Elite draft prospects participate in Reddit AMA

Isaiah Evans met the media and the fans on Reddit ahead of the draft.

On the eve of the NBA Draft, the next generation of basketball stars took to

Reddit for an AMA

to answer questions directly from fans.

Here’s how it all went down.

Which NBA player has inspired or influenced your play style the most? Please explain how or why.

Based on their style of play, I’ll probably say Steve Nash or Rondo. Their cerebralness, the way they think their game, how they create advantages and keep advantages on the floor. Steve Nash’s ability is that if he needs to get a bucket, he can get a bucket as well. – Mikel Brown Jr.

What is your favorite NBA game or moment of all time and why?

I’d say the 2016 Finals Game Seven. I think everybody’s watching that, so I’d definitely say that one. The block and then the shot Kyrie hit, it was crazy, I would say it was a great game to watch for sure. – Darius Acuff Jr.

Best piece of advice you’ve received that’ll translate to your NBA career?

Just be where your feet are. A lot of people can get caught in looking ahead, looking at what’s next, but if you focus on what’s today, you’re gonna be where you want to be whenever that is. So, just stay where your feet are. – Cam Boozer

Always remain humble, no matter what’s going on, no matter what’s going on in my life, what circumstance I’m in. Whether I’m at the NBA draft, whether I’ve had a bad game, no matter what it is, I always remain humble and know that God has a plan for my life. – Allen Graves

The Spurs just made the NBA Finals with Dylan Harper, a rookie, in the rotation making a major impact. What role could you have seen yourselves playing in that series, whether for the Spurs or the Knicks?

Definitely someone who can get in the paint, dish the ball out, create for others, and create for myself. Just that ability to have that natural ability to score the ball. I feel like, for me, it’s really important to have that craftiness and swagger. – Labaron Philon Jr.

Yeah, man, I feel like just another, another 3-and-D guy. I feel like that’s the value nowadays, and so just being a consistent on-ball defender and someone they can rely on to make shots. – Cameron Carr

I’ll say kind of like Dylan Harper, you know, a big strong guard, physical guard who can get to a spot, score all three levels, and then, defend multiple positions and not be a liability out there. – Brayden Burries

To all of the prospects: What part of your game do you think you will have to change the most moving from the college game to the NBA level?

The spacing on the floor. Just having everybody on the court, probably being able to shoot, and how fast-paced the game is. – Nate Ament

I’d probably say just how fast I play. I think still just being able to play at my own pace, but then being able to just play fast because teams in the NBA just play much faster than teams in college. – Keaton Wagler

What aspect of basketball would you like to improve the most before you make your nba debut?

I think my shooting, just being able to provide spacing for my team, would definitely be important. – Hannes Steinbach

To all of you: what in your own personal opinion is your greatest strength and also greatest weakness that can be improved on? As a Jazz fan very excited to see one of you on my team come tomorrow. Wish you all luck.

I think my biggest strength is my shooting. I think my biggest weakness is probably that I get a little bit overzealous sometimes. – Isaiah Evans

What’s something you’ve added to your game this year that won’t show up in the box score?

We call it a plus one, so I think I make a lot of connecting plays. So, for instance, if I pass it to somebody who then makes the next pass for an assist, that’s like a connecting play, like I started a domino effect. I think I can do that really well. – Isaiah Evans

What’s the skill you think will surprise people most during your rookie season?

I think my passing. It didn’t really replicate into the numbers, but I am definitely a good passer, especially on our short-run transition. – Hannes Steinbach

What player are you most looking forward to matching up against?

Obviously, LeBron, but I’m gonna be a little different here and say, Jamal Murray. I like watching him a lot. Just how he plays in the pick and roll with Jokić, how he gets to his jump shot at 6’4″. I think his game’s really smooth. – Bennett Stirtz

After the NCAA tournament did y’all go immediately into draft preparations or did you allow for some personal time off to recover, reflect etc.?

Yeah, definitely took some time. I mean, Coach Kelvin talked to me about it, taking some time because, you know me, I just wanna work and go play. So he said, take some time off, really think and ponder your decisions, and that’s what I went and did. – Kingston Flemings

Definitely took some time off to kind of reflect on the season. We kind of surprised a little bit of people. We didn’t start the way we wanted to, and we ended up finishing in the Sweet 16, and a few seconds away from the Elite 8. I had to take that in, especially in the fashion we lost. But, yeah, I just thought about the season, spent some time with my teammates and looked back on the moments we had, the way we’ve grown, and reflected on that. – Dailyn Swain

Man, it took a little, it took a little long to, you know, switch. It felt like we were celebrating every day, you know, it didn’t really feel real, in a way, it felt like a dream. So I mean, once I got the call that I was invited to the combine and stuff, that’s pretty much when everything switched to like this is business. We’re still happy we won, but now I gotta get ready to change my life for the better. – Yaxel Lendeborg

What singular interaction, like a conversation or piece of advice do you feel was most responsible to getting you where you are? Was it with a family member, teammate, coach or someone else?

I received some advice from Coach Sampson last year. He told me to control what I can control, that’s something I really took with me, and I think that’s something that really helped me, throughout the year at Houston, just controlling what I can control. It takes a lot of stress off you, I think, and yeah. – Chris Cenac Jr.

What’s one thing fans completely misunderstand about being a top NBA prospect?

I would say just you got to take everything seriously, the process, everything matters. You’re always being watched, I would say, you got to take every moment everywhere you go, you’re being watched. So you just have to take everything serious and make sure you’re on your A game for sure. – Darius Acuff Jr.

What part of the NBA game do you think will surprise you the most during your rookie year? The travel? Speed of the game? Or something else?

I think probably the strength. I mean, I don’t think the speed of the game will be too crazy for me. I think I kind of see the court at a good pace, and I’m kind of used to that. So I think for me it’s definitely the strength and everyone’s physical ability. – Kingston Flemings

What was your favorite basketball memory from college?

Best college memory. Big 12 Tournament, 1 a.m. Me, KJ and X. Wendy’s before the game, then dropped 40 on Kansas State. – AJ Dybantsa

Favorite basketball memory from college probably was the night before we played Baylor, or two nights before, and my teammates and I were just in the hotel room lobby, just playing video games all night. – Brayden Burries

Which NBA legend did you mold you game after?

Not really model my game after. There are a lot of legends that you want to take, bits and pieces from, but I love big guards. I love Penny, I love T-Mac, those guys who are big but can handle, they have moves, they have a bag, so guys like that. – Dailyn Swain

Mold after an NBA legend, I would say. Chris Paul. His ability to pass, play make, score the ball, and also be a little bit undersized, but you know, be a legend, Hall of Famer. Him. – Christian Anderson Jr.

What would you say your best attribute to a team will be?

Leadership, leadership, and also just being a great guy, having a lot of fun for sure. – Caleb Wilson

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned in life from your journeys as players?

I would say I’m pretty mature. I had to leave home at 14 by myself, and I would say that was a lesson and that was an experience that will help me for the NBA. – Karim López

I’d say the biggest thing is just to make sure you have a good work ethic. Yeah, make sure you have a good work ethic. You’re always working hard and just persevering through ups and downs. – Ebuka Okorie

Since the college game is different from NBA, what changes do y’all think you’ll have to make so that you adapt seamlessly to the NBA

Probably the speed of the game, the physicality is going to be a big jump, but obviously not having a 3-second rule defensively, I’m gonna have to learn that because I always play with that, and it’s gonna be a big change, maybe like protecting the rim. Getting used to all the players in the NBA, they’re just like really, really good. So I guess you got to do an extra effort playing defense and on offense too. So yeah, those things. – Aday Mara

What is your favorite TV show?

The Walking Dead. – Cameron Carr

My favorite TV show? Fullmetal Alchemist. Anime. – Ebuka Okorie

Anyone welcome to answer as I see this as an interesting thought experiment. Let’s say you get to pick the player archetype of one position that will be on the team you get drafted to. In your opinion, what type of player do you think compliments your game the most (can be offensively, defensively, etc.) and would allow you to showcase your talent the best?

Appreciate the time and best of luck at the next level!

Winters Grady. If anybody knows him, he don’t miss jump shots, so his archetype, that’s a shout out to my boy, knockdown shooter. – Darryn Peterson

Unselfish point guard that can shoot it. I’ll be willing to set picks all the time, and we would just get money, and when I drew attention from being a driver, they would have the opportunity to make and knock down open threes. – Caleb Wilson

I say a front court player 4 or 5, very versatile. Do everything. A Swiss Army knife. – Morez Johnson Jr.

To the best scorer in this class: We saw you improve your three point shot tremendously last season at Bama. What part of your game are you working on the most this offseason?

I’d say my finishing, being able to finish with finesse, and just being able to get up and dunk the ball, really. – Labaron Philon Jr.

AJ, which defensive area by yourself you see as improvement priority mostly? Good luck, USA will need premium wing scorer for next generation

Yeah, just being off-ball defense, being more intense on that side, just playing with more effort. – AJ Dybantsa

To Darryn Peterson, If it is better for the team would you be willing to play shooting guard next to a lead point guard or should the team adapt to you?

How do you see yourself adapting to the next level? Do you think you can make an impact as either a SG or a lead PG?

Both of them, for sure. When I played the 2, I felt like I scored better than when I played at the 1. I played the 1 my whole career up until Kansas, so, it won’t be anything new. – Darryn Peterson

For Cam Boozer, which player’s game in the league today do you find yourself mining from most often?

I wouldn’t say it’s one guy, it’s a lot of different guys, but I mean, you think Paulo, Giannis, Anthony Davis, I watched some Luka, some Cade, you just kind of watch everyone, you take things from a lot of different players. A lot of it is just reads, pace of play, when you get to this spot, what are they doing? When you get to that spot, what are they doing? When the defender helps this way, things like that. So a lot of it is just reads that they make. – Cam Boozer

To Cameron Boozer, just how much of an advantage did having an NBA dad provide for your development

What are some things that you had access to, that any normal kid probably wouldn’t?

Being thrown to the social media world early on, obviously, when your dad played, there’s a spotlight on you, and social media is one of those things where you just kinda learn by going through it. People can tell you a lot of things about it, but you don’t really know until you’re in that world, and I think that’s been a huge advantage to me for sure. – Cam Boozer

For Allen Graves: do you feel any pressure knowing the kind of guys who have come out of Santa Clara?

I mean, just their adjustment to the league. I feel like Santa Clara did a great job on their level of play. The pace that they play with is kind of like the NBA, and just how quickly they adjusted to the league and how in their first years they impacted winning, so definitely that part of it, and then just the mental aspect of it, them being prepared to be in the NBA and being a pro. – Allen Graves