NBA D-League Finals Q&A: Jon Scheyer

by Matthew Brennan, NBA D-League.com

April 26, 2011: Rio Grande Valley Vipers guard Jon Scheyer's first year as a pro has had many ups and downs. After he was not selected in the NBA Draft, Scheyer's first Summer League was cut short by a serious eye injury. The former Duke All-American recovered and joined the Vipers in late February, and now he's in the Finals with a chance to win a championship for a second straight year. The 6-5 Scheyer, averaging 12.0 points and 4.0 assists in the playoffs as a starter, took some time to talk to NBA D-League.com after Tuesday's practice at Iowa's Wells Fargo Arena.

Jon, talk about your first year in the professional ranks and the chance to end it with an NBA D-League title.

Scheyer: "It's been great. Obviously there's been a lot of ups and downs since winning the national championship at Duke. I feel great with where I'm at, I feel better for what's happened with the eye injury and not getting drafted. I'm happy to play for the Vipers, it's been a great season so far and it would mean a lot to finish it up with a championship."

What are your impressions of playing in the NBA D-League?

Scheyer: "There's a lot of tough competition. It's hard to appreciate how many great players there are out there whether it's here or overseas. There's only 400 players in the NBA so there's still a lot of talent out there. It's been great to play here, especially after missing most of the year. It's given me a great gauge on what I know I can do, what I need to improve, and I feel good about moving forward towards next season."

What are some of the aspects of your game you are looking to improve?

Scheyer: "I think for the first couple weeks, it took me a little time to get the rust off. Statistics don't tell everything, but I think I'm right there with being a knockdown great shooter. I've always considered myself a good shooter, but I think I can become a great one, one of the best. I think this summer is going to give me a chance to do that. Other than that, just things like knowing how you can score, where open guys are, it's just a different type of game, so it's good to get a handle of that."

Your coaches (Chris Finch, Paul Mokeski, Jai Steadman) are seen as one of the top staffs in the NBA D-League. What is it like playing for them?

Scheyer: "They know what they're talking about. I've had great coaches during my career in high school and college, and now I'm here in the pros and I'm learning a lot from these guys too. They're understanding of the pro game, and offensively Coach Finch has a great mind and his sets put us in really good positions. I love the way we play, opening the court and making extra passes so it's been a great experience playing for them."

Looking forward to Wednesday's game, what do the Vipers need to do to turn the tables on the Iowa Energy?

Schyer: "Play defense and play together. Obviously it's going to be a big crowd for them, but if we do those two things we should put ourselves in position to win."

How do you feel about getting the chance to play for a title two years in a row?

Scheyer: "I feel very fortunate to be on one of the last two teams for another year. No matter what league it is whether its the NBA D-League or college, winning a championship means you're the best and it would mean a lot to me to win one here with the Vipers. It's a pretty cool thing to have the chance to win two in a row."