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Corey Hawkins Follows Dad's Path in His Own Way

The surname of Hawkins sets ears tingling in the Phoenix valley, but Corey is not related to the Connie that put the Suns on the NBA map 45 years ago. He is, however, the son of another Hawkins that could have donned a Phoenix uniform in the late 1980s.

Heading into the 1988 NBA Draft, the Suns's first pick was slated at number seven. Hersey Hawkins, who had averaged over 36 points per game (not a typo) in his senior year at Bradley, was on Phoenix's wish list. Unfortunately, it was indeed a wish all the way down at No. 7, by which time Hawkins had already been scooped up the Clippers with the sixth pick.

Nearly three decades later, Hersey's son is now on the Suns' radar. His path is entirely his own, even if the lineage is familiar. Acknowledging the former, he said, was one of the first things he noticed about his pre-draft workout in Phoenix.

"[Jeff Hornacek] is actually the first coach that hasn't said anything about my dad," he laughed.

Suns Draft Workouts: Hawkins & Pointer

The younger Hawkins sports his own distinct form on his jump shot, one that produced a scorching 49.1-percent clip from downtown in his senior season at UC Davis. He averaged 21.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest in 2014-15, but finds himself fighting to prove his name deserves to be called on June 25. 

After doing all he can do, Hawkins will let the draft happen without too much angst.

"I just told my dad I want to go home, go play some golf and I'm going to wait for the call," he said. "If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't."

And yes, Hawkins is as confident in his golf game as he is on the court.

"I'm really good," he said with an intensity that drew laughs from the surrounding media. "You want to play?"

Hawkins is an option for the Suns with their second-round pick (44th overall). Phoenix was the worst three-point shooting team in the league after the All-Star break last season, an area both Hornacek and General Manager Ryan McDonough said must be addressed during the offseason.

"He had that ability to shoot the ball [in college] and he showed it again today," Hornacek said. "In today's NBA world, that need is out there for shooters."

Hawkins wouldn't mind addressing them in Phoenix. He played high school basketball at nearby Estrella Foothills, where he set career, season and single-game scoring records.

After a four-year college career, Hawkins is trying to show new facets to his game to NBA teams.

"[I want to show] that I can be a point guard," he said. "I'm a great passer, being able to make reads off the pick-and-roll. I play defense. I play my tail off every possession. I can contribute to a team."