Before you giggle at the title of my latest column stop to think what Wednesday afternoon?s media session in New York City was all about. The League called together a dozen or so of the projected Lottery picks, and offered them up to the media in round-table fashion. The players were brought in waves (two groups to be exact) and given thirty minutes to speak with the media they?ll probably grow to love or hate in the ensuing years.
So a peep show is exactly what it was.
Most members of the NBA media, like myself, were getting to know the upcoming rookies a lot better and the players themselves were seeing the faces of diligent journalists for the first of many times. What I found to be rather funny was just how the League set everything up.
Every player was seated at a round table with a handful of chairs, given a nametag and a bottle of water, and thrown to the wolves. At this point they would be asked about their personal lives, their professional lives, and even what threads they?ll be donning for tonight?s Main Event. No stone was left unturned, and no question left unasked.
I arrived just as the first wave of players was being swarmed by the group of worker bees known as America?s sports media.
I quickly walked over to the table of Washington freshmen Spencer Hawes, because it was the closest to the door and quite frankly, was the least crowded of all. He mentioned the Chicago Bulls an awful lot, leading me to believe that he thinks he?ll be taken by them tonight. ?I think Chicago would be a good situation for me,? he said. What I also thought was interesting was the two-hour psychological exam the Bulls put him through. ?It was literally like moving things around and matching them up. Memory tests and that kind of stuff,? is how he described them.
After speaking with the seven-footer for a few minutes I moved over the table of the Mike Conley Jr., the player with which I was most interested. I stepped into the conversation with Conley explaining how he cannot wait to buy a car because he?s ?currently driving his brother?s Ford Escape.?
He commented, with a huge smile on his face, about the rumors of Portland trading up to get him as well as his ?best friend? Greg Oden. While I highly doubt it?ll happen, I wouldn?t rule out Conley signing with Oden?s team when his rookie contract ends down the line. I thought the media pumped up their relationship, but after speaking with Conley it?s definitely legit. Not surprisingly when asked who he?d take with the first overall pick he said, ?Because I?m biased, I?m going to have to say Greg.?
I was shocked to hear Conley comment candidly on his struggles during workouts in Atlanta and Chicago. ?I think I could have done better in Atlanta, but I thought I did alright. But Chicago was probably the workout that I felt the worse about, but I still feel that the rest of them went pretty well,? he said.
After spending some quality time with Ohio State?s Conley, I moved over to the table of another hot guard prospect, Texas A&M?s Acie Law. He was one of the only players to describe his feelings in this way, ?I?m very nervous. I don?t have any idea where I?m going to be drafted, but I?m definitely happy to be here.? Law prefers to compare himself to Chauncey Billups and Sam Cassell in terms of the League?s current points because of his ability to score. The comparison to Cassell is an ironic one with the Clippers possibly in the market for Law in tonight?s Draft.
Next on my hit list was Georgetown?s Jeff Green, the first player I targeted from the second wave of players. He talked a lot about how he adapted his game during his three years as a Hoya, because he came in having played nearly every position in high school. I think that shows that he?ll be able to shift his game throughout his professional career, which could make for a smaller adjustment period than the average rookie.
He felt his workout with the Suns went well. He worked out with the Gators? Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer. ?We all worked hard, and we went against each other with a lot of one-one-one. It was a lot of fun because I love to work out,? he said. I think that speaks volumes about Green?s desire, it?s always good for a player to ?love? to work out. That means he?ll more than likely put a strong effort into his game. Overall, the time I spent with Jeff made his stock soar in my book.
After getting what I felt I needed from Green I cruised over to the surprisingly vacant table of Corey Brewer. As I placed my recorder on the table in front of him, he was commenting on the people who?ve compared him to Scottie Pippen, ?I like that comparison. He?s one of the fifty greatest players.?
Overall, Brewer gives off a sense of relaxation and a southern drawl that really doesn?t seem to translate onto the basketball court, where he?s often seen as passionate and fiery. Ultimately, being able to balance those two types of mindsets could be a huge asset for the soon-to-be former Gator. When I got the chance to ask Brewer how he?d feel if he was drafted by his hometown Grizzles (he?s from Tennessee) he responded with this, ?That?d be great, you know. It?d be a dream come true for me, but you never know what?s going to happen.?
After speaking with Brewer for a few minutes I decided to tackle the media orgy that was the ?Kevin Durant? table. Not expecting to get within arms reach of Durant, I practically threw my beloved Olympus over the heads of the swarming media, nearly knocking out several innocent bystanders in the process. In the end though, I think I faired pretty well ? getting some good stuff out of the projected number two pick.
He commented on his initial surprise when he heard Portland and Seattle had landed the top two picks, he fully expected someone like Boston, Milwaukee or Charlotte to end up with the top selections. However, he saved himself from seeming negative by saying, ?I like low-key cities.? Overall, I think Kevin is much more personable and charismatic than people have given him credit for early on. He portrayed himself as confident, but kept himself in check when discussing the possibility of going number one, ?I?d like to go number one, but a center like Greg doesn?t come around often.?
I got the impression that he also enjoyed receiving all the attention of a high Lottery pick. ?I?m happy to be going though this long process, it?ll make it all the more sweet in the end,? he said. Durant also had some very funny comments about the two gentlemen who could become his boss by the time eight o?clock rolls around. He said that Seattle GM Sam Presti, ?looks like someone who could have been in one of my classes.? And he added that Portland big man Paul Allen is, ?a so-called rock star, and a real good guy. I liked him.?
The last guy I spoke with was Eastern Washington?s Rodney Stuckey, the most unknown of the potential Lottery selections. He came off as much older than he really is, and I?m not saying that in the same terms as Greg Oden?s man-beard. When asked about what it is like to share a room with the famous Florida trio of Al Horford, Noah, and Brewer, Stuckey said, ?They are really good guys. They act just like the rest of us, they?re real humble people.?
I think that sums of this group of young men best. They all seem to be genuinely nice guys, and humble people. They?ve been worked out, paraded around, and subject to unbelievable scrutiny in recent months. As a person, more than anything, I?m happy that it?ll all be over for these guys tonight, as their life-long dreams finally come true.
And hey, they?re fresh blood for us.
Questions, Comments, Last Minute Draft Thoughts? Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com