Charlotte) It’s a dream. You know right now it feels like I’m living a dream just being able to workout with the hometown team. It would be a great opportunity for me to play with the Bobcats, and hopefully they can work some things out and get a second round pick and I can slide in with them.
(On if he feels he’ll go in the second round) Yeah, right now that’s pretty much what I’m hearing, that I would be a second round pick or undrafted. And if I’m undrafted, this is one of the places I would love to be.
(On if other undrafted guys give him hope) Yeah, there are a lot of guys around the league that have done the undrafted route. But all of our dreams are to be drafted, that gives you confidence, that gives you something to work towards, and that’s what I’m here to do.
(On if Charlotte has the toughest workouts) Most definitely, and that’s what they’re supposed to do. They are here to see what guys have, see how well they can compete and see how hard they play. And hopefully I did those things and they saw all that I put forth.
WALKER D. RUSSELL • 6-0 • 170 LBS. • GUARD • JACKSONVILLE STATE • SENIOR
(On how the workout went) It went alright, pretty decent -- you have to be in shape. They do a lot of drills even before you get into the real workout and shooting to see if you are in shape. But overall it was a good workout.
(On how he thinks he did personally) I think I did pretty decent. I shot the ball well in the beginning. Towards the end I lost my legs a little bit, but I picked it back up. I got positive feedback, so we’ll just see what happens.
(On if this was his first NBA workout) Yeah, yeah this is my first one. My second one will be in L.A. and then in Utah -- then I have a couple more lined up.
(On how he would see himself fitting in with this team) I would come in and bring the intensity to practice. In my situation, that’s what I need to do – bring the energy, play defense, just things like that to perfect my role.
