The top players avoid the camp, knowing they have little to gain. The next level of players often skip the week, knowing they have, possibly, a lot to lose.
Yet the Wizards still hope they can exit the NBA’s Orlando pre-draft camp with an intriguing list of prospects.
“There’s always someone unexpected that comes up on the radar screen,” Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld said.
When he was in Milwaukee, one of those players was Michael Redd, whom he drafted in the second round. Another was Flip Murray. Grunfeld pointed to two Knicks players whose stock increased after pre-draft camps: Renaldo Balkman, a first-round pick last season; and Nate Robinson, who was picked 21st overall by Phoenix in 2005.
The Orlando pre-draft camp, which begins Tuesday and runs through June 4, is more important for teams this year. In the past, teams could work out players before these camps. Now they must wait until the pre-draft camp is over before conducting private workouts.
In the past, the Wizards would often bring in 50 to 60 players for individual workouts; this year they’ll bring in 25-30.
“You may not have as many,” Grunfeld said, “but you’ll have all the ones that you’ll need. As much as we’ve scouted these players, that [number] should be more than enough.”
The NBA adopted this stance, hoping it would coax more top prospects to the pre-draft camp. In the past, Grunfeld said the top 15-20 prospects usually did not participate. And Foxsports.com, already has compiled a list of 25 players who aren’t expected to participate.
Considering the Wizards pick 16th in the first round, that means they’ll spend the week looking for second-round prospects. Grunfeld said they’ll have a 10-person contingent in Orlando.
Because the players are so busy with skills work and games, teams usually wait to interview them in individual workouts after this camp.
Orlando is just another avenue to evaluate players. Individual workouts usually last 45 minutes while teams get to see in Orlando how players react in more game situations.
“You look for different things in different players,” Grunfeld said. “Athleticism, speed, quickness, competitiveness, knowledge of the game. Are they in good shape? Do they conform to different systems in a short period of time than the ones they’re used to playing in? What’s their energy level?”
Not to mention how do they do against other top players.
“You have to keep an open mind,” Grunfeld said. “Who knows what kind of guy might appear out of nowhere.”
Wizards on the clock
» The Wizards hold the 16th and 47th picks in the June 28 NBA Draft. Two players whom some draft experts predict they will take are USC guard Nick Young and Colorado State forward Jason Smith. Neither will participate in this week’s pre-draft camp in Orlando.
» NBA teams get a chance to see the international draft hopefuls at the Eurocamp June 9-12 in Treviso, Italy. The Wizards drafted two European players last year.
