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NBA Teams Sizing Up Felder

Representatives from all the local media outlets were on hand for Monday's pre-draft workout at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, gathering to talk with Purdue's Caleb Swanigan.

Less local but more intriguing was a player who preceded Swanigan off the practice court and slipped virtually unnoticed through the aisle between the waiting reporters, most of whom likely didn't know his name, his story or his prospects.

Kay Felder is 5-foot-9. Might as well get that out of the way from the start, because that's the defining statistic of his basketball career, and will be the biggest factor in his fate in the NBA Draft on June 23. A player 6-foot-3 or taller who could do the things he can do would likely be a lottery pick. Most mock drafts have him pegged as a late second-round pick, one who could be available to the Pacers with their 50th overall selection.

"I don't really care if I go drafted or undrafted," he said following Monday's workout, in which he played well according to eyewitnesses. "I know what I bring to the team: leadership, defense, high energy...whatever a team needs I'll do it."

Fortunately for Felder, a couple of other players with similar size and skill sets have gone before him, helping to clear the path of lingering prejudice and skepticism, and proving to NBA executives height doesn't matter if you're quick enough, tough enough and good enough. Comparisons to a couple of other 5-9 guards, Nate Robinson and Isaiah Thomas, are as valid as they are inevitable.

Felder – actually 5-8 1/4 in his bare feet – had to settle for a mid-major scholarship coming out of Detroit Pershing High School because coaches for the "majors" weren't particularly enthralled with such a vertically-challenged point guard. He proved them wrong, over and over again, in his three seasons at Oakland University, located near Auburn Hills, Mich., where the Detroit Pistons play their home games. Three years later, entering the draft after three college seasons, he's planning to clear the same hurdles in the NBA.

He averaged 24.2 points his final college season, tied for third in the nation. He passed out 9.3 assists, first in the nation, and two steals. He was the Horizon League's Freshman of the Year, and its Player of the Year and a third-team All-American selection as a junior. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.7-to-1 made him the fourth-most efficient guard in the country.

He saved his best for the best. He scored 38 against Washington in December. Three nights later, he had 37 points and nine assists in a nationally televised overtime loss to Michigan State, which was ranked No. 1 at the time. He had 21 points at halftime of that game, with no turnovers. A week later against fifth-ranked Virginia, a team noted for its defense, he scored 30.

He cashed in his chips in those games – the chips on his shoulders. One represents his indignation at being ignored by the major programs because of his height. The other, he said in a New York Times article, represents his desire to prove himself. He said after Monday's practice at The Fieldhouse that the second chip represented his desire to please his family, claiming "It's a joyous moment when I put smiles on their faces." So, while the chips might be changed out from time to time, they still provide motivation.

He also could find inspiration from the careers of Robinson and Thomas, among others.

Robinson, drafted with the 21st pick in 2005, played at least parts of 14 NBA seasons. He was a journeyman, playing for eight teams, but averaged 11 points overall and compiled an impressive highlight reel. He was a three-time slam-dunk champion over All-Star Weekend, and had several brilliant individual performances. He scored 41 points against the Pacers on Feb. 23, 2009 while playing for New York, and came back with 32 points against Orlando the next game. He averaged 17.2 points that season.

Thomas was the last player drafted in 2011, 60th overall. He's already on his third team, Boston, but was an All-Star this season. He scored a career-high 38 points against the Pacers on Jan. 23, then topped that with 42 against Atlanta in the playoffs.

Felder – his real name is Kahlil, but he prefers Kay for its simplicity – is well aware of the analogies, and embraces them. He's also been compared to Kemba Walker, a relative giant at 6-foot-1, who averaged 20.9 points last season for Charlotte. One of Oakland's assistant coaches, Saddi Washington (who has since been hired at Michigan), made an out-of-the-box comparison to former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders for his unique mobility.

Felder seems an increasingly good fit for an NBA that is essentially growing smaller because of the way the game is being played. The rule in 1994 that eliminated hand-checking has made it easier for smaller players to utilize their quickness and get to the basket. The tempo is faster and the lane less congested as players become more athletic and 3-point shooting improves. In a league where guys like the 6-foot-7 Draymond Green occasionally play center, 5-9 point guards seem to have less of a disadvantage.

Felder has a couple of gifts that help him overcome his standing altitude. His 6-2 ½ wingspan adds length, and his vertical jump of 44 inches – one of the best ever recorded at the Chicago pre-draft combine – allows him to play taller. Check out his highlight clips, and you can watch him on the receiving end of lob passes for one-handed slam-dunks.

The primary concern, obviously, for a player of Felder's size will be defense. How would he fare against a 6-foot-5 point guard? He wasn't encouraged to put too much emphasis on defense at Oakland because the team couldn't afford to have him in foul trouble, so that's been a point of emphasis in his pre-draft workouts, where he's defended baseline to baseline. He's demonstrated the quickness to stay in front of ballhandlers as well as pick off steals; he had six of them in 47 minutes in his two scrimmages in Chicago.

Break down his game, and you find a player who can create space with his ballhandling. Although he's a capable catch-and-shoot marksman, he's best off the dribble, whether moving sideways or executing a quick step-back, along the lines of Steph Curry. He wasn't accurate from the 3-point line in shooting drills following Monday's workout for the Pacers, but was said to be much better in live action, when defended.

He can hit floaters, execute pick-and-rolls, drive-and-kick to open teammates, or reject ball screens and find an opening for himself off the dribble. He also welcomes contact around the basket to get to the foul line. He averaged 8.1 free throw attempts his final season at Oakland, and hit 85 percent of them.

The intangibles are exceptional, too. He was an honor roll student in high school and comes from a tightly-knit family with basketball bloodlines. His father, Kahlil, played at Eastern Michigan from 1990-92. Felder honed his competitive spirit in games against his father and older brother, Michael, who gave up nothing easily.

"That's how I do my little brother (Armanee)," he said. "I don't let him win."

Felder's energy and competitive spirit will give him the best chance of duplicating or surpassing the careers of Robinson and Thomas. You can see it in the video clips, and you don't have to talk with him long to hear it.

That 44-inch vertical jump in Chicago? It left him frustrated more than proud after he found out it wasn't the best all-time effort.

"I'm kind of mad," he said Monday. "Second place is the first loser."

Those standout games against the likes of Washington, Michigan State and Virginia this past season? Definitely payback for not recruiting him out of high school.

"That's just how life is; life is unfair," he said. "They felt there were other players better than me. I just felt like when I saw them, I'd give it to them."

He didn't exactly let up in the less glamorous games, though. He failed to score 20 points just five times last season, and never dipped below 13. The games against Horizon League opponents were important, too.

"I hate to lose," he said. "It just kills me. If you're not competitive, you're in it for the wrong reasons. I just go all out and leave it all out there."

Felder will be one of the smallest players but one of the biggest mysteries of the draft. His stock appears to be rising based on his pre-draft performances, and players such as Thomas have made 5-9 point guards more fashionable. He'll just have to wait and see who's willing to take a small risk on him.

Regardless, he doesn't plan to be sitting in front of a television set all evening, waiting for his name to be called.

"I'll probably be in the gym somewhere, honestly," he said. "I don't think I 'll watch it. I'll just wait to get that call."

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