Interesting article from the SF Chronicle on the Combine Draft Interview Process (
NBA prospects face different pressure in interview | Full Page)
NBA prospects face different pressure in interview
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Rusty Simmons
Chicago --
There's pressure on his chest, discomfort in his stomach and pains so deep that he thinks he's going to puke.
He does get sick, and there's little he can do to stop this cycle.
He starts charting garbage can locations in the hotel, focusing on corners that could go unnoticed and counting plastic bags he might be able to grab at the last minute.
He forces himself onto a Marriott elevator, reminding himself that the shuttling, cramped cube could go 46 stories high, but is supposed to stop on the 11th floor.
He's going to be sick again.
Royce White knows he has an anxiety issue. He's fully aware that these feelings have taken him from a top-10 prospect to a late first-rounder and are trying to take hold of his body every time he faces a situation outside of his control.
Still, the Iowa State forward spent time at the NBA combine addressing his fellow prospects. He knows what he deals with and can't imagine how other prospects are prepared to go through similar issues on their first job interviews.
"I believe that having anxiety is the same as having cancer or heart disease," White said. "It's not a character issue. If you talk about character, it's a whole different ballgame. I'm ready to openly talk about all of those associations, and I feel for those who aren't."
Interviews are the most important part of the combine. The top prospects don't participate in on-court drills, like a top-notch high school student testing out of college courses.
Instead, the top prospects are measured, athletically tested and do interviews with selected teams.
Executives chart measurements and watch the agility drills, but they're really waiting for a chance to figure out a prospect's personality during 30-minute-interview slots.
The prospects wear suits that don't quite fit or dress shirts recently purchased for them and perk each other up in the hallways before they enter the interview rooms.
"Within our 30 minutes, I'll get a real feel for who he is," Warriors general manager Bob Myers said.
30-minute windows
Teams apply for the interviews in 10-player rankings. They ask for 30-minute windows with 10 A players, 10 B players and 10 C players. The league decides which 18 fit each team's draft position and schedules the interviews from Wednesday to Friday.
All of the interviews are distinctive. The Warriors try to make them comfortable, but it's difficult.
A prospect walks into a small hotel room, a room that has had the bed removed in favor of a round table and offers Walgreens-purchased water as the only refreshments.
The prospect sees two headboards on the wall, but no beds. He sees a table, half glasses of water and eight people (Jerry West, Bob Myers, Travis Schlenk, Kirk Lacob, Mark Jackson, Larry Riley, Larry Harris and Speedy Claxton) ready to interrogate.
The Warriors are trying to get a feeling for the prospect's personality, but the prospect doesn't know that. He knows only that his agent has prepped him for a certain number of questions.
"You try to keep it casual, because we're looking for a genuine dialogue," Myers said. "The agent's prep work runs out after about five minutes. Then, they become themselves and it becomes comfortable. It becomes a fruitful conversation."
No time to party
At the tail end of an interview in 2008, the Warriors asked a prospect what he wanted to know about Golden State. The prospect asked about for the best places to party in Oakland. He was crossed off the team's draft list.
In 2009, Stephen Curry wouldn't work out for the Warriors and was vocal about his desire to play for the New York Knicks. The Warriors used their combine interview time to pitch the Bay Area as a place the guard might want to play.
Dressed to impress
In 2010, Ekpe Udoh wore a suit and tie to the interview. He impressed immediately and then stole the Warriors' hearts. He carried a pen with him, and when he was questioned about it, he said, "I want to write down what you tell me so I always remember it."
"
It's amazing how much they know about you," Oakland High grad Damian Lillard said. "The teams do their research, but I guess I knew they wouldn't be willing to pay me all of this money if they didn't know every single thing about me."
Virginia forward Mike Scott said: "I could see how some people would be intimidated, but it's only intimidating if you have something to hide. I told them everything they wanted to know and was truthful with them about my family, my past and my injuries."
Good time to pry
With the possibility of using four picks this month, the Warriors have plenty of reasons to pry.
They might want to know how North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes handled the injury of point guard Kendall Marshall. The details of Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger's diet. Or the motivation for Connecticut center Andre Drummond.
They also might interview Baylor forward Quincy Acy to ask questions about his teammate, Perry Jones III. They might dig about Florida State center Bernard James' military background. Or Washington wing Terrence Ross' reasoning for entering the draft as a sophomore.
"They gave me a chance to pick the brains of Jerry West and Mark Jackson. That was pretty cool," Ross said. "They wanted to pick my brain, too. They wanted to get a real feeling for who I am."
In the end, they want to know why you got on the elevator and what you went through to get there.
Getting a look
Every team submits to the NBA a list of 30 prospects it would like to interview at the combine, and the league decides which 18 most likely fit into a team's draft range. The Warriors are all over the map this season with pick Nos. 7, 30, 35 and 52 and were granted access to interview a breadth of prospects.
