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Interviews: Kevin Love, D.J. Augustin, Anthony Randolph

Interviews: Kevin Love, D.J. Augustin, Anthony Randolph
Jun 02, 2008, 12:59 am
Interviews with Kevin Love, D.J. Augustin and Anthony Randolph from media day of the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando

Kevin Love

Reporter: What would you tell the Clippers to make your case for playing in LA?

Kevin Love: Well knowing the situation, I would be talking to Elton Brand, trying to get him to opt out of his contract (laughs). Other than that though, I mean they have Elton Brand already so I haven’t set up anything with the Clippers yet. But LA is a great place and it’s been great to me especially because of UCLA and the fan base I have there. With that 7th pick I feel like that would be a good opportunity for me as well; I could learn from Brand and play alongside Kaman, but we’ll just have to see.


Reporter: Do you know Kevin McHale? Have you ever talked to him?

Kevin Love: I feel like I know him just from watching the old school tapes back in the day. All the up and unders, all the step backs and the hook throughs. I mean all of those guys, Bird, Parrish, Johnson and Danny Ainge; Landon Ainge played on my high school team. I watched all of those guys, but definitely Kevin McHale was my favorite growing up.

Reporter: How do you feel about the rule requiring players to go to college first? How did you feel going in? How do you feel now coming out?

Kevin Love: I feel like college not only made me a better player, but it made me a better person both on and off the court. I’ve always been put in a leadership role and being a freshman it was a little different in that respect with my other teammates. Having my teammates there supporting me and bringing me in, that really helped me. Also off the court as well; going to school and making honor roll was really good for me. It was big for my parents as well. I think school really has prepared me. At first I didn’t know what I was doing; I was throwing myself into different interviews and different workouts all at the same time, so I really had to manage my schedule, time management was huge for me. So that’s just an example there of how school really helped me.

Reporter: Is the transition to the next level going to be harder for a big man than a guard since you don’t really have the ball in your hands?

Kevin Love: I don’t know, it’s tough to say. The guards really dominate on the perimeter, like a guy like Chris Paul, it’s going to be tough to guard someone like him. A player like Derrick Rose will step in and contribute right away. I don’t know if it will necessarily be harder, you see a guy like Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan in that power forward position, so it is going to be tough. I feel like there will be a high learning curve. I’m ready to learn.

Reporter: Is Milwaukee bringing you in at all, do you know?

Kevin Love: I don’t know if they are.

Reporter: Have you been to Milwaukee? Do you have any thoughts on that?

Kevin Love: Hey, I’m just saying, any place that’s going to draft me…I know Bogut. I used to watch Bogut in college. Then there’s Yi, I mean how many people are watching him each night, there’s billions. So I think it would be a great place for me, I could play alongside those guys.

Reporter: Have you scheduled a workout with Minnesota?

Kevin Love: I think it’s on the 16th of June, I’m very excited.

Reporter: What part of McHale’s game do you see in yourself?

Kevin Love: If he doesn’t see a little of himself in me or me see a little of myself in him, it’s just weird. I used to watch him all the time growing up and my dad used to have me watch tapes of him and learn all those moves. There’s just so many things in his game that I love. It’s almost like seeing a smaller, bulkier, mirror image of him.

Reporter: Do you think that could possibly sway him when it comes to making a decision?

Kevin Love: Oh I’m crossing my fingers, I hope so. They always say ‘oh you’re not going to like the cold’, well I’m from the rain so I think I’ll be used to it. There’s nothing a good coat and a warm bath can’t get me out to the gym for. Minnesota is a great place.

Reporter: Has Charlotte been in touch?

Kevin Love: Yes, they’ve been in contact with my agent. I’m excited about them, if I was able to go in and work out for them. I feel like I could learn from Emeka, and I could go in and contribute there.

Reporter: What about any other workouts?

Kevin Love: I think I only have four workouts set up so far which are: Seattle, New York, New Jersey and Minnesota.

DraftExpress: What have you been doing to prepare for the draft?

Kevin Love: I’ve been at the Home Depot Center working my butt off. I get up at 6:30 and get to the gym by 8. Also, I’ve been on the Sun Fair diet where Sun Fair delivers your meals. Just seeing the changes to my body, after losing 15 pounds, I feel a lot quicker and a lot more explosive. I feel great. It’s been strenuous, it’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s going to be worth it come draft night. I want to come into training camp and next season even better prepared than I am now, I just want to be ready to go.

DraftExpress: What type of player do you see yourself as down the road in the NBA?

Kevin Love: I’m hoping to make my own splash so someone will go, do you see yourself as Kevin Love one day? But I like Elton Brand, I like Carlos Boozer and Tim Duncan as well, just because they’re so fundamental and they’re about the same size.

Reporter: Do you think you can play center in the NBA?

Kevin Love: I think I can play center. I can definitely guard a center, and if a center was to guard me I feel I could go mid range and take him outside a little bit. I think a lot of people would like to see me hit that NBA three consistently and see how well I can move.

Reporter: How do you think you complement a true low post scorer like Al Jefferson?

Kevin Love: I think I complement him great. He’s such a beast inside that he’s going to draw double teams; so whether I need to go to the high post or step out to the three, with my shooting percentage this year, I think it could be great. Plus that would be a very young nucleus in there as well.

Reporter: What are you eating now that you didn’t before? What did you have to give up?

Kevin Love: I’d say the only thing I had to give up was my chocolate milk fetish. I think everyone has their one thing, and chocolate milk was probably it for me. I’m always drinking water, but other than that, it was never really about what I ate, it was just when I ate it. After a 7:30 game in college, you get back to the hotel around 12 o’clock and you’re eating. Also with my portions, I just had to minimize that, and Sun Fair has really been doing it for me. Also just getting into the gym and running, working out six hours a day, has really done a lot for me.

Reporter: What did you weigh before you started training for this?

Kevin Love: I weighed upper 260’s and I’m hoping to weigh in tomorrow at 250 to 255.

Reporter: Is there a part of you that wishes you were playing this week?

Kevin Love: Sure. I mean I haven’t played in a while; I’ve been doing the drills and stuff. But just seeing everyone out there this week, I’m a competitor so I want to get out there as well.

D.J. Augustin

Reporter: How did you know it was time to enter the draft?

D.J. Augustin: I just felt like I was ready mentally and physically. I had a great college experience, we won a lot of games and I think I developed into a pretty good point guard. I think I’m ready for the next level.


DraftExpress: What are you doing to prepare for the draft?

D.J. Augustin: I’m working out twice a day with Coach John Lucas in Houston; I have a trainer down in Houston also, so I’ve been lifting weights, and doing conditioning and skill work.

DraftExpress: What has been the biggest emphasis skill wise that you’ve been working on?

D.J. Augustin: Just being able to get bigger guards off of me, being able to play against the bigger guards. I have a lot of help with T.J. Ford down in Houston teaching me tricks. I’m just trying to learn as much as possible.

DraftExpress: A lot of people talk about your size; do you think that’s going to hold you back either offensively or defensively in the pros?

D.J. Augustin: No; I don’t think it’s really held me back my entire life. I’ve always been the smallest one on the floor; I have no problem going in with the big men and doing what I can do. Getting my teammates involved, that’s always been my goal.

DraftExpress: Is there any player in the NBA that you try to model yourself after?

D.J. Augustin: Offensively I try to play like Steve Nash; he has a lot of crafty shots he gets off against bigger guys. That’s going to be my main thing; I have to learn to do that.

DraftExpress: You went to Steve Nash’s camp over the summer. Is there anything you added there specifically that you feel helped you?

D.J. Augustin: Just learning how to run the pick and roll; executing that to perfection. That’s the biggest thing in the NBA, a lot of teams run pick and roll the whole game. That’s going to be a big key.

DraftExpress: Do you feel there is any type of offensive system in the NBA you’re more suited for? Maybe pick and roll, half court, or transition?

D.J. Augustin: At Texas we really played everything. We ran in transition; we brought it to the half court and ran pick and roll. So I feel like I’m ready for any offense, and I’m just going to keep learning.

Reporter: What workouts have you scheduled?

D.J. Augustin: I haven’t talked to my agent yet; we’re going to do that today, about who I’m working out with and when. I think my first workout is Wednesday, but I’m not sure with whom yet.

Reporter: Who is your agent?

D.J. Augustin: Thaddeus Foucher

DraftExpress: You hired your agent kind of late in the process; what went into that decision? Why did it take so long?

D.J. Augustin: I just like to take my time with every decision I make, I don’t like to rush things. I sat down with my family, we picked the guy I felt the most comfortable with, and that’s how it went. I took my time and went who I felt comfortable with; I think it was a good decision.

DraftExpress: Have you heard anything about your draft range?

D.J. Augustin: So people have me going six through fourteen, but I don’t listen to that stuff. Anything can happen on draft night, so you have to be prepared for anything and work hard.

DraftExpress: Some rumors have mentioned the Clippers and Indiana as possible destinations; do you have any feelings about those teams or cities?

D.J. Augustin: They’re both great cities and great teams. I just want to go to the best team that I can help in whatever role they need me in.

DraftExpress: Have you talked to Kevin Durant at all about the process?

D.J. Augustin: Yeah; I’ve talked to Kevin, I’ve talked to T.J. (Ford). I talk to T.J. a little more because he was in the same position I’m in as a point guard. But I talk to both of those guys about the situation.

DraftExpress: With Kevin leaving early for the NBA, how did you adjust to that at Texas?

D.J. Augustin: I just had to be more of a scorer. Coach wanted me to score more, but it’s hard to do because like I said I’m always looking for my teammates. I’m an unselfish guy on the court and I had to become more of a leader. That’s what I did, and that’s how I changed my game this year.

DraftExpress: What type of role do you see yourself playing in the NBA five years from now?

D.J. Augustin: Hopefully I’ll be a great point guard; a leader on the floor on a team that’s winning. Those are my main goals: help a team win and be the best player that I can be.

Reporter: For you talked to A.J. [Abrams] at all?

D.J. Augustin: No, not really.

Reporter: What’s his status right now? I know he’s not down here playing.

D.J. Augustin: I have no idea, I haven’t talked to him.

Reporter: D.J. how difficult was your decision last year to go back to school?

D.J. Augustin: It wasn’t that difficult at all because I knew I wasn’t ready for the NBA physically or mentally. I never really looked at leaving for the NBA. This year I just worked hard, it’s been my dream to play in the NBA, and this year I feel like I’m ready.

Reporter: Do you see better decisions being made by kids in terms of knowing when they’re ready? In past years you’ve seen kids leave early and then never really surface.

D.J. Augustin: You know that can really happen to anyone, there are no guarantees in this league. That’s one thing I want to do when I make it to the NBA; I don’t just want to make it, I want to have a long, successful career.

Anthony Randolph

DraftExpress: Do you ultimately see yourself as a small forward or a power forward?

Anthony Randolph: It depends on what team I go to. If I’m needed at either one of those positions, I just want to be prepared for either one.


DraftExpress: What are you really looking to show in private workouts?

Anthony Randolph: I’m looking to show my versatility, I want to show that I can do multiple things.

DraftExpress: What role do you see yourself playing in five years?

Anthony Randolph: I hope to be perennial all-star in five years; that’s my goal. Whatever team I’m on I want to win games and be a contender.

DraftExpress: What player would you compare yourself to?

Anthony Randolph: I don’t know, I really haven’t been any thought into that. Most likely though, Tayshaun Prince and Chris Bosh.

DraftExpress: Based on what you’ve been hearing from teams, what would you say is your draft range right now?

Anthony Randolph: I’m hearing anywhere from four to ten.

DraftExpress: What do you think sets you apart from the other power forwards and possible small forwards in the draft?

Anthony Randolph: I think that I’m capable of playing different positions; you can put me in different situations. So I think that sets me apart.

DraftExpress: Tell me about your time at LSU. How did things go in your one season there?

Anthony Randolph: I thought it went great. I loved the coaching staff, the fans, everything down there. It was a great learning experience for me; I matured a lot in my time there.

DraftExpress: How big of a factor was John Brady being fired in your decision to enter the draft?

Anthony Randolph: I mean it was a factor, but at the same time Butch Pierre was the one who recruited me and I had a good relationship with him. So it wasn’t that big of a deal.

DraftExpress: Were you happy with your development at LSU?

Anthony Randolph: Yes, I was very happy. I learned how to play more physically; I got stronger and became smarter as a basketball player.

DraftExpress: If you had to pinpoint one thing only, what would you say is the most important thing you learned at LSU?

Anthony Randolph: I would just say the experience; getting to play against the players I played against in the SEC; it’s a tough conference. I learned how to be on my own and still put in that hard work.

DraftExpress: I went to see some of your games in Dallas where you were only playing in front of maybe thirty or forty people. What has that transition been like going from playing in front of small crowds to playing in front of ten thousand people? Was that a rough transition?

Anthony Randolph: I love it, I love playing in front of crowds like that. That’s what you play for; you play to entertain and because you love the game. It wasn’t that big of a transition, I looked forward to it.

DraftExpress: Did you use that as motivation? You weren’t very well respected by the Dallas media.

Anthony Randolph: It didn’t really bother me because I’m a low key guy. I didn’t really pay attention to the media, I just wanted to play basketball and win games.

DraftExpress: Thank you Anthony.

Anthony Randolph: Thank you.

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