PG Workout Wrap
June 21, 2009 by Andrew Nicholson
The Sacramento Kings hosted their 12th pre-Draft workout at the team’s practice facility on Sunday featuring six guards. Stephen Curry (Davidson), Toney Douglas (Florida State) and Patrick Mills (St. Mary’s) showcased their game for the first time in California’s capital while Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Jonny Flynn (Syracuse) and Nick Calathes (Florida) appeared for a second go-round.
Afterward, Curry, Douglas and Mills addressed the media. Stay current with Kings.com Draft Central for complete video coverage, including quotes and workout footage.
Curry
On how the workout went:
“It was great competition out there. A great group of guys, all point guards. It was a chance to measure myself against the top six point guards in the Draft, I think, (along) with (Brandon) Jennings and (Ricky) Rubio. It was a great workout and a great ending to my pre-Draft schedule, and now I get to look forward to Thursday.”
On why he only worked out for Charlotte, New York, Washington and Sacramento:
“You have to look at the roster and where you fit in and with the roster they have. You don’t want to disappear as soon as you get drafted and get swallowed up in the system so you want to go somewhere that fits your style of play and somewhere where you can thrive, if you get drafted by them. Sacramento has a great situation here and a chance to turn the team around from last year and a new coach so things are looking good for them.”
On why the Kings would be a good fit for him:
“With Kevin Martin in the backcourt and (Francisco) Garcia, you have guys who’ve established themselves as scorers and a chance for me to come in. I know both those guys can handle on the ball and off the ball so three guys like that would be a great threat with whoever gets the rebound and everyone else running. I know Coach (Paul) Westphal likes to run. I think he sees, if I come here, with Kevin Martin and the other guys, we could get up and down the floor, put points on the board and also play some defense so it would be a good look.”
On what guard position he would primarily play in the NBA:
“I definitely see myself as a point guard first. After my experience last season at Davidson, handling the point guard position the whole season and going through that, I really developed my skills in that area — being a play-maker, getting my teammates open but also being a scoring threat — so I think that can translate into success at the next level. I still have a lot of work to do and it’s going to be a learning curve no matter where I go to (play point guard) to the best of my ability. But like I said, if I come to Sacramento, I have Kevin Martin on the two spot and I’m the one, whoever gets the ball, I can run the two-guard, too, if he gets the ball and can bring it up the court. I see myself as a very versatile player who can play the point and the two.”
On his defense:
“You can count on me to stop a guy and keep him in front of me and make it difficult (for him). In the NBA, guys are going to score, you can’t get by that but I can make it difficult for them to get shots up and make them take tough shots, I think. Even guys who are quicker than me, I just give them a cushion and keep them in front of me, that’s mainly what defense in the NBA is about — containing guys, playing the ball screen, being strong enough to get through and know how to play guys — so with my IQ of how to guard, I can bring that to the next level.”
On what separates him from the other top guards in the Draft:
“My shooting ability can definitely spread the defense and keep the defense honest and open up a lot of opportunities for guys around me who won’t get clogged up in the middle because, if they kick out to me, I can make open shots. I’m willing to work hard and do whatever it takes to improve my game and be my best on the next level. My work ethic is going to take me to new heights when I get to a team next year. Overall, I have a great IQ for the game as well, growing up around it, seeing my dad play and things like that so I can pick up things quickly and I have a great learning curve when it comes to on-court situations.”
Douglas
On this workout compared to others he’s attended:
“I think this workout, there is a lot of energy, coaches let you play — they don’t stop it a whole lot. The main thing is most workouts are all about competing. They watch film on you throughout the whole year so they make sure you’re maintaining your skill set and stuff like that. I feel like they’re all the same. But we were just talking in the locker room about how they let us do a lot of competition stuff so it was really fun and everyone was competitive.”
On what he would bring to an NBA team:
“I feel I can bring a lot to the team. I feel like I’m a guard. I can play the one or two. My strength is on the defensive end. I love guarding the best players on the floor at the one and two. Most of all, I have a knack for scoring the ball. At the same time, I feel I can run a team. So I feel like being versatile is really deadly rather than just playing one position. A lot of players in the NBA are versatile, ones and twos, twos/threes, threes/fours that’s what the NBA has become today. So I feel like me being a guard, being a play-maker, making plays is the best opportunity for me, whatever team I go to.”
On how he’d fit in with the Kings:
“I feel I could bring a lot to the Kings being versatile and playing both positions, guarding the ball and playing defense, going up and down the court on the offensive and defensive end of the floor, and most of all, I feel that I could bring toughness. You can’t coach toughness and that’s something that has stuck with me my whole life. Once I step on the floor, I feel like nobody is going to out-tough me.”
Mills
On asking to participate in the Kings workout:
“My last workout was in New Orleans on Friday and I had a couple days to have a break and I (don’t have my workout) in Cleveland (until) Wednesday and I had that gap so I wanted to try and get in as many workouts as I can. Lucky enough, for me anyway, it was a great workout to see where I am compared to everyone else. Fortunately, they let me come to this workout, and it was great.”
On who impressed him in the workout:
“That was the first time I worked out with Tyreke Evans. I think he had a great workout. He made the most of his opportunity. He took advantage of his size against us smaller guys and managed to push us around a bit but he’s definitely a great player and has great toughness about him.”
On what he would bring an NBA team:
“Being a point guard, leadership skills first and foremost, being able to run a team in both the full court and half court, and I think quickness is my strength, being able to get up and down the floor in the transition game.”
On his Olympic experience with Australia helping his Draft stock:
“I think it put me on the map, more than anything. It was a great opportunity to play at that level in the Summer Olympics. That was an opportunity that I could see, if I made the most of, could put me in the mix somewhere sometime this year, and that’s what I’ve done. It definitely helped me a lot and again last season at St. Mary’s.”
On his right hand:
“It’s 110 percent.”
On how he’d fit in with the Kings:
“I think this is a great fit for me and the way I like to play. Someone who I like to (pattern) my game after is Tony Parker and what he’s doing on the San Antonio Spurs. That’s something I can really do here — push the ball up and down the floor and really add that transition game. Most of all (I bring) energy off the bench, I believe, and it’s a similar position I had with the Olympic Team, being a back up point guard — coming out bringing a lot of energy and (pushing the) tempo and really have control of it.”
Comments