Post by raptorsfan29 on Jan 15, 2006 19:28:22 GMT -5
S - Stuart Scott
M - Michael Thompson
S -Hello and welcome to sports center, I am Stuart Scott and today we spend time with draftee Michael Thompson. Michael it is great to have you here.
M - It is great to be here.
S - Lets get to it. Where do you see yourself going in the draft?
M- I do not really know. I can see myself going in the top five picks but it all has to do with team needs. If a team needs a PG bad then they will, or at least should go with me. If they do not see a need for a Point Guard like me Then there not going to waste a pick on me. I am like many draftees. I am just happy to be involved and I am excited that I will be playing for a team next season. I have heard from some people that Adidas is in need of a pg so that is good news for me. However, I do not really know who the owner is so I am thinking that he may pass me up for another PG. I do not see me as the top PG in the draft but I see myself being a team leader. I want to win as much as anyone. I do not expect anything but winning hopefully the owner of Adidas will see this and keep my name in mind when he is making that decision to pick.
S- What do you see as your weaknesses and strengths?
M - My strengths are definitely shooting. I can shoot from anywhere on the court. I also have great handling ability, which is a major plus for a point guard. I have great command on the floor. I can spot defense formations and adapt to it the best way I can. I have great jumping ability. Usually it is hard to find Point guards with my type of ability. However, in this league I think it is more common. My weaknesses on the other hand are purely defense. I do not really play defense that well or at all. I do not really see defense as a part of a point guard’s job. I just see my job as being a person that brings the ball up the court and commands the play. I am obviously going to develop the defensive part of my game as my career goes on so it is not as I will be a complete offensive player. I want to be a very well rounded player.
S - Lets take a little trip down memory lane. You spend 4 seasons at the University of Connecticut and won a few national championships there, My Question is what you have learned from the great John Calhoun that makes you a good player.
M - Well from him I learned basketball techniques such as how to read defensives. He also helped me with my handling. When I got there 4 years ago, my handling sucked. My high School nickname people gave me was butterfingers. I could not hang on to the ball. I dropped the ball in the final game of the season, which lost the game for us. I was upset with myself when that happened so after awhile I made myself a promise that I would work on my handling and become a great player. I knew Uconn was the place that I could do it. I also knew that if I was going to do it right. Mr. Calhoun would be the person to do it. I worked harder in my time in Uconn then I did in my entire high school and junior high school life. The last thing I learned was to become a great teammate. I do not get pissed off at teammates anymore. I do not complain to them when we lose and I thank Coach Calhoun for that.
S - Next question, which team would you most want to be drafted by.
M- I do not really know but if I had to pick, I would pick Nike. They obviously do not need a PG but they are the best team in the league. They have shown it on and off the field, I have not been here long but from what I can see, I can see that they are a respectable team. Sure, they leave Adidas in the dust but they are a very talented team. I cannot fault them for that. The owner seems like a great job. Have not seen him much but I have been snooping around the league a little. The other reason why I like them is because their best. I could learn a lot if they draft me. Any team I would mind playing for but Nike is above the rest. A close second is Adidas because they seem to be a team in search of an identity. I am not sure if their record reflects really having good or bad they are. For all I know they could have been slaughtered every game or every game could have had every game be close.
S- What do you think will hurt your chances (if any) of being drafted in the first round?
M - Well I think it will come down to the players that owners know or have talked to. I have not talked to really any of the owners. I am not sure if they even know who I am or if they even know I am in the league. I will have to wait like anyone else until the draft to see if they really have a clue that I am in the league. My stats are somewhat unavoidable so I think they must have a clue that I am. I also think that this will hurt me because there will be favoritism meaning the players that the owners know more and think will be more active in getting better will be picked in front of me. I hope it does not happen but I am just assuming this is how it will go. I do not have to like it; I just have to go with the flow. This is the type of person I am.
S- Last Question before we go. What are your goals going into your new career in this league?
M - I want to be like everyone and become the best player possible. I know it is a very unrealistic goal but there is nothing wrong with shooting high. My plans are always to become better then I am before. Doesn’t everyone want to be better then they are. I know that I will not be good enough if I play the way I play now. My other plan is to help whatever team I play for reach the championship and help them win it. It’s more realistic then the other goal so this one shouldn’t be too hard breaking/
S -That’s all the time we have for you today, good luck with the season and whoever you play for.
M - Michael Thompson
S -Hello and welcome to sports center, I am Stuart Scott and today we spend time with draftee Michael Thompson. Michael it is great to have you here.
M - It is great to be here.
S - Lets get to it. Where do you see yourself going in the draft?
M- I do not really know. I can see myself going in the top five picks but it all has to do with team needs. If a team needs a PG bad then they will, or at least should go with me. If they do not see a need for a Point Guard like me Then there not going to waste a pick on me. I am like many draftees. I am just happy to be involved and I am excited that I will be playing for a team next season. I have heard from some people that Adidas is in need of a pg so that is good news for me. However, I do not really know who the owner is so I am thinking that he may pass me up for another PG. I do not see me as the top PG in the draft but I see myself being a team leader. I want to win as much as anyone. I do not expect anything but winning hopefully the owner of Adidas will see this and keep my name in mind when he is making that decision to pick.
S- What do you see as your weaknesses and strengths?
M - My strengths are definitely shooting. I can shoot from anywhere on the court. I also have great handling ability, which is a major plus for a point guard. I have great command on the floor. I can spot defense formations and adapt to it the best way I can. I have great jumping ability. Usually it is hard to find Point guards with my type of ability. However, in this league I think it is more common. My weaknesses on the other hand are purely defense. I do not really play defense that well or at all. I do not really see defense as a part of a point guard’s job. I just see my job as being a person that brings the ball up the court and commands the play. I am obviously going to develop the defensive part of my game as my career goes on so it is not as I will be a complete offensive player. I want to be a very well rounded player.
S - Lets take a little trip down memory lane. You spend 4 seasons at the University of Connecticut and won a few national championships there, My Question is what you have learned from the great John Calhoun that makes you a good player.
M - Well from him I learned basketball techniques such as how to read defensives. He also helped me with my handling. When I got there 4 years ago, my handling sucked. My high School nickname people gave me was butterfingers. I could not hang on to the ball. I dropped the ball in the final game of the season, which lost the game for us. I was upset with myself when that happened so after awhile I made myself a promise that I would work on my handling and become a great player. I knew Uconn was the place that I could do it. I also knew that if I was going to do it right. Mr. Calhoun would be the person to do it. I worked harder in my time in Uconn then I did in my entire high school and junior high school life. The last thing I learned was to become a great teammate. I do not get pissed off at teammates anymore. I do not complain to them when we lose and I thank Coach Calhoun for that.
S - Next question, which team would you most want to be drafted by.
M- I do not really know but if I had to pick, I would pick Nike. They obviously do not need a PG but they are the best team in the league. They have shown it on and off the field, I have not been here long but from what I can see, I can see that they are a respectable team. Sure, they leave Adidas in the dust but they are a very talented team. I cannot fault them for that. The owner seems like a great job. Have not seen him much but I have been snooping around the league a little. The other reason why I like them is because their best. I could learn a lot if they draft me. Any team I would mind playing for but Nike is above the rest. A close second is Adidas because they seem to be a team in search of an identity. I am not sure if their record reflects really having good or bad they are. For all I know they could have been slaughtered every game or every game could have had every game be close.
S- What do you think will hurt your chances (if any) of being drafted in the first round?
M - Well I think it will come down to the players that owners know or have talked to. I have not talked to really any of the owners. I am not sure if they even know who I am or if they even know I am in the league. I will have to wait like anyone else until the draft to see if they really have a clue that I am in the league. My stats are somewhat unavoidable so I think they must have a clue that I am. I also think that this will hurt me because there will be favoritism meaning the players that the owners know more and think will be more active in getting better will be picked in front of me. I hope it does not happen but I am just assuming this is how it will go. I do not have to like it; I just have to go with the flow. This is the type of person I am.
S- Last Question before we go. What are your goals going into your new career in this league?
M - I want to be like everyone and become the best player possible. I know it is a very unrealistic goal but there is nothing wrong with shooting high. My plans are always to become better then I am before. Doesn’t everyone want to be better then they are. I know that I will not be good enough if I play the way I play now. My other plan is to help whatever team I play for reach the championship and help them win it. It’s more realistic then the other goal so this one shouldn’t be too hard breaking/
S -That’s all the time we have for you today, good luck with the season and whoever you play for.