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Q: So what do you make of the Bobcats asking you back for a second workout?
Childress: I think it’s a good thing. They want to get another good look at me and I’m happy that it’s right before the draft, so hopefully I can go in there and prove to them that I’m the guy they should choose.
Q: How has the overall process gone for you?
Childress: The process has been great. Everything has been pretty positive. Coming into it, I was able to raise my stock. I’m excited and thrilled with that. To be honest, I don’t know where I’ll be chosen. The thing about it is they’ll never tell you. You won’t know until the draft. I’m just nervously waiting.
Q: Have you thought about playing for the Chicago Bulls?
Childress: That was my team growing up. Scottie Pippen. But now, just being considered for the draft along with these other great players is something I’m just real excited about. I could have never told you a few years ago that I’d be sitting here in Chicago, at the Pre-Draft camp, meeting with you guys. But I’ve worked hard and done things well.
Q: How important was it for you to strike while the iron was hot in this situation?
Childress: Very important. This window of opportunity is so small. I just had to jump at the chance. Just for myself, to see where I stand and give myself a great opportunity in life. It validates the work I’ve put in, the long hours in the gym, trying to make myself into a player. I felt that it wouldn’t have been smart not to test the process.
Q: What would have been the motivation to stay in school?
Childress: Just being with the team. Stanford’s a great place, great tradition, and I love my teammates. We were like brothers, also being able to win a national title. If I’d stayed another year, that may have been a possibility.
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Q: Would you rather to go to team like the Bulls that has a lot of young talent or maybe a team with a few more established veterans?
Deng: The Bulls are a young team, but they have some veterans. It’s a good question. Both come with different things. With a young team, you all grow up together and learn together and get better together. With a veteran team, you have guys who can steer you in the right direction, point out some things. Whoever picks you, you just have to go in with an open mind and take things as they come.
Q: Do you see your game as NBA ready, and how much can you improve?
Deng: I think I’m NBA ready. I think I’m ready to compete. I work hard enough and I really do believe I’m ready to help a team. I also believe that I have a lot to work on. My game is not there yet; I have a lot to improve on.
Q: Scouts are said to be concerned about your quickness. Do you worry about it?
Deng: I think I’m quick enough. I think the reason that question seems to come a lot is because at Duke, I wasn’t asked to guard the perimeter that much. But if you asked some of the people at Duke, people who have seen me in practice, they would say I’m comfortable guarding quicker players on the perimeter. I think that question comes from me playing a lot at the four spot this past season. There are always going to be questions, but I think my quickness is fine and I think it can get better.
Q: Can you talk about Manute Bol’s influence on your career?
Deng: Manute taught my brothers how to play the game. At the time, I was very young. My brothers then taught me. It all started from Manute, so you can say that maybe had Manute never played basketball, I might not be sitting here today.
Q: How did Blair Academy help you out?
Deng: When I went to Blair, it was my first time in the United States. I had to adapt to the culture. I was in boarding school since I was 14, away from home and basically had to take care of myself, so that helped me a lot.
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Q: What position do you see yourself playing at the NBA level?
Gordon: I see myself as a point guard, a player like Bobby Jackson, Chauncey Billups, guards that can really score. I think I’ll be successful in this league at the point. The transition for any rookie point guard is going to be difficult, but I think I have the tools to make it work.
Q: What do you think separates you from other the other top point guard prospects in the draft – Devin Harris and Shaun Livingston?
Gordon: Those are two great players, but I think I’m more versatile than any guard in the draft, with the skill-set I have and if I use all those things properly, I’m the most complete guard.
Q: Are you excited about this whole experience?
Gordon: It’s exciting, but I wish draft day was tomorrow. I’m just kind of anxious. I’m sure a lot of players feel that way, they’re tired of the one-on-one workouts.
Q: Many people feel that teams will have to wait three years for some of this year’s prospects to develop. Will that be the case with you?
Gordon: That’s why I stayed in college for three years, to mature and grow mentally and physically and I’m expecting to make an instant impact wherever I go.
Q: How did college help you?
Gordon: I think guys who attend college are more prepared to live on their own and handle some of the other things that come up away from the court. Just having the whole college experience of having more freedom and looking after yourself a lot more will probably help me out when I get to the NBA.
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Q: Would you trade your Big Ten Player of the Year award for Sebastian Telfair’s shoe contract?
Harris: No.
Q: How did you first measure your stock when you began this process?
Harris: When we first sat down and talked, we thought there was a chance I’d be picked in the low Lottery, but more likely in the middle part of the first round. As we started going through the process, my stock seemed to rise and rise.
Q: Do you think it has to do with teams seeing how prepared you are to come in and play right away?
Harris: I don’t know, to tell you the truth. I honestly can’t say. I think I’ve showed good quickness in workouts. I’ve shot the ball extremely well. I think I made good decisions. I’m good off the pick-and-roll. Defensively, I can cause some problems.
Q: Did you think this was a realistic possibility when you entered school three years ago?
Harris: I thought I’d probably have to do the full four years and then hopefully get picked in the first round.
Q: Does the NBA lifestyle intimidate?
Harris: It’s really no different in college, except it’s a little bit faster. We played two games a week in college. In the NBA, it’s more like three or four per week. I guess you have more free time without school, but it’s similar.
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Q: Do you have a sense of what’s going to happen on June 24?
Howard: I kind of have a good sense. I’d probably say it’s going to be Orlando, or the Hawks. That’s what I’m feeling right now.
Q: Is it important for you to be the top pick?
Howard: It’s important, but one, two or three, at the end of my career, I want to be the greatest player. So that doesn’t really faze me. Michael Jordan was the third pick in the draft. Everybody knows who he is.
Q: In a perfect world, where would you wind up?
Howard: In a perfect world … it doesn’t really matter – Hawks, Clippers, Bulls, any NBA team. I just want to be in the NBA and contribute.
Q: What about possibly playing in your hometown?
Howard: That would be pretty special. The sales for the team would probably boost. I think it would be an easier transition for me because I’d be at home. Although I’d be moving on to a new phase in life, I’m still at the place where I grew up and a lot of my friends and family would be able to come to games and support me, so I won’t be in a whole new world in a new city.
Q: Were you a big Hawks fan growing up?
Howard: I really was. Every video game I had, I always created myself as the Hawks, wore their jerseys.
Q: A lot has been written about you coming into the league and being a role model. Can you talk about that?
Howard: I just want people to see that NBA players are not how everybody sees them. People think they’re just about the money and about the glamour. I just want to bring that sense that it’s not just about basketball. It’s about changing people’s lives on and off the court. Most of time, people see basketball players as superstars with money.
Q: Did you ever entertain the thought of going to college?
Howard: I did. For school purposes, for my academics. I did want to be an actor and thought about going to school to pursue that. But I knew this was my time to go to the NBA, and that was the right decision for me.
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Q: What are some of the things you’ll bring to the table in the NBA?
Iguodala: I think I can come in and bring some defensive ability. A lot of rookies come into the league and don’t have a big impact on defense. They don’t get a lot of minutes because they can’t defend their position. I think I can come in and be a good defender as a rookie.
Q: Can you talk about your improved outside shooting of late in workouts?
Iguodala: I’ve been shooting it very well lately. It wasn’t my role in college to stand outside the line and shoot threes. We had guys who could do that. I think in the NBA, I’ll have a chance to prove I can make some threes.
Q: Was your coach in college Lute Olsen right when he said you needed to spend more time in the gym working on your game?
Iguodala: I’m in the gym every day, twice a day now. I think the thing about college is you don’t have as much time to get in the gym. I was a 3.0 student, so it was important for me to maintain my grades. I think it’s tough to put in hours in the gym and still be a good student.
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Q: When you informed Coach K about your decision to stay in the draft, what sort of tone did you get from him?
Livingston: He sounded disappointed that I wasn’t going to be coming next year. I believe that honestly, deep down inside, he understood.
Q: How have you been adding weight and improving your body over the last few months?
Livingston: Just hard work, eating right and training everyday, listening to Tim Grover.
Q: Is there a particular team that interests you?
Livingston: I’ve looked over the top seven or eight teams. They’re all OK situations. Obviously the best teams aren’t picking at the top of the draft. Hopefully, in this case, I can step in a play right away or at least make a contribution.
Q: Are you a three-year project?
Livingston: A lot of people are saying that. I want to contribute sooner than later, and hopefully develop into an All-Star.
Q: What was the decision process like for you?
Livingston: I definitely always had the dream to play in the NBA. I didn’t know coming out of high school that I would be in the NBA. I planned to attend college, but then the hype started and I had to see if it was legit. I got pretty much positive feedback, so I’m looking forward to making the jump.
Q: How hard is it to sift through the information and find out what’s real and what isn’t?
Livingston: I used my grandfather, my godfather. I’ve always valued their opinion and used their advice to my advantage. It’s pretty much been the same circle of support throughout.
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Q: What would you say about your decision to stay in school last year?
Nelson: Well, last year I was here playing. This year, I’m not. So, it’s obviously a big difference.
Q: What was the main thing you did to overcome the knocks in the eyes of scouts?
Nelson: I’m not going to grow anymore. Unless somebody puts me on some kind of technology machine that makes people taller. I really just go out there and play. I feel like I’m as good as anybody. As long as I have that confidence, I feel like I’ll be fine. It’s all about heart. I know my heart is as big as anybody in the draft.
Q: Are you worried about playing against bigger people in the NBA?
Nelson: Not at all. I think I’m strong enough and quick enough to play against those guys. Also I have four other guys on the floor who are going to help me out. I really don’t see a disadvantage in my height. I know I can play with anybody.
Q: Who are some of the people who helped you get to this point?
Nelson: Definitely my parents, as far as me growing up and them looking after me and pointing me in the right direction. But there have also been a lot of people who have looked after me along the way, coaches, teachers, friends. This is also a tribute to those people.
Q: How many teams have you worked out for so far?
Nelson: Nine so far. I have four more coming up. I think I’m going to hit everybody in the lottery.
Q: What advice did you give to Delonte West heading into his Pre-Draft experience?
Nelson: I just told him that’s important to carry yourself like a professional. You can’t act as if the league is doing you any favors. You have to make the most of the opportunity and show that not only can you play, but you can be a man and handle things, all the things that come along with being a pro.
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Q: How do you feel being an elder statesman in this setting as a junior?
Okafor: Heck, I’m 21 and I’m a senior citizen around here. You see a lot of young faces out here, but these guys are talented, and that’s the way it is.
Q: Does the maturity aspect help you case in this draft?
Okafor: I can’t say what’s in the mind of the general managers. The fact that I’m older could be an advantage. The older you get, you learn a few more things, your mindset changes. But it’s up to general managers.
Q: So you measured 6-10 in sneakers. Do you feel like telling all the doubters to take a hike?
Okafor: I never really cared about it. I know what my capabilities are. If people want to argue over an inch or a half an inch, more power to him.
Q: Is it harder for a player with your skill-set to really stand out in a workout?
Okafor: I’ve never really been a great workout guy in the sense of having individual workouts. I work hard on my game and I do a lot of that during games. I try and see what works and what doesn’t, how I can improve and how can I gain an advantage against the guy I’m matching up with.
Q: Have you set any goals in terms of production as a rookie?
Okafor: My goal is to come in and do what I can. I don’t want to set any limits or underestimate myself. I have to go in there and gauge myself and see how I do. That’s going to be my process in every game. Right now, I don’t know the dynamics of the team I’m going to be on. I kind of have to see what’s what before I set goals for myself. Test the waters.
