With the NBA Draft approaching, every guy going through the draft process is pitching themselves. Teams are looking at their on-court skills as well as their off-court demeanor as they seek to find who will help their team. I recently caught up with a number of second-round prospects and asked them to pitch themselves to an NBA team. Here’s what they had to say.
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BRANDON PAUL – SG, Illinois
“I’d be an asset to an NBA team because I would be able to represent the franchise and the city well both on and off the court. I’m the type of guy who gets into the gym and watches film and is always looking to get better. Whatever role and whatever way I can help the team, I’m always looking to do that. Skill-wise, I am a gifted scorer. I can get to the basket and shoot from the outside. I’m a little undersized for my position so I use my length, I have a 6-10.5 wingspan, to help me out. My game is most fit for the NBA especially for the different spacing and the type of plays that they run. I feel like the way I play and the way guys are able to create shots for themselves is something I can fit into.”
DEMETRIUS CONGER – SG/SF, St. Bonaventure
“I would say for the simple fact that I’m a hard worker, and I’m an overall player. It’s not like I’m just really good at one thing, I can do a lot of different things on the court. I have an attacking mentality and I’m a rebounding guy. Off the court, being at St. Bonaventure for four years, they taught me a lot of values there on how to represent the team. I can tell these teams I definitely won’t be any trouble.”
LAURENCE BOWERS – SF, Missouri
“I feel like I am very versatile. I can guard the two, three or four and I use my length very well on the defensive side of the floor. I can knock down shots, and I am a great all-around team player as I will do whatever it takes for the team to win. I am a very mature player and person, I was in college for five years, and I have a high basketball IQ and understanding of the game. I played in two different systems in college, and the NBA will be a third different system. So having played in those two different ones it just showed me I can cope with whatever is in my way. I thought I did a great job dealing with that switch in college, and I think I’ll do the same at the next level.”
JASON WASHBURN – C, Utah
“On the court, I’m a real confident player on the block. I feel like I can play with the best of them and I haven’t ran into too many guys who I can’t score the basketball on. I can step out and hit a midrange jump shot. I hit a few of those in college, a few threes in college so you know I am confident in my ability to shoot the ball. I’ve never hesitated taking an open shot. A lot of guys since I graduated have told me they could see me playing power forward, but my game looks more like a center because I was always on the block in college. Now I’m trying to just expand my game to show teams I’m versatile.
“Off the court, I’ve always been a fan favorite. I bring a lot of energy and passion to the game and I love keeping my home crowd in games. I’ve always been a fan favorite at Utah. A lot of fans came up to me after my last game and said they almost cried ’cause it was my last game and it meant I was gone for good. I love being involved in the community. I did a lot of community service while I was at Utah and I never had any off-the-court problems. When I play for a team and put on their uniform, I know what it means to do that, and I try to represent the organization as well as I can.”
D.J. STEPHENS – SF, Memphis
“You know, I just feel like I would be a good fit on any team. I work hard, I play hard and I just try to do the intangible things. I have a defensive mindset of defense first, offense second. I’m a great teammate and willing to do whatever it takes to win a basketball game. I see myself playing either the shooting guard or small forward position. I know I’m not a guy who is going to be initiating the offense, but with me I can play defense and knock down the corner threes and if I do stuff like that, I can be a solid role player on any team. I think my athleticism helps me out a lot in terms of making me stand out. I just found out today that my vertical leap was the highest they ever measured so that’s pretty cool to be the highest ever, but at the end of the day I just have to keep working on my other skillsets to become more well-rounded.”
CHRISTIAN WATFORD – PF, Indiana
“On the floor, I’m the type of guy that can stretch the floor and make shots. I can put the ball on the floor or make plays. I see myself either playing the three or really being a stretch four. A guy that the defense is afraid to help off of ’cause they know I can shoot the ball, that’s kind of where I envision myself. Off the court, I have never been in any trouble. I am a good teammate and I feel like I would bring a winning attitude to whatever team I end up with.”
ROMERO OSBY – PF, Oklahoma
“You know, I’m a guy that is going to go out there every day and work hard. I will bring enthusiasm to the gym. The best part of my game right now is that I am still a long way from reaching my potential. I still have a long ways to go as a basketball player. I haven’t reached my peak, so while these teams will get a good player right now, they also get someone who has a lot of room to grow. Off the court, I’m a high character guy. I am married with a daughter, so I know what it takes to be a leader and bring that hardworking attitude every day. My skill-set is diverse. I can play multiple positions, and I can post up smaller guys and beat bigger guys on the perimeter, and I am a great rebounder.”
Will any of these players be sleepers in the draft?
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