The Knicks already know that they are going to get a high-quality player at the No. 6 pick in the June 26 NBA Draft, and with only three weeks to go before draft day, they are already hard at work evaluating the talent pool.
The annual process of running draft prospects through workouts at the Madison Square Garden Training Center began in earnest on Wednesday, as Knicks President Donnie Walsh and Head Coach Mike D’Antoni took important steps toward the big decision they will make later this month.
Wednesday’s workout list featured prospects Joe Alexander, Chase Budinger, Sundiata Gaines, Steven Hill, JaVale McGee and Russell Westbrook. From among that group, Alexander, Budinger, McGee and Westbrook are all projected first-round choices, according to major scouting services and numerous publications.
Alexander is a 6-foot-8, 230-pound small forward who averaged 16.9 points, 6.4 boards, 2.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game as a junior for West Virginia in 2007-08. Scouts say he is lean and very athletic, possessing a vast arsenal of offensive weapons.
Budinger, a 6-foot-7, 208-pound forward with the shooting skills of a two-guard, is a pure scorer who has deep range from behind the arc. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.4 assists and 2.9 assists as a sophomore last year at Arizona.
At 7-foot-0, 237-pounds, McGee is a very athletic big man who is credited with having a rare combination of skill, size and power. As a sophomore at Nevada, he recorded 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game.
Scouts say Westbrook is an electric point guard who excels on both sides of the ball. Blessed with remarkable athleticism and explosive leaping ability, the 6-foot-3, 187-pound point guard averaged 12.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals as a sophomore last season.
Gaines is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior guard who averaged 14.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, while Hill is a 7-foot-0, 245-pound senior center who averaged 4.2 points, 2.9 boards and 2.1 blocks.
Taking their direction from Knicks assistant coach Herb Williams, the six prospects competed in a set of individual drills, while also playing three-on-three and one-on-one.
“Today we did a lot of shooting,” said Alexander. “Coach D’Antoni wanted to see us run up and down the court, so we did a lot of running drills. Other than that, we did some basic agility drills and shooting of the dribble.”
Each player came away hoping they did enough to impress the Knicks.
“I think I did a good job showing off my athleticism and my agility for a big man,” said McGee. “I just go out there, have fun, and work as hard as I can. I mean, that’s all I can do.”
Budinger said he viewed the day at the Training Center as a learning experience.
“It was my first workout,” said Budinger, “and it was kind of what I was expecting. I’d gotten advice on what workouts were like, so I was ready for it. It felt good to get out here and be seen by the scouts, and to play against great players.”
Meanwhile, Alexander said he wanted to show the Knicks brass his versatility.
“The main thing I’m trying to show the scouts is that I have guard skills as well as any guard in this draft. That’s something that people didn’t get to see throughout the season. I can handle the ball, I can shoot from the NBA three and I can take people off the dribble like any guard in this league.”
Westbrook also hoped he did enough to improve his stock on Wednesday.
“I’m just trying to go out there and do what I do. I’m not worrying about the other guys out there on the court with me. I’m trying not to change much, just show what I do, and continue to just work hard, irregardless of what anyone else is doing.
“I learned a lot last year on the defensive end of the ball, and that is what I want to show the scouts during these workouts. Everyone knows what I can do with the ball, but I want to show them what I can do stopping the ball.”
While each prospect came from different programs with their own unique styles, they all agreed that playing for D’Antoni would be a dream come true.
“I fit in great with this style of play,” said Westbrook. “Coach D’Antoni goes up and down, and I’ve been playing like that all my life. Last year we slowed it down a little bit, but I’m prepared to go back to playing more up and down the court.”
Alexander enthusiastically agreed.
“I would love to play in Coach D’Antoni’s system. Watching him in Phoenix and what they did, I always thought I would be a perfect fit for that. Coach D’Antoni being here makes it a very attractive place to play. Even before I knew I would be coming in to work out for the Knicks, I’d always been a huge fan of his style of play. It’s a very attractive style for players like me.”
Playing his college ball for Arizona, Budinger was also very familiar with D’Antoni and his impact on basketball.
“Coach D’Antoni was such a popular figure out in Arizona,” he said. “Everyone in Arizona was a huge Phoenix Suns fan, no matter where in Arizona they were. He was like an icon around that state, and I think they are all very sad that he left. But I think the Knicks picked up a very respectable coach and I think he is going to do great things here. I think I would fit in great with him. His system is very similar to what we did out in Arizona under Coach (Lute) Olson. He likes the up-tempo style and to score points. That’s what Coach D’Antoni likes, and I think I fit in perfectly with that.”
The opportunity to don the Knicks jersey in the Mecca of basketball was also on each player’s mind.
“It’s just great to be in this building,” said Alexander. “This program has so much history, and to be in here working out in this gym with the Knicks logo on the floor, and thinking about the possibility of wearing my own Knicks jersey, it gives me chills. In college, Madison Square Garden was like my second home. I’ve seemed to have excelled there, and I would love it if it was my real home court.”
Westbrook agreed.
“If I were to become a Knick, it would mean a lot. The Knicks are a great program with a great tradition here, and it would mean a lot coming to a great city with great coaching.”
For many, Tuesday was also the first time they worked out for a specific team, following the weekend’s league-wide pre-draft camp in Orlando. That meant these players were one step closer to realizing their dreams of reaching the NBA.
“This was my first workout with a team and it’s really unbelievable,” said Alexander. “I think I said it before, but to be in a Knicks jersey, it’s really starting to sink in that I’m going to be in the NBA.”
The stay in New York was a short one for the prospects, as they will all go their separate ways to work out for other teams. McGee has workouts planned later this week in New Jersey and Philadelphia, while Budinger also has a date with the Nets. Westbrook will return home to San Diego before heading up to Seattle, and Alexander will work out for Milwaukee before meeting with a bunch of teams on the West Coast.
The Knicks meanwhile will continue their extensive scouting in the coming weeks, inviting more of the world’s top prospects o the Training Center for an up-close look at who can help turn them into a title contender.
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