Bobcats Hold Final Draft Workout
Charlotte's preparation for the 2007 NBA Draft wrapped up Wednesday at the Presbyterian Hospital Training Center at Charlotte Bobcats Arena with UNC-Charlotte’s De’Angelo Alexander, Oklahoma’s Nate Carter, Memphis’ Jeremy Hunt and Maryland’s D.J. Strawberry all taking part in the Bobcats final predraft workouts.
Alexander was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Third Team after leading UNCC in scoring (17.6 points) and rebounding (7.2) in his senior season. The 6-5, 220-pound guard transferred from Oklahoma following his sophomore season and averaged 17.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.20 steals in two years with the 49ers.
Carter led Oklahoma with 11.6 points and shot and shot a team-best 86.5 percent (109-126) from the free throw line while connecting on 48.4 percent (123-254) from the field. The 6-6, 220-pound guard/forward was named to the All-Big XII Third Team in 2006-07 and was a First-Team Academic All-Big XII selection in 2005-06.
Hunt averaged 14.1 points after averaging 9.4 points in his first three seasons with the Tigers. The 6-5, 210-pound guard added 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in his senior season while helping lead Memphis to a 33-4 overall record and a No. 2 seed in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, where the Tigers advance to the Elite Eight before falling 92-76 to Ohio State.
Strawberry was named to the 2006-07 All-ACC Second Team and the All-ACC Defensive Team. The 6-5, 204-pound guard averaged a team-best14.9 points and added 4.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.00 steals for Maryland in his senior season. The son of former Major League Baseball player Darryl Strawberry also shot 47.7 percent (184-386) from the field and 34.3 percent (35-102) from beyond the arc while helping guide the Terrapins to a 25-9 record and a spot in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
Bobcats Head Coach Sam Vincent, Alexander and Strawberry all spoke with the media after the workouts:
(On if he is confused about the draft after all of the workouts like Bobcats Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bernie Bickerstaff and General Manager Rod Higgins said they were on Wednesday)
(On if the workouts will make the final decisions difficult)
(On if it is a waste of time to try to predict what is going to happen before pick number eight)
(On the type of player the Bobcats want to acquire)
(On if they feel any closer to a selection today than they did at the beginning of the draft workout process)
(On if it was difficult not being able to work out Mike Conley Jr. and Jeff Green)
(On the possibility of trading one or two of the first round picks for a veteran player)
(On how much of his sickness can be attributed to the flu and how much can be attributed to the Bobcats workout)
(On who else he has worked out for)
(On the possibility of being able to play for the Bobcats)
(On where he believes he could be drafted)
(On how many other teams he has worked out for)
(On what he is doing on draft night)
(On where he expects to be drafted)
June 27, 2007
BOBCATS HEAD COACH SAM VINCENT
(On if he is excited that the draft workout process is over)
I wouldn’t consider it a relief. This has been a good process. Number one, it’s been my first opportunity to interact with the scouting department and the coaching staff and to get on the court and start doing some things, so it’s been a learning experience for all of us. I thought the guys that came in worked hard and somebody is going to end up being the player that we probably draft. All in all, I thought this was a very good and needed experience.
No, I’m not confused at all. They might be confused, but I’m not confused because I’m not making the decision. (laughter) I’m going to stay in my department and that means that once they make the decision, then we are going to get them in here, get them in shape, ready to play and get them in peak performance. But those guys, they’ve got to get through the information and sift through different trade opportunities and figure out what is going to work best for the team.
There are a lot of good candidates. I think what we’ve seen makes it a little bit difficult but I think also, depending on what other teams do, adds a degree of difficulty. We don’t know how teams are going to draft and who is going to be available when we actually select. The draft provides its own level of difficulty because you don’t know what to expect.
I don’t think we want to put too much time - I won’t say a waste of time - but we don’t want to put too much added time into trying to figure out the different scenarios that can take place because we don’t know what they are and they are purely speculation. I think more importantly, we focus on the guys that we see fitting in and giving us what we have to have, and then prioritize the order in which we want to get those guys. I think by doing that, it is going to be a more useful exercise in terms of time.
A good one. We want a good player. (laughter) If that player is a low post, athletic guy that can come in and score and defend, then that’s going to be great, but I’m not saying that’s all we’re looking for. It could be a wing, like a Corey Brewer, that can come in and score from the outside and defend. It could be a back up point guard. We’ve got a couple of areas where we feel like we’ve got some needs, and we just want to make sure that we address those needs with our selection.
I feel closer. I don’t know if the scouting department, Rod (Higgins), Bernie (Bickerstaff), or Michael (Jordan) feel any closer. But I feel great. We got through it, our coaches did a wonderful job running the drill stations and giving us a chance to see the different things that we wanted to see from these guys that came in. Now those guys have to get on the phones, talk to who they have to talk to and figure out how it’s all going to come out.
We would have liked to have seen Conley, Acie Law and Jeff Green, but we didn’t get a chance to. We’re not going to sit around and mope about the fact that those guys didn’t come through to work out. More importantly, we are going to continue to watch some tape from what we do have of those guys and go through the process of speaking to teams about trade opportunities, moving up and down all the way up to the final hour when we have to make that selection.
I’d be open to that. Obviously, that is a Michael (Jordan), Bernie (Bickerstaff), Rod (Higgins) call, but those guys all know the league, the East, and our roster. If they make the decision that we can move a couple of those picks to get a veteran player that’s going to come in and really help the team, I think that would be great. That versus bringing in a rookie that has to get up to speed and learn the league and do some of the things that it takes rookies time to do. So I would welcome that. I think those guys are crunching their minds to figure out what can be done to make this team the best for next season. That makes me happy.
DE'ANGELO ALEXANDER • 6-5 • 220 LBS. • GUARD • UNCC • SENIOR
(On his limping at the end)
I had the flu last week and I just got over it. I’ve been real dehydrated. I just try to come out here and tough it out and give it my all. I ended up throwing up on the side, but I’m alright. I cramped up and started throwing up.
I think it’s a little bit of both. I just try to come out here, push myself as hard as I can and go until I can’t go anymore. I don’t think that I’m going to die out here, so I just feel like I should give it my all because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I’ve worked out for two teams, the Bobcats and the Seattle Supersonics.
It would be very nice. I love the people and fans in Charlotte and I love the community and environment.
Anywhere from mid to late second round to being un-drafted. There are a lot of people out there that aren’t in this position that I am in, and I just thank God for having my talents.
D.J. STRAWBERRY • 6-5 • 204 LBS. • GUARD • MARYLAND • SENIOR
(On today’s workout)
It went pretty well. It was one of the harder ones that I’ve had so far. It was pretty intense. I thought I did pretty well, and I just had fun with it.
I think this is 13 or 14, I’m not even sure anymore. I haven’t even been home since Orlando (predraft camp). I went to work out for the Lakers, and that is about as close as I got to home.
I’m watching the draft at home, that’s about it. I’m headed home right now to get some sleep, and hopefully I get picked tomorrow.
You never know. I might go second round, but you never know where you can end up. The drafts are always crazy. There are going to be people that are drafted that you think shouldn’t be drafted and there are going to be people that don’t get drafted that should be, so you never know.
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