<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Magic's plans for today go beyond the normal camp activities. They will hold a closed workout this afternoon at their headquarters in Maitland which will include at least three players -- Ronnie Brewer of Arkansas, Rodney Carney of Memphis and Randy Foye of Villanova -- whose camp involvement will be limited to taking their physical examinations. Duke's J.J. Redick, whom several Web sites have projected as going to the Magic at No. 11, isn't expected to work out for them until next week.</div> Source
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Magic Hold First Batch of Draft Workouts The Magic held its first batch of individual workouts on Thursday afternoon at the team's practice facilities at the RDV Sportsplex with seven players working out in front of the team. The players who attended the workout were Arizona's Hassan Adams, Arkansas's Ronnie Brewer, Memphis's Rodney Carney, Temple's Mardy Collins, Rutger's Quincy Douby, Villanova's Randy Foye and Memphis's Shawne Williams. Many of the players spoke to the media following their workouts. Here's some of what they had to say, along with some comments by Magic General Manager Otis Smith on today's workouts: Hassan Adams - Arizona On how his workouts have gone: "They've been great. It's a blessing to be done here, to work out for these teams. This workout was probably one of the better ones. When you have this level of competition, everybody plays well. I just want to come out and compete and play big." On playing against point guards: "I've been defending ones, twos and threes, which is good for me just to show how tough I am, what type of defender I am. It's a challenge everywhere when you match up against small guards that are quick. It's more mental than anything. You just got to go out there and really defend someone who might beat you. I just go out there and do what I got to do." On his position in the Draft: "I let it play how it plays. All it takes is one team. I just keep working hard every day and coming to workouts and leaving it out on the floor. Giving 100 percent." Ronnie Brewer - Arkansas On his workouts so far: "I've worked out for Houston, Chicago and this is my third one. I'm going to go out to Pre-Draft Camp and hopefully get some more workouts out there." On the pressures of a workout: "You try not to think about it, but at the same time, you think about it a little. It's just basketball. Even though it's a tryout and may determine where you go. You just got to go out there and take care of business. This is what you are going to do for your career, so you got to try and play your best basketball." On being a playmaker: "I just try to play basketball, doing the things I've been taught. Like going to the basket and scoring, or distributing the basketball to my teammates - you go to read the defense. So I think that's one of my strengths and I try to show the guys I can do it on a regular basis." On playing the point: "I have the ability to handle the ball a little bit, so if the ball in my hand, I feel comfortable pushing it, breaking down the defense and being able to get to the basket or kick it to my teammates." On his outside shooting: "I think that's something I've been working on since this process has been going on. My being able to play the two or three, that's what a lot of teams want to know - knowing if you can knock down the shot. That's what it's about in the NBA, being able to knock down an open jump shot." On where he believes he'll be drafted: "As long as you go to each workout and get positive feedback, when draft night comes along, you'll feel comfortable that you've had eight or nine good workouts instead of just one or two. I don't really focus on where they are projecting me." Rodney Carney - Memphis On how he did today: “I think I did ok. It was a lot of one-on-one, a couple shooting drills, but mostly one-on-one and two-on-two. I did my thing, and hopefully they’ll see my ability and it will fit this team.” On if he can play the 2 position: “I can play some two. But basically, wherever a team wants me. If they say five, I’ll play five. I can shoot the ball, I can dribble and handle the ball. But that is my weakness, handling the ball. But I can get a lot better if I get some time to work on it. So I can be a two, I can be a three, wherever the team wants me to be I can be.” On what area of his game has improved the most over the past year: “Aggressiveness and handling the ball. I’ve improved on it a lot, but it’s still a weakness of mine, in my opinion. I’ve got control of it more now.” On if 11th would be low for him in the draft: “It’ll be a great fit for me to come here, to me it doesn’t matter how high I go, how low I go, as long as I get picked. I just want to get with a team and help them progress and get to a championship or how far along we can get.” On living with and working out with Tracy McGrady: “It’s helped me a lot. He’s off the chart skill wise. And he’s teaching me some of his moves. We’re lifting together, and I’m getting a lot bigger and a lot stronger. And we’re really becoming great friends. It’s been a great opportunity getting to work with him. Having him take me in his house, work with his trainer and I’m getting better because of it.” On if McGrady talked to him about the Magic: “Yeah, he told me about the Magic, told me it’s a good program. Hopefully they can take me, but if not, I hope I go somewhere good. But, this would be a good fit for me.” On if he played with Memphis teammate Shawne Williams: “Yeah. I know his game, he knows mine. I know he’s good around the basket so I try to put him in good positions and let him score. And me I got better, so I can score off various things. He’s seeing me as a better player now, and I’m seeing him as a better player now. And it’s kind of fun to meet up here, rather than in Memphis.” Mardy Collins - Temple On his tweaked hamstring: “I didn’t pull it just a tweak. It’s been a little sore for the last couple weeks. It’s a thing where, once I can get stationary, and get some treatment it’ll be fine. If I just stretch out and ice it, it’ll be fine in a couple weeks.” On not being able to finish the workout: “It was definitely frustrating. This is my first time ever not being able to finish something out when I started. So, it’s definitely frustrating not being able to compete, because I love to come out and compete, especially with these guys in here today. I would’ve love to go out there and show my stuff to the Magic.” On how he feels like he’s doing overall: “Some days are better than others. I feel like I did pretty good, especially in certain areas. And in certain areas I didn’t do too good. I’ve been struggling with my shooting, somewhat.” On if he needs to prove he can transition from the Temple’s offensive style: “It’s tough, because I’ve been playing like that for four years. So, it’s kind of hard to get out of it. I’m trying to get the mindset of when I get the ball, to speed it up. Speed things up. I just talked to the guys upstairs, and they said it’s kind of easier to teach guys to speed it up than to slow people down. But that’s just something I’m trying to work on in my mind, push the ball.” Quincy Douby - Rutgers On how many workouts he’s had, and the pressure involved: “This is my 10th. My first two, I felt pressure. You want to do real good. But now, it’s my 10th and it feels real regular. I’m just playing my game and showing what I can do.” On if it has helped playing for Fred Hill: “He spoke a lot about Brian Hill, about what he learned from him, and about the NBA life. How it’s hard making all that money, and making sure you’re not just giving it to anybody, and people want to tag along now. But he said a lot of good stuff. He also talked to me about Coach Hill, and said a lot of positive stuff.” On how well he shot today, and what else he showed: “Everybody knows I can shoot. I did a good job driving the ball, dishing the ball today. Just showing my all around game, and that I’m not just a shooter. I can score the ball and play defense, I played pretty good defense. Stuff like that.” On what spot he’s hearing he’ll go in the draft: “Mid- to late first round. So, I’m working out for teams in the mid-area. And a lot of teams in the low area. It would be a good fit (in Orlando), but whatever happens it’s going to work out for the best. Whoever they choose is going to be the best or whatever they need, and that’s what they’re going to do.” On whom he played against today: “I went up against Randy Foye, Ronnie Brewer. And they’re real good, real competitive. Real tough players, you see what they did during the season. But that’s what we live for just competing and trying to show our skills. Everybody did a good job.” Randy Foye - Villanova On playing in the backcourt with Jameer Nelson: "Jameer would take care of me while I'm here, show me around. He would be the point, I guess I'd be the off-guard. It would be fun." How things are going: I think I'm playing well. When I look at certain guys, I think they are running from certain workouts. I'm going against everyone, just playing, just battling. The biggest thing is, I'm not scared to play against no one. I don't care if you're suppose to be going in the second round or if you're going No. 1. I'm just playing basketball, because that's what I love to do. I think I'd grade myself an A, because where ever I go I perform and shoot the ball well. And everything they say I can't do, I do it." On his performance: "I shot the ball well. We went around shooting five three-point shots in a spot and I think I made 10 in a row. And out of 25, I think I went 18-for-25." On where he goes next: "I'm down here and then I go to Minnesota to workout next Thursday." On where he thinks he'll get drafted: "I have no idea. Hopefully, like everyone I want to go high. But I just want to go wherever I can play. Wherever I can go and fit in and feel comfortable with the other guys." On people doubting his abilities: "I know that people have doubted me. You know, saying, 'He's not a point guard.' But I know what I can do. I think a lot of people that have doubted me are the ones watching from a distance. They've never had a conversation with me or spoke to me in person, they are the ones watching on television. I think that's where the doubt comes from." Magic General Manager Otis Smith On what he saw today in closed workouts that impressed him: “Well you want effort, and each one of them gave 100 percent effort. Some of them shot the ball better than I thought they could. I don’t know if I learned anything new about any of them because I’ve seen them all year long. This just confirms, and gives the coach an opportunity to sit down in front of them and see for himself. That’s the real reason for this, we didn’t do anything special.” On what he looks for during workouts, and what he can see that he hasn’t seen already: “Really not much, it’s mainly just to confirm. I don’t think you’re looking for anything different. You just look at them and confirm. It’s just 1/10 of a full workout.” On if he sees Randy Foye as a one, two or a combination player: “He’s a two, one in my mind. He can score the ball, he can handle the ball, he can play the point guard position, he can put it on the floor. He shot the ball better than I thought he could. He’s deceptively quick and can get to the basket.” On Temple’s Mardy Collins: “We didn’t see much of him, he ended up pulling a hamstring, tweaking it. So, he sat. So, we didn’t see very much of him.” On how they’re going to choose in the draft: “We’re going to go best available. Big, point guard, shooting guard, it doesn’t really matter. We’re just going to take the best available player on the board, regardless of position. But you have to see them. We had three positions in there today, small forward, two-guard, point guard. I can’t say that we’re going to take one or the other, we’re just going to take the best available player on the board.” On if it’s a possibility to go up in the draft this year: “Well, we talk about it, but we still have three weeks to go. We’re going to talk about everything. We’ll talk about the possibility of moving up, about the possibility of moving out. It’s what everybody does this time of year. I don’t know if anything is going to happen this week, but something may happen as we get closer to the draft. And you have to figure out where you are. You have to analyze what you have, what the draft has for you, what you want to pick up. All of that plays a part. So, like I said, that’s what process we’re in.” On if the players they had today would be around the 11th pick in the draft: “Some of them were. Some of them will go a little lower. They’re from where we are to about 20, 25.” </div> Source
