One-on-One with Matt Barnes

Posted: May 13, 2002

UCLA’s Matt Barnes was one of four players to participate in a private workout at America West Arena on Monday. The 6-7, 230-lb. forward, who averaged 13.5 points and 6.2 rebounds a game for the Bruins this past season, spent more than two hours working out in front of the Suns’ brain trust.

Afterwards, he sat down with local reporters to discuss the workout and the upcoming NBA Draft.

Question: Was this your first pre-draft workout?

Barnes: Yes, it’s my first stop. One of many. It’s very exciting. Phoenix is a great area. With me, I’m especially excited about this, because my four years at UCLA, I played out of position. So being able to show them I can play the wing and shoot the ball, and handle the ball is exciting for me.

Question: That must be a big part of what you’re hoping to show teams leading up to the draft.

Barnes: Exactly. I mean, they saw sometimes I played the wing, but the majority of time (in college) I played down low. So being able to come out here and shoot the ball pretty well and handle the ball, and guard wings, all the stuff I’m trying to prove is going pretty well so far.

Question: What sort of things did you run through today?

Barnes: Shooting. Unfortunately, Sam got hurt, so we didn’t do any two-on-two or one-on-one, so just our footwork stuff. In L.A. we work out six days a week, eight to pretty much 9 at night, footwork, shooting, that’s all the stuff I’ve been working on hard, so when I came in here, it was pretty much the exact same stuff I was working on in L.A. So I felt it went pretty well.

Question: How exciting was it for you?

Barnes: Very exciting. I wish I would’ve gotten over my sinus infection. I was a little slow and had a running nose and stuff, but I had a lot of energy and a lot of jitters. Knowing (Suns assistant coach) Phil Weber I think helps a lot. Phil used to work me out during the summers at UCLA a couple years back, so I think I was a lot more comfortable coming into Phoenix, and being here a lot playing Arizona and Arizona State, I felt pretty comfortable, and it went pretty well today.

Question: So you think you had a good showing?

Barnes: I felt I could’ve shot the ball a little bit better, but I feel everyone thinks that. But as far as my footwork, it well pretty well, and just understanding and grasping what they were trying to preach to me, I think it went pretty well.

Question: How would you describe your game?

Barnes: I think I’m a bigger guard. A mix between like a Shawn Marion, a Bonzi Wells, a Paul Pierce. Someone who’s got footwork, can shoot the ball and can play two or three different positions on the floor. I’m good with the ball in my hands. I make good decisions and I set other people up pretty well. Having the ball in my hand and being able to make decisions is where I feel pretty comfortable.

Question: What’s it like having all those scouts watching you?

Barnes: It’s exciting, because a lot of people haven’t seen my full potential. Like I said, I was always down in the post playing the four and five at 6-8. So being able to come out here, I may be surprising some of them, but not myself, because I knew I could do it the whole time. So I was just coming in here being confident, enjoying myself. It’s a game. You have got to love the game and just come out and have a good showing.

Question: Do you have any feel for where you might go in the draft?

Barnes: They said anywhere from middle teams to end of the first, in that area.

Question: Were you a Kings fan, growing up in Citrus Heights?

Barnes: Yes. You know, I’m just a sports fan. I want to go somewhere where there’s nice weather. Phoenix is nice, Sacramento, Orlando, L.A., anywhere where it’s nice. And all of those cities have good teams.

Question: How exciting is it knowing you’re going to be an NBA player in just over a month?

Barnes: It’s a dream. It’s been a lot process from high school to UCLA, learning a lot of different things, now coming in here. All the time you talked about it, ‘I can’t wait for it.’ But now it’s here in the present. You’ve just got to make the best of your situation right now, going through each workout and giving 100 percent, and just see what happens.