June 16 , 2009

Focus on Two Talented Forwards

The workouts are no longer massive. Just one staff, six players and an eye on the 11th spot. Tuesday, two forwards were the focus: Louisville junior Earl Clark of Rahway and Wake Forest sophomore James Johnson.

Clark and Johnson are each known as versatile players who don’t yet have a defined NBA position due to their height (Clark is 6-10, 228; Johnson 6-8, 257) and skill sets. Johnson, who averaged 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists as a sophomore, said that he’s being viewed as a small forward versatile enough to play the 2 or the 4 if necessary; Clark (14.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.2 APG) thinks his ability to play multiple positions is what sets him apart in this draft.

The duo has been matching up in workouts for team after team (Clark: “I forget how many. I go blank-headed, I’m traveling so much.”) and have developed a friendship through their shared itineraries. Each said it’s been fun hanging out, but that they’re all business on the court, which was apparent to Nets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe during Tuesday’s workout.

“They did very well,” Vandeweghe said. “They’re both very skilled players. Both athletic, both competed very well today. This is getting toward the end of it for both guys. They’ve had a lot of workouts, and you can tell they had to push through some fatigue, but they were both very impressive.”

Vandeweghe said he thought each could play both forward positions, and that each shot well enough that it was hard to distinguish who was the better shooter. However, he cautioned that each would need to work on extending their range. Competitiveness was the quality Vandeweghe most sought to measure in this instance, because NBA players are always “tired and a little bit injured.”

Knowing there would be a focus on strength and conditioning, Johnson -- a black belt in karate with kickboxing experience -- began weightlifting after the season in an attempt to bulk up before trimming down. He knows that he needs to maintain his quickness and agility if he’s to succeed in the pros; both are skills that benefit from his martial arts training.

“You always stay on your toes in kickboxing; I try to utilize that,” Johnson said. “I use my quickness or my off speeds. You can’t fight at one speed -- you’re going to get knocked out.”

Clark knows that there’s room for more weight on a frame that clearly has yet to fill out. But after running with pro players in recent weeks, he’s confident he’ll be able to hold his own as he develops. Clark knows that being drafted into the right situation will play a major part in how quickly he adjusts to the NBA, joking that he needs a coach who likes playing rookies -- a notorious paradox.

But the area product -- known as “E-5” for the No. 5 jersey he’s sported since childhood -- is aware that the forward positions were the Nets’ least consistent last season. Clark feels he could help, even if it means taking on the responsibility of donning Jason Kidd’s jersey number.

“There’s some need there,” Clark said. “I believe I could come here, be a hometown hero and bring a couple fans. I believe I’m good enough to play in this league and one day I could be an All-Star.”