With a second prospect workout in the books, it’s safe to say that draft season
is in full swing for the 76ers.
Monday’s session featured six players participating in scrimmages and drills at
the Training Complex.
Following the workouts, the players discussed the ins and outs of this pivotal
time.
Tookie Brown had one important stop before heading out on his pre-draft journey:
his graduation from Georgia Southern University. The 2018-19 Sun Belt Player of
the Year said he can make an impact anywhere he’s needed:
“My junior year, they wanted me as a scorer. So I had to score, then I put my
name in the Draft my junior year, and they wanted to see, can I run the team and
be a point guard? So I can get my teammates involved, and I can score too. I
know a lot of teams are looking for defenders, full court defenders — that’s
the main thing I like. So I can do it all, if you want me too.”
Terance Mann has prepared for this moment since a young age. His mother, Daynia
La-Force, was a standout player at Georgetown and coached NCAA ball at the
University of Rhode Island. Mann credited his mom for helping better his
understanding of the game. At Florida State, he made a name for himself with his
combination of size, passing and handling ability, and defense:
” all we did was eat, breathe, and sleep defense. If you’re not playing defense,
you’re not getting on the court. You’ve got to be able to guard your man, and if
you’re not doing that, then you’re not playing. I think for four years, I did a
great job of that.”
Boston College standout Ky Bowman participated in his fourth pre-draft workout
Monday, having also visited Atlanta, Brooklyn, and Minnesota. Arriving in
Philadelphia fresh off the NBA Combine, Bowman talked about the recent grind:
“It was a great process, great to be able to be inside the combine. A lot of
guys don’t get a chance to see that. The opportunity was big for me to go out
there and compete against guys in the draft class to get my stock up.”
Max Strus transferred to DePaul after two seasons of Division II ball at Lewis
University, and quickly became one of DePaul’s all-time best shooters from deep.
Strus said his goal in pre-draft workouts is all about rising to the occasion:
“It’s good, it’s fun, I take advantage of it and just live in the moment – but
happy to be here, and happy to get these opportunities. I think I’m a guy that
can space the floor in the modern NBA, knock down shots, and defend one through
four. I think I fit well in the NBA right now, and hopefully teams see that.
Zylan Cheatham spent two seasons at San Diego State before a breakout junior
season at Arizona State University. Cheatham, the Pac-12 leader in rebounds in
2018-19, said he’s relishing the chance to show teams what he has to offer,
especially in respect to his intangibles:
“Growing up, even in school, I was getting in trouble for talking too much. So I
figured I could just transform it into something positive, and talk to guys out
here, communicate at a high level. I know that’s what wins games sometimes.
Winning is definitely the most important to me.”
Marial Shayok is a coming off a standout senior campaign at Iowa State, after
spending three seasons at the University of Virginia. Shayok discussed his
pre-draft itinerary, which has included the Portsmouth Invitational, NBA
Combine, and team workouts.
“I feel good. Still trying to get comfortable with new settings and new players,
playing with and against new guys. It’s definitely a challenge – especially
coming from a college season, where you’re familiar with all the players you’re
playing with. It’s new, but I think I’m doing well. I think I’m just trying to
play to my strengths, stay confident, shoot the ball, and do what I do and
defend.”
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