<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">What was the gist of your meeting? "Just to stay at it. I've got to keep at it. They're very curious about where I was going to be in the summer. They want me to be here to complete my rehab on my right foot. My left leg is so much stronger than my right. When I'm running and stuff it's just so off balance I can't really sprint. So try to get everything down to where I'm moving quick instead of having to work at running and work at doing things, just doing them instinctively." Mitch had mentioned they were very interested in your summer activities, making sure you were working out, etc. Were you planning on doing that anyway? "Yeah. The only thing we're going to do differently, they want me to take a vacation earlier than I had planned. I was going to be here for three or four weeks, and coming in and shooting and stuff like that, but they want me to leave now so I can be back earlier." Have you ever been told to go on vacation before? "No. But I owe it to myself and to them, because I don't want to have an incomplete rehab lingering on to next year." What do you need to improve heading into next season? "I need to improve just slowing down, and just being there the whole season. I think I can't have any more letdowns to where at the start of the season I'm not ready. Chris is going to be back and I (have to) find a way to coexist with him and make the most of my minutes at whatever position." What went well? "I was happy that I didn't have a letdown at the center spot when Chris went out. He did a great job all year. He carried us at the center spot most of the whole year until he got hurt. I know a lot of people thought it was going to be, "Oh my god, Chris is gone, it's over!" But I stepped up pretty good, and played hard. I've just got to refocus. I've got to play better defense. I can do a lot more on the defensive end. Because I think I can guard a lot of people. Smaller guys, and be more active. Once I get myself back into great shape and get my legs right, I think I can guard one through five." What happens with you and Chris next year? "I don't know. I'm going to get in and work on my jump shot, and come in expecting to play the four. If they make changes, then I'll be ready for that, too." Did they talk about that? "No, they didn't talk about that. They just talked about being in the gym. I've definitely got to work on my free throws. This was the worst free throw shooting that I've ever done. So work on that, work on my outside shots. I've just got to be prepared. Basically be prepared for whatever. I can't have it in my mind that I'm going to play center and then play forward. Like last year, I had my mind on playing center and ended up playing forward." You didn't take to it as much as center. "In the triangle, you've got to be able to shoot a jump shot. So that's the main goal. Shoot jumpers, and get in there and get the jump hook, and shoot free throws." You're still a young player, but you've got a lot of experience. At what point do you feel like that "excuse" goes away? "That doesn't work anymore. I think it was over this year. I'm not young anymore. I'm 24. Next year, definitely, I've got to come in healthy. Because this is that curve where you either make or break. It's either make or break and I have to come in healthy." Do you have any feel for your off the court situation? "No. I talked to the attorney. He just told me they're going to get with the D.A. That's all they told me. That they'd let me know by the end of the day (this was Monday). They just told me to wait and hang around and be patient." Are you surprised it's taking this long? "I've never heard of it. To be accused of something and nothing happens. I don't know. But I'm confident that I didn't do anything wrong. That's basically all I can say about it from a legal standpoint. But it's bizarre to me. So you haven't had to meet with the police? "No." Is it too early for you to start setting goals for next season, statistically? "Well, I thought so, but they made me write it down and put it in my pocket. They want me to focus on 15 and 10. So I guess I've got it in my pocket and so I'll look at it every day. You just look at that some of the games I had, and some of the games that I didn't get to play a lot of minutes, then when Chris was out I had those numbers, or pretty close. So it's like, there's no reason why you can't get it if you're healthy, you come in, you know the offense, and you're in shape. So I just do what they asked." Do you feel confident you'll get your minutes, either at the five or four? "Well, I feel confident that I'm going to get minutes, but I just have to get the confidence in the jump shot and everything so I can have the numbers whether Chris is out there or not. I don't want it to be a situation where they don't feel like they can play both of us together, because we could be- we'd be great together with two seven footers on the court. So I just definitely got to get to where I can make a shot and not be a liability at any position." Which is going to be harder, the 15 or the 10? "The rebounds. Because of Lamar, he's such a good rebounder. We call him "Thief." He takes rebounds from everybody. That's going to be hard. Lamar is a great rebounder." What do you think caused the struggles at the four? "I just think that I wasn't ready, I didn't trust in my ability at the four spot. It was me, it wasn't the coaching staff. I played on the wing in Washington and had some success doing it. I feel more comfortable at the basket, but I still got to get the confidence to do it out on the wing, and hit those shots and be ready to go." </div> link: http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2...al_co.html#more
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Just to stay at it. I've got to keep at it.</div> Those are the words Kwame has to live by this summer. He is developing into a solid player.
I"m glad he understands what he needs to work on. Obviously, his hand and his jumpshot is what he needs to work on the most. Forget about the foot, pay attention to his hand lol.
^^ 2001. He definetly needs to get some training on how to catch the ball when a teammate passes first and foremost, or next year he should be forced to add superglue on his hands for security cause DAMN he has the butteriest fingers I've ever seen in a professional athelete.
