<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> Wednesday was a typical day in the life of rookie Julian Wright.</p> It began with boxes and ended with buckets.</p> Before arriving at the Alario Center for another grueling four-hour workout, Wright, the Hornets' precocious forward, made a stop to buy coffee and three dozen donuts, required duty by order of the team veterans. His day ended around 3 p.m. -- well after the rest of the 17-man squad completed practice -- as he sank the last jumper of a 45-minute post-practice individual shooting drill.</p> In between, it was a mixed bag, as Wright fought through the experiences each rookie entering the NBA encounters. He struggled to keep up with the veteran players while trying to bolster his conditioning for the rigors of an 82-game regular season, and he missed a layup during a post-practice drill, nearly causing his teammate to run sprints.</p> "I'm still a rookie, so I know I have a lot to learn and need to keep working on my game," Wright said. "You're supposed to work on things you need to work on your own time. That's part of being a pro."</p> Veteran guard Jannero Pargo participated in the workout with Wright. Veteran center Melvin Ely, a homeboy of Wright's from Harvey, Ill., encouraged him from the sideline. Watching from the bleachers was General Manager Jeff Bower.</p> That so many teammates, coaches and staffers are investing time in Wright is a testament to his potential. They know Wright has the stuff to be special.</p> It's why the Hornets selected him with the No. 13 overall pick in the NBA draft last June and why they rated him the No. 6 overall prospect on their final draft board.</p> "Like any rookie, he comes in with a world ahead of him in terms of experience and what he has to learn," Bower said. "But (his) athleticism and attitude, that is going to be something that helps our team. We'd like to think that he can be a player that is battling and in our rotation and giving us some help -- and he will be in that position. The question is how quickly and at what pace is he ready to do that. I don think it's a matter of if as when that takes place."</div></p> Source: NOLA</p>
