Draft Night: Haluska Quotes

(on his draft-night expectations)
“To be honest, I came into this with the expectation of going undrafted. I didn’t want to put my hopes into something that I had no control over. But it’s really a blessing to come to this team. I couldn’t have asked to go to a better spot. I really had been hoping that I would be a Hornet.”

(on his excellent workout for the Hornets on Monday)
“I thought things went pretty well at my workout. A lot of times (in college) I didn’t get to show my athleticism. In a workout setting, I was able to show my speed, quickness and jumping ability – a lot of different aspects of my game, not just my shooting.

(on coming to New Orleans)
“The city is really going to embrace this team, just like the Saints. With the team coming back to New Orleans, it will be exciting. I am looking forward to helping throughout the process of trying to get the city back to where it once was.”

(on coming to the Hornets)
“They’re a team that was plagued by injuries, but they still battled all year. They’ve got a great leader in Chris Paul, who really runs the show. The organization has great people behind it and there are great things in the future. It’s going to be exciting to see what happens down the road.”

(on his game)
“Sometimes when you’re a shooter and spend a lot of time on the perimeter, you don’t get to show that you can drive to the basket, or what you can do as an athlete. It’s my hope to be a really solid defender in the NBA. My role in college during my first couple years was to be a defensive stopper. I want to be known as someone who works hard on the defensive end of the floor as well.”

(on his goals for the 2007-08 season)
“It’s my hope to come in and work hard in every aspect of the game. I want to be a guy who always continues to work and will fill any role that they ask of me.
“In the short-term, I want to keep working and improve my three-point shot, continue to work on my ballhandling skills and get to where I am comfortable in the system the Hornets run. I want to prepare myself for the type of season that the NBA season is, with the 80-plus game schedule. You have to take care of your body to stay healthy.”