PrintRockets Draft Prospects
On May 22 and 23, the Houston Rockets welcomed top small forward prospects Qyntel Woods of Northeast Mississippi Community College and Caron Butler of the University of Connecticut for private workouts. Both players are projected to be taken in the top 10 picks of the 2002 NBA Draft, in which the Rockets possess the first and 15th selections. Below are the question-and-answer sessions between the media and Head Coach Rudy Tomjanovich, Woods and Butler.Q: How important are the individual workouts with prospects?
Tomjanovich: The personal tests we put them through are just part of the process. Most players aren’t going to show how they are going to play in a game in this situation. Because we don’t want to get guys hurt, we do a limited amount of physical play. A lot of it is shooting. A lot of it is looking in a guy’s eye to see how he handles some of the things that we bring up.
Q: How excited do the prospects seem when they come here?
Tomjanovich: We’ve been blessed, even if we didn’t have the No. 1 pick, because we have a very good image with people. A lot of it has to do with Hakeem Olajuwon. A lot of it has to do with winning championships. And now we have good players on our team like Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley. The way that we treat players is also a positive. I believe that Houston is one of the most attractive places to play for people. And now having the number one pick just adds to it.
Q: Does having the number one pick put more pressure on you and CD?
Tomjanovich: There’s a lot of pressure, but there always is. With every trade and every draft pick there are a lot of things to weigh. There have never been things that were just black and white, 100 percent in one direction. There’s always that balance. So if somebody does have a situation with people offering something in a trade, they always make it hard. I’ve never been in a situation where it’s, ‘Oh, that’s great. Let’s do that and it’s over with.’
Q: How many teams have you worked out with and what’s it been like?
Woods: This is my first team today and I don’t know what it’s going to be like. I’m just really excited.
Q: What do you think of the praise you’re receiving from scouts and the comparisons to Tracy McGrady?
Woods: All I can say is that hard work is paying off. Everything that I’ve been through and everything that I’m going through is about to pay off. I think the comparisons to Tracy McGrady are great. He’s a player I’ve been watching for a long time. He’s straight out of high school and I’m coming out of JuCo, so it’s similar.
Q: How do you describe yourself as a player?
Woods: I play hard. That’s about all I can say. I’m not the type of person who would judge my own game. I’ll let other people judge me.
Q: Do you consider yourself a swingman type of player?
Woods: I do like to play the two and the three. At the three, I can work from the wing.Q: Coming from junior college, do you think that you have to show the scouts something extra?
Woods: I do have to do something extra. The coaches get to see all of the other players on TV playing in big games. They never get to see me play unless they come down in person. I have to show them more at this workout, so that they can see my whole game.
Q: How does that make you feel?
Woods: It’s fine. Those other guys have more experience than me, so I wouldn’t expect it to be any different.
Q: Would you be disappointed if you fell to lower than fifth in the draft?
Woods: I wouldn’t be disappointed. As long as I’m a lottery pick, I’ll be fine with that. Coming out of junior college, that would be a big accomplishment.
Q: How would you fit in with the Rockets?
Woods: I think I would fit in well on the court with Francis and Mobley. That would work out great.
Q: What approach do you take when you’re working out for a team with the No. 1 pick?
Butler: I really tried to impress them. I know that Yao Ming is a big target, but I’m just trying to make myself an option for this number one pick. I think that I can fit in well with Steve and some of the guards. We’ll see what happens.
Q: What factored into your decision to leave school early?
Butler: It think I left at a good time. I was a hot commodity. I did a great job in the tournament as well as having a good career at UConn. So I think that I left on a good note.
Q: How do you feel after this workout?
Butler: I feel all right. I’m still standing. The personnel here are great. You just want to make this place your home when you meet nice people like this.
What would you bring to the Rockets?
Butler: A lot of energy. I think I fit in well with Eddie Griffin and Steve. I think that I could be that missing piece of the puzzle. I think that I could fit in excellent here.
Q: Do you think that you could have an immediate impact here?
Butler: If you’re a lottery pick, you better have an immediate impact. That’s most definite. I just think that I have to work hard and give 100 percent.
