Jason Walker will attempt to go to as many workouts as allowed and bring the news and his opinions of the workout back to Hawks fans everywhere. On Tuesday, May 25, 2004, the Hawks brought in Oregon's Luke Jackson, Kirk Snyder of the University of Nevada, Morehead State's Ricky Minard, and high school standout J.R. Smith.
This was the second straight workout with mostly first round considered prospects. This was a highly anticipated workout due to Jackson and Snyder offering different skill sets and going head to head for the first time, Minard out to show why MSU retired his jersey, and getting to see JR Smith in an environment with bigger, more mature players.
Here is a brief synopsis of each player and their workout, along with some quotes and commentary from Walker.
(Sinceere thanks to Hawks Photos for the images)
Luke Jackson
Named to a host of All-America teams and a finalist for both the Wooden and Naismith Awards, Jackson was selected to the All-Pac-10 and Pac-10 All-Tournament teams this past season after registering 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 31 games for the Ducks. He was one of only six players in the country to lead his team in those three categories, and for good measure, he also led Oregon in steals (97) and FT shooting (.862). The 6-7 Jackson joined former Arizona star Sean Elliott as the only two players in conference history to reach 1,900 career points, 700 career rebounds and 400 career assists.
From the very beginning of the workout, it was clear Jackson was comfortable with the ball in his hands. From the time he walked into the gym, Jackson was dribbling, spinning, and shooting the ball. Even during down times in the workout, Jackson was handling the basketball. When a player appears that comfortable with the basketball at all times, it means he is more likely to be very comfortable with the basketball during the game as well.
In the shooting drills, Jackson looked very good, displaying a consistent stroke from all parts of the floor. Jackson always seemed to catch the ball ready to shoot, bringing the ball below his waist only slightly when preparing to shoot after catching the ball. He showed a crisp shot and always squared up quickly during the shuttle drills.
In transition, Jackson ran the floor very well, covering a lot of ground on his dribble. Jackson also showed his athleticism, having the highest jump mark of the workout. Jackson used both hands well when going to the basket.
Defensively, Jackson looked average out there, sometimes allowing the player to get to the basket, but always boxed out fundamentally, pinning the player behind him as he went for the rebound.
Jackson looked good in the 1 on 1 drills, able to get to the basket on Minard and Smith and choosing to shoot (a wise choice on this day) over Snyder. In the 2 on 2 drills, Jackson and his partner Minard had trouble getting each other the ball in good positions to score consistently, and defensively they had trouble stopping Snyder and Smith. Snyder may have gotten into Jackson a little bit, keeping Luke on the outside a little more.
Plus: Good shooting, ball handling, footwork.
Minus: Overcoming aggressive competition.
Kirk Snyder
Snyder, a 6-6, 225-pounder from Nevada, spent time at the small forward position for the Wolf Pack. The Western Athletic Conference's Player of the Year, Snyder was named first team All-WAC for the second year in a row after recording 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34 games. He scored 21 points in a season-ending loss in the NCAA regionals to Georgia Tech.
Snyder has a high release point on his jump shot, which makes for an inconsistent release point. This resulted in some very nice shots during the shooting drills, and some ugly shots. Snyder, during one of the shuttle drills, missed badly on a number of consecutive shots. However, he made quite a few three point shots during the workout, but the ones he missed, missed badly.
In transition, Snyder ran the floor very well, but did struggle to finish when it involved pulling up to shoot. When going to the basket, Snyder attacks with a lot of aggression and finishes strong.
After the individual shooting drills were over, Snyder took over.
In the 1 on 1 drills, nobody wanted to go at him. As each possession passed, guys would begin to settle for a quick jumper rather than try to go to the hoop on Snyder. He displayed quick hands, strong body (which he used liberally), and a bully's mentality against his opponents.
Quickly, this became Snyder's workout. Kirk began to talk, whooping after a good defensive play or a basket. That his personality was beginning to dominate was clear. Snyder clearly fed off of this vibe and seemed to get stronger and more confident as the workout continued.
During one play, Minard attempted a jump shot which Snyder met, matched, and stripped as he came down to the floor, an impressive display of timing and strength.
During the 2 on 2 drills, Snyder's confidence and attitude continued to control the workout. Paired with the high schooler Smith, Snyder worked well with his teammate and developed instant chemistry, encouraging the youngster and raising Smith's game as well as his own.
Plus: Quick hands, strong defense, strong personality
Minus: Inconsistent shot keyed by high release
Ricky Minard
Minard returned for his final season at Morehead State and averaged over 20 points (21.8 ppg) for the third consecutive year. He ended his career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,381 points and ranked second on MSU's all-time assist list and 11th in rebounding. The fourth highest scorer in Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) history, he is also the only player ever at MSU and in the OVC to surpass 2,300 points, 700 rebounds and 200 assists in a career. The 6-4 Minard's jersey has been retired by the Eagles and hangs in MSU's Johnson Arena.
Minard made 2004 All-First Team at Portsmouth Invitational Camp. Minard averaged 17.3 Points in a total of 3 games, shooting 59% from the field (20 for 34 from the floor), shot 40% from the three-point Line (4 for 10), shot 100% from the Free-Throw Line (8 for 8), all in an average of 21 Minutes Per Game. The first game at Portsmouth, Minard shot 10 for 11 from the field, 2 for 2 from the three-point line, and scored 24 points in only 21 minutes. Minard is the only Collegiate Player to average 22 Points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 5 Assists per Game in the 03-04 College Season. Minard recorded 5 games with 30 or more Points, netted 7 Double-Doubles, and registered 7 games with 8 or more Assists.
Minard showed very quick, easy shot both in transition and in the shuttle drills. He did tend to drop the ball a good bit below the waist when catching and shooting, thus lengthening his release time, but was very consistent inside the three point line during those drills.
Minard ran his drills very crisp and fundamentally sound, and was very quick to the basket in the 1 on 1 drills, which he won. He was as good on three point shots as the rest of the guys and was alright on the defensive end, except in the 2 on 2 drills, where he and Jackson got beat quite a bit by Smith and Snyder.
Plus: Quickness to the basket, Good footwork, Easy, consistent release on his shots. Floor burns.
Minus: Got caught on picks defensively, Got handled by the stronger players.
JR Smith
One of the nation's top high school prospects, Smith originally signed a letter-of-intent to attend the University of North Carolina before declaring for this NBA Draft on May 3. The 6-6 shooting guard from Newark, NJ attended St. Benedict's Prep (NJ), averaging 23.3 points and 5.4 rebounds as a senior. He finished his high school career as the holder of three school records: most points (700) and three-pointers in a season (108) and highest FG percentage in one year (.541). Smith took home MVP or co-MVP honors three postseason games, the Great Florida Shootout, the EA Sports Roundball Classic and the McDonald's High School All-American Game.
The first item noticed about Smith is his lack of elevation on his jump shot. Smith barely even hops when shooting, which could lead to a problem in getting the shot off at the NBA level. Smith's release is almost a flip with little follow through, which may have led to his inconsistent shooting during the workout.
During the shuttle drill, Smith's footwork seemed suspect, as he seemed to have trouble getting his feet in shooting position, leading to some fall-aways and off balanced shooting.
Smith couldn't show much in the 1 on 1 drills because to get the ball on offense, you must make a stop defensively. Smith struggled to get stops, and in one possession, allowed Luke Jackson to gather 5 straight offensive rebounds before Jackson finally scored. It was at this point in the workout where Smith seemed to be disappearing like a wallflower, looking like a boy against men especially against Snyder.
It was with Snyder in the 2 on 2 drills that Smith came out of his shell. Smith made two nice passes to a cutting Snyder for easy baskets, and used a screen well (twice) to slam home a couple of points for his team. Smith worked well with Snyder and the two showed good defense on Jackson and Minard.
Plus: Excellent athleticism, Decent range on shot
Minus: Lack of elevation on inconsistent jumper, Shied away when played by the bigger players.