Grizzlies work out four Monday
Young, Brewer and Law were three of the four players that worked out on Monday.
grizzlies.com
The Grizzlies held a doubleheader at FedExForum Monday, hosting two pre-draft workouts back-to-back. The first consisted of Florida’s Corey Brewer, Texas A&M’s Acie Law IV and USC’s Nick Young. After they were finished, Grizzlies brass was set to run an individual workout with North Carolina’s Brandan Wright.
The dual workouts illustrated the differing viewpoints draft prospects have regarding the process. Brewer said he prefers going up against other players rather than going through a workout by himself.
“I feel like it helps, it’s more competitive, it shows what kind of player you really are when you go up against somebody,” Brewer said.
For his part, Wright feels that by going by himself he had the full attention of the team’s coaches and management.
“I think it’s an opportunity for me to show more than what I showed during the season, especially with my shot and my handle, so I think it’s better for me,” he contended. He added that it made more sense for him to go by himself today since Brewer, Law and Young are perimeter players, whereas he’s a big man.
Much has been made of Wright’s slight frame and how he can handle the increased physicality of the NBA, especially over the course of a grueling 82-game season. Listed at 6’9” and 205 pounds (or in other words, 13 pounds lighter than Mike Miller), Wright acknowledged the need for him to bulk up.
“I have to get better and get stronger, (but) I’m not really concerned at all because I’m a player, and I’m going to work at it and get better,” Wright said.
“I think he’s a very good player,” added Grizzlies Director of Player Personnel Tony Barone, Sr. “He’s long, he blocks shots, he’s athletic, he runs the court, he needs to get on my diet, that’s the only problem.”
Prior to Wright’s workout, the Grizzlies went through the paces with Brewer, Law and Young.
Brewer is already a known quantity to most fans. He averaged 13.2 points per game as a junior last season at Florida, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 NCAA Tournament, as he helped lead the Gators to their second straight national title.
Law is also a player many fans are familiar with, earning consensus First Team All-America honors last season after averaging 18.1 points and 5.0 assists per game. He and Ohio State’s Mike Conley, Jr., whom the Grizzlies worked out last week, are the two top-rated point guards in the draft, and Barone discussed what each of them can bring to a team.
“(With) Mike Conley, I’d use the word quintessential. When you see a point guard, you see Mike Conley,” said Barone. “Acie is an outstanding point guard who brings to the table something else: physicality, as well as the ability to shoot the ball from long range. He can tee it up from anywhere. That’s the difference. Conley is a jet, this kid (Law) has controlled quickness, which is going to make him a very good point guard in the league.”
Perhaps the most intriguing player is USC’s Nick Young, an outstanding athlete who’s generated a buzz in recent weeks as the draft gets closer. As a junior last season he averaged 17.5 points per game on 52.5% shooting from the field and 44.0% shooting from three-point range. So why don’t more people know about him? Such is the curse of playing on the West Coast.
“I’m a solid player, one of the top wings coming in. I’ve been on the West Coast, I know how hard it is to catch West Coast games. We play at six and you’re already in bed,” Young said with laugh.
“I don’t think his stock is rising, I think people who saw him play on the collegiate level just reaffirmed what they saw,” added Barone. “He’s a very good player, very strong, very athletic, not quite as experienced as the other two, but he’s going to be an NBA player for sure.”
For more information related to the 2007 NBA Draft, check Grizzlies Draft Central regularly for updated news and feature.
Player Stats
Corey Brewer Florida
| Position: Forward Class: Junior Ht: 6-9 Wt: 185 DOB: 3/5/86 | ||||||||||||
| SEASON AVERAGES | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEASON | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | TO | A/T | STL | BLK | PF | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
| 2004-2005 | 24.7 | 7.5 | 3.4 | 2 | 1.6 | 1.21 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 2.3 | .515 | .581 | .436 |
| 2005-2006 | 28.1 | 12.7 | 4.8 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 1.19 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 2.5 | .468 | 0.769 | .350 |
| 2006-2007 | 28.7 | 13.2 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.17 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 1.9 | .475 | .723 | .336 |
Quick Facts: Named Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 NCAA Tournament Final Four. Earned First Team All-SEC honors as a junior and Second Team honors as a sophomore. Named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. Finished collegiate career tied for 28th on Florida's all-time leading scoring list with 1,225 points. Also ranks fifth in career steals with 176. Ranks as Florida's all-time scoring leader in the NCAA Tournament with 198 career points. Helped lead Florida to National Championships in 2006 and 2007, as the Gators became the first school to post back-to-back titles in 15 years. |
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Acie Law IV Texas A&M
| Position: Guard Class: Senior Ht: 6-3 Wt: 195 DOB: 1/25/85 | ||||||||||||
| SEASON AVERAGES | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEASON | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | TO | A/T | STL | BLK | PF | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
| 2003-2004 | 23.1 | 7.5 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.3 | .0 | 2.3 | .387 | .759 | .216 |
| 2004-2005 | 30.4 | 12.0 | 3.5 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 1.1 | .0 | 3.2 | .493 | .716 | .384 |
| 2005-2006 | 34.7 | 16.1 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 1.61 | 1.7 | .0 | 2.6 | .448 | .764 | .330 |
| 2006-2007 | 33.9 | 18.1 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 1.92 | 1.1 | 0 | 2.4 | 0.500 | .778 | .458 |
Quick Facts: Earned Consensus First Team All-American honors as a senior. Also a finalist for the Naismith and Wooden Awards. Named the winner of the 2007 Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award. A member of the Wooden Award All-America Team. Named First Team All-Big 12 his junior and senior seasons. Named Honorable Mention All-Conference as a sophomore. Finished collegiate career at Texas A&M's third all-time leading scorer with 1,669 points, third in assists with 545 and sixth in steals with 156. Great uncle is former Chicago Cubs great and Hall of Famer Ernie Banks. |
||||||||||||
Brandan Wright North Carolina
| Position: Forward Class: Freshman Ht: 6-9 Wt: 205 DOB: 10/5/87 | ||||||||||||
| SEASON AVERAGES | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEASON | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | TO | A/T | STL | BLK | PF | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
| 2006-2007 | 27.4 | 14.7 | 6.2 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.63 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 1.5 | .646 | .567 | .000 |
Quick Facts: Fifth freshman in Atlantic Coast Conference history to win Tournament MVP honors. Broke the ACC single-season freshman record with .646 field goal percentage. Earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors six times, the second-most in Carolina history. ACC Rookie of the Year and All-ACC Second Team selection. Named to the NCAA All-East Regional Team after averaging 12.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in four NCAA contests. Led the ACC in field goal percentage (.646) and was the only player in the conference to shoot at least 60 percent from the floor. Led the Tar Heels in blocked shots (65, 6th in ACC) and was second on the team in scoring (14.7 ppg, 13th) and rebounding (6.2 rpg, 14th). |
||||||||||||
Nick Young Southern California
| Position: G-F Class: Junior Ht: 6-6 Wt: 200 DOB: 6/1/85 | |||||||||||||
| SEASON AVERAGES | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEASON | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | TO | A/T | STL | BLK | PF | FG% | FT% | 3P% | |
| 2004-2005 | 25.7 | 11.1 | 4.1 | 1.3 | 1.7 | .79 | .8 | .3 | 2.6 | .441 | .644 | .315 | ,,,, |
| 2005-2006 | 33.9 | 17.3 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 2.2 | .73 | 1.0 | .2 | 2.6 | .467 | .801 | .333 | ,,,, |
| 2006-2007 | 33.2 | 17.5 | 4.6 | 1.4 | 2.4 | .56 | .7 | .3 | 2.5 | .525 | .786 | 0.440 | |
Quick Facts: Earned First Team All-Pac-10 honors his sophomore and junior seasons. Also earned All-District honors from the NABC and USBWA both years. Finished collegiate career as USC's sixth all-time leading scorer with 1,486 points. AS A JUNIOR: Ranked second in the Pac-10 in scoring (17.5 ppg), fifth in field goal percentage (.525) and tied for second in three-point field goal percentage (.440). AS A SOPHOMORE: Led team in scoring (17.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg). Was one of only three players in the conference ranked in the top 10 in both scoring (fourth) and rebounding (sixth). Scored in double figures in all but one contest. Recorded four double-doubles. AS A FRESHMAN: Averaged 11.1 points and 4.1 rebounds. Scored in double figures 15 times. |
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