Although the paths Georgetown’s Chris Wright and George Mason’s Cam Long have taken and the challenges they face in proving they’re ready for the pros might be different, they were in the same place two days before this year’s NBA Draft: just a pair of local point guards showing their stuff for the Wizards and hoping they’re worthy of a second-round selection.
Long, who played at Freedom High in Woodbridge, isn’t relying on the notoriety the Patriots gained with their magical 2006 Final Four run. A member of the first class of recruits after that season, Long believes more has been achieved on the court since.
“This past year, and the past two years, we put ourselves out there a lot more,” Long said. “You got to understand that a mid-major is still a very talented team. We just don’t get the opportunity to be on TV as much as everybody else.”
At 6-foot-3, Long is an intriguing point guard prospect. He scored plenty for Mason, averaging 15.1 points this past season. The trick is improving his handle and becoming a leader who can manage NBA offenses and teammates.
“At my height, I’m going to have to play the one,” Long said. “[NBA coaches] want me to be able to talk and direct the other players and just see how they respond to me. If they respond well then I’ve got a great chance.”
Meanwhile, Wright came into college from St. John’s with the title of McDonald’s All-American but seems to be in fear of a stigma attached to his name as he tries to break away from Georgetown.
“I know going into the process,” the Bowie native said, “what baffled me is a lot of people questioned my toughness and if I would be a guy that would play defense and be scrappy and all that stuff. I think I proved myself. Like I said before, I think a lot of people underestimate how talented we are coming from Georgetown because we’re in the Princeton offense so you can’t really do whatever you want – a lot of one on one and pick and roll possessions. I think a lot of people are surprised with the things that I can do on the court.”
Indeed, much of the last four years was spent trying to figure out how an explosive scorer like Wright, who averaged 15.2 points and 5.3 assists as a senior, would fit into Hoyas head coach John Thompson III’s system, one that requires discipline and unselfishness.
One thing that’s not in doubt is Wright’s devotion to basketball – he said he’s worked out for 13 different teams – and to the Wizards, for whom he’s worked out twice.
“My locker room was right down there,” he said as he stood in the Verizon Center hallway just outside the practice court. “[The workout] was great, it was fun. I told a couple guys, I remember being here for the first game ever in this building, when they played the Seattle Supersonics [Dec. 2, 1997]. I still got the ticket at home. It’s a thrill. I’m a Wizards fan. I grew up here right around the corner. I’ve been here my whole life.”
After concluding his workout, Wright worked briefly on his jump shot with Wizards assistant coach Sam Cassell, and he was asked about it afterward.
“First thing about Sam Cassell is that anything he says, you should listen,” Wright said. “He got two rings.”
As for his hopes for the Wizards: “I hope they do well regardless of where I’m at because I’m a fan. They got a lot of young talent. I think going back to the old colors was nice also.”
