Day 7 Workouts: Green, Lewis, Johnson, and Koponen

by Matt McQueeny, NJNets.com

Ron Lewis of Ohio State and Trey Johnson of Jackson State have probably seen enough of Taurean Green lately. The trio – along with nineteen year old Peteri Koponen of Finland – were together to work out for the Nets and Knicks today at New York’s Tarrytown practice facility.

“I’ve seen Ron a few times now,” said Green, whose Florida squad got the better of Lewis’ Buckeyes in the NCAA National Championship game in April.

“We (Florida) played them (Ohio State) two times last season, (I) played against him in the pre-draft camp in one of the games and now I’m working out against him.”

Green also dished 12 assists and grabbed seven in a first round win over Jackson State, who were led by the nation’s second leading scorer in Johnson (27.1 ppg).

Green – who stands at just over six feet tall with shoes on - thinks he has a shot at being a first round selection and has plenty of experience running a team in big games, helping quarterback the Gators to consecutive national championships.

While he acknowledged that “everybody is bigger, everybody is faster, and everybody is stronger” in the NBA, he is confident in his ability to adjust to the next level.

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” said Green, whose father, Sidney, played in the NBA with five teams, including the Knicks.

“Whatever a team needs me to do, I’ll do. If it’s just running the team, getting guys the ball, I’ll do that; if it’s knocking down shots or playing good defense, I’ll do that.”

Ohio State senior Ron Lewis was that other starter in a starting five filled with young talent, which included the freshman duo of Greg Oden and Mike Conley, both potential lottery picks. Though it would be human nature to think so, the 6’4” guard says he never saw the young players as an obstacle to his own selfish aspirations of getting drafted in the NBA.

Asked if he was ever frustrated, Lewis said “Nah, I wasn’t. You give yourself an opportunity when you just go out there and play and that’s what I did this year.”

He continued, “I really shined in the tournament and I got that opportunity.”

Shine he did. In three consecutive NCAA tournament games, Lewis scored 27 against Xavier (which included saving the team with a game-tying three to force overtime), 25 against Tennessee, and 22 points against Memphis. Though it was with a modest average, he was also second in scoring on the team during the season with 12.7 ppg.

“Everybody wants winners and when you come from a winning team, you know how to win,” said the athletic Lewis, who is using pre-draft workouts as an opportunity to show what he can do individually.

Lewis says defense is one of his strengths, along with shooting and getting to the basket.

Sounds like Phoenix’s Raja Bell?

Said Lewis, “Raja Bell just gives me all the things in the world. Him just coming out knocking down open shots when their there, and just guarding the best player and doing all the things he needs to do to just give his team the edge to win.”

While Lewis - and Jackson State’s Trey Johnson - might be pining for a time where he doesn’t have to see Taurean Green so often, it was Green who gave Lewis the ultimate compliment – a compliment that can only come from a player who has matched up a lot against another player.

“Ron Lewis is a great player,” said Green. “Greg Oden and Mike Conley got all the credit, which was deserved, but Ron Lewis is probably one of the most talented guys in the country.”

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