Bassy Banter

We sat down with Sebastian Telfair earlier this week to banter about tough shooting drills, his mom's new house, Lil' Wayne's sagging pants and the NBA Rookie Symposium.

Bassy Banter

If you're more of a reader than a listener, here's a transcript of the conversation:

Q: On a tough early week workout:
Telfair: Monday's are tough, but guys still came in and worked really hard, getting ready for this week.

Q: On the best moment of practice:
Telfair: Al (Jefferson) calling a foul when he didn't get fouled for game basket ... He calls the foul, gets the ball back and scores. That got the guys excited around here.

Q: On whom he called the foul:
Telfair: Of course he called it on Chris (Richard)! It's easy to call a foul on a rookie. They're still rookies until (the season starts).

Q: On his game right now:
Telfair: I've been getting guys to run up and down the floor with me and getting guys open shots. I feel good about my jump shot. Like I said earlier in the summer, I took the most jumpers I ever took in the offseason so I'm coming in feeling really comfortable about my jumper.

Q: On finishing at the rim:
Telfair: I've been breaking down a lot of film on myself to see where I'm finishing and where I'm not. I think it's getting to the basket and taking contact and making the basket after. I've been watching a lot of my games to see what I'm doing right and wrong, but (assistant) coach Dean Cooper broke down Chris Paul and Tony Parker pick and rolls, so that when I've been traveling back and forth between New York and Minnesota this offseason, that's what I've been watching.

Q: On the expulsion of rookies Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur from the NBA's rookie orientation program:
Telfair: Me, myself, from being in trouble before, I was a little upset about it. I think guys have to look at other guy's situations and learn from it. I don't think (Chalmers and Arthur) meant any harm. They got into a situation where they were doing something they shouldn't have been doing and I think they'll pay for it and they'll learn from it. ... I want people to learn from my situation and not do the same things.

Q: On the specifics of certain drills during offseason practice:
Telfair: We have some shooting drills that coach Jerry (Sichting) and coach Dean (Cooper) are putting us through that are exhausting, especially for guys that aren't used to it. We got this star drill with 15 shots where you have to make 10 of them: you're making a star from each spot on the floor, and you have to make 10-of-15.

Q: On Mike Miller doing that drill:
Telfair: Well he's never missing, his first 10 shots are going in so he's not going to be (as tired).

Q: On Al Jefferson's leadership:
Telfair: He's our leader, and once he (establishes) consistency, everyone else will follow that. But this year with seeing the guys coming in, I think everyone is committed to winning. Everyone wants to get their numbers and do something exciting, but I think we're ready to win.

Q: On if roles are starting to be figured out:
Telfair: Training camp is war. It's the last week where you get to go at your team, so guys go out there and (earn) their roles for themselves. After that it's in coach's hands.

Q: On the NBA's rookie program:
Telfair: I think being older now, you can get more of it than you think. From going to those classes and listening to some of the veteran players that come in and speak to you, you can learn a lot of things that are going to help you groom yourself into a pretty nice NBA player. It brings you up to date to the speed of the NBA lifestyle. A lot of guys coming in like myself were 18 years old, making a bunch of money and on their own for the first time. You need to hear those things.

Q: On what's going on off the court:
Telfair: My mom is just getting into her house. She's in the middle of decorating, having a great time doing it and I'm happy to put a smile on her face. My family's just enjoying life right now.

Q: On his TV:
Telfair: I tivoed the (MTV Music Video Awards) but haven't watched it yet. Lil' Wayne is running the game right now and Jay-Z has a lot of hot songs out right now.

Q: On Lil' Wayne's sagging pants:
Telfair: Well, seeing Jay-Z's career, I think there was a time where he was on the stage with his pants hanging down and his bandana tied around his head when he was 24 or 25 like Lil' Wayne. As he got older and a little wiser, he put his button up on and now he's in his suits. I think Lil' Wayne will get to that stage. Right now he's just a young man that's doing some amazing things. I think he will learn and start doing some things that are more appropriate.

Q: On the NFL:
Telfair: I'm a Jets fan and always have been a Jets fans. I wish I would have jumped on the Giants bandwagon last year, but I didn't. I'm going to stick with the Jets. You get to pick: we have the Mets and the Yankees and of course I'm a Yankees fan, but we're not doing too well right now but we're going to get it going. ... I'm a huge Brett Favre guy now. He's an amazing player so you gotta be a fan.

Q: He stinks.
Telfair: It's impossible to say a Hall of Famer stinks. I don't know one Hall of Famer that stinks.

Q: Box. I have no comeback for that.