Knicks Conclude Pre-Draft Workouts With Young and Hill

One participant at the Madison Square Garden Training Center was the youthful Georgia Tech forward Thaddeus Young, a potential lottery selection after just a single season in college. The other was Daryll “Show Time” Hill, the St. John’s senior guard who led the Big East Conference in scoring two years ago. At the time the mercury-quick little man appeared to be a NBA-plus talent in spite of his “smallish scoring guard” game -- but Hill has been suffering from endless knee miseries since.

“Thaddeus Young is obviously a big talent,” Nets GM Ed Stefanski said following the workout. “He has good size, shoots the ball very well, and is athletic. Those three things bode well for him. He’s one of the guys a lot of teams are looking at in the first round to see if he’s worth picking at their spot, or even higher.”

“I can post smaller guys and get a little physical inside,” smiled the just-about to-turn 19 (on June 21), 6-8 Young, who averaged 14.4 points on outstanding 47.8 per cent shooting (41.9 treys) at Tech. “I think my strongest point is my overall athleticism. But I know that I still need to improve my right hand and my handle.”

“I can bring versatility, a guy who likes to listen, and a lot of character to an NBA team, right now. Basically, I’m a smart player.”

“A lot of people say I play like Paul Pierce,” said Young. “But I think I’m actually more like Tayshaun (Prince). I got the left hand hook -- and I like to back guys in a little bit.”

“When I walked out on the court today and saw Isiah Thomas watching me, I just said to myself ‘Man oh man, that’s a legend out there!’” added the very personable Young. “You want to perform even better for a person like that.”

Meanwhile the 6-foot Hill, who used to be an invisible blur on the court but whose left knee was scoped eight months ago, just wants to get a chance to perform. “I’m feeling young again,” he smiled. “I’m dunking. I’m over the rim again. Right now I’m trying to show teams that I’m back -- and that I’m ready for anything.”

“I’ve gone through a lot of frustration,” Hill said. ”It was VERY difficult. I love to play. I love the game. I really wanted to play. I really wanted to help my team. But I knew I had a future ahead of me. I had to focus on that. I knew I needed to rest my knee to do this.”

“I had to be healthy. I had to be quick. I had to have my speed in order to participate in these NBA workouts.”

“But it’s okay. My whole life has been one big challenge. I was always small. I was always underrated. I always had something to overcome. So I don’t mind working hard.”

“Isiah Thomas and Mark Jackson are my all-time favorite point guards,” Hill added with a smile. “That’s who I was watching while I was growing up in Queens. I went to the Garden for Knicks games with my Dad since I was, oh, maybe seven.”

“Isiah was thinking the game, he was quick, he had the great handle. He is a winner. I love a winner. It would be an honor playing for the Knicks in my hometown. And it would be a particular privilege with him doing the coaching.”