April 16, 2008

Hornets.com chatted with Los Angeles Clippers first-year forward Al Thornton, one of the NBA’s best rookies this season:

Hornets.com: After going through the 82-game NBA season, what’s been the biggest adjustment for you from college?
Thornton: Probably how physical the games in the league are and the length of the regular season. You’re playing a lot more games than college and traveling so much more.

Hornets.com: After going through your rookie season, how much do you think playing four years in college at Florida State helped you?
Thornton: I think from the standpoint of maturity, it helped a lot. I am a much different person coming into the NBA at 23 than I would have been if I was 18. It was easier dealing with everything after going through college and some of the experiences you have there.

Hornets.com: You’ve obviously had a very good debut season, with almost everyone listing you in the top three among rookies. What did you think back in June about people saying that you being 23 at the time of the draft – a few years older than some of the other draft prospects – was actually a negative?
Thornton: You know, I really couldn’t be upset about that, because I understood it. A lot of how they do the draft is based on potential, so I kind of knew where they were coming from.

Hornets.com: Is it the kind of thing where the scouts think that if you’re 23, you can’t improve very much at that age, but if you’re 19, there is a lot more room to get better?
Thornton: Exactly.

Hornets.com: What do you think is the biggest difference in you as a player from Game 1 of this season to Game 81 tonight?
Thornton: Just knowing how to slow down, let the game come to me and not rush to do everything. At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t playing that much, so it was hard to find a rhythm. The more you play, the more comfortable you get out there, and that’s the case with anybody. It’s about your comfort level.

Hornets.com: If you were a Rookie of the Year voter, how would you cast your ballot?
Thornton: If I was going to be real and be honest about it, I’d have to go with one of my good friends, K.D. (Seattle’s Kevin Durant). He’s been the most consistent rookie throughout the whole year. His team hasn’t had a great year, but I think he’s been the most consistent guy. He deserves it. I’d have to go with K.D.