Prospects Try To Raise Their Game For Knicks

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ, June 6, 2007 -- Following the second Knicks-Nets collective NBA Draft workout, New Jersey GM Ed Stefanski called Stephane Lasme “an interesting character” -- and the rail-thin forward is all of that. For starters, even while coming from a scant basketball background -- he’s originally from Gabon -- the 6-8 Lasme finished his senior season at UMass as one of only two players in the nation to rank in the Top 25 in three statistical categories.

The other guy? Consensus No. 1 pick, not to mention consensus future super-duper to end all super-duper-s, Greg Oden.

The real rouser is Lasme’s shot blocking (5.1 per game, second in the nation), a rare and unique skill much-needed by the Knicks. And the 215-pound Lasme -- no post monster, he -- was doing this as a FORWARD. “I just try to be where the ball is,” he said, extremely soft-spoken. “I’m HUNTING for it. I have a knack, I guess. It comes naturally. To tell you the truth, I never actually worked at it.”

Though Lasme was also an elite rebounder (9.5 pg., 20th in the nation) and field goal shooter (61.1 per cent, 13th) in college, he’s well aware that the rest of his game, still raw, must develop to a NBA level. “Obviously, I’ve got a lot of things to work on,” he smiled. “I need to improve my offensive game a little bit more, also my perimeter defense. I’ve got to knock down the mid-range shot and just improve my range. But I’m patient with it.”

Question is, will NBA teams be patient with a late-developing talent who’s already 24 years old? “I’m not too worried about that. My point is, so I’m a bit more mature than anybody else. Obviously, I know better what’s right and what’s wrong compared to the regular kids that come out of school.”

‘’I work hard,” he added. ‘’I can do anything. I will do anything you tell me to do. I don’t mind doing the dirty job. I think I got that across today.’’

Fellow big Brandon Wallace, a 6-9 forward out of South Carolina known mainly for his board work, was also elated with his workout. “Isiah Thomas told me ‘good job’, and that he liked what he saw,’’ he said, smile miles wide. “I think I showed some things that I can do that people may not have known about me previously.”

“Shooting and handling the ball,” added Wallace. “The system at school would not allow me to display those things. But I think I did pretty well today.”

“Renaldo (ex-teammate Balkman) is my best friend,” Wallace said. “He told me on the phone ‘don’t be nervous. And each time, just show them different things.’ So that’s what I did.”

As smallish point guards from even more smallish schools, the other two workout participants -- 5-11 DaShaun Wood from Wright State and Albany’s 6-1 Jamar Wilson – couldn’t help but be just a LITTLE nervous. “Playing in front of Isiah Thomas, who is my idol, and in the same gym Jason Kidd plays…” Wilson shook his head in wonderment. “That’s just unbelievable. That’s awesome.”

“Still, especially for guys like us from lesser known places, you’ve just got to grab hold of it when you get the opportunity. You’ve got to raise your game to another level. Really, that’s all you can do.”