| Talking Basketball with Dijon Thompson Authored by Keith Berzanske - June 21, 2005 - 10:19 am
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KB: Hi Dijon, congratulations on your graduation.
DT: Thank you very much. It was a lot of work, but a goal I was glad to achieve.
KB: Yesterday was graduation day. Did you spend it celebrating with family?
DT: Yes, we went out to eat and it was a lot of fun.
KB: I hope that you found time to catch last night's Pistons/Spurs game.
DT: No, I missed it (disappointed). I caught the highlights though. Very exciting game.
KB: Well, I understand at this time of year you have a pretty hectic schedule. You've been working out for a lot of teams?
DT: Yeah, and I still have more workouts. I'm going to Milwaukee next.
KB: Last week you worked out for Utah?
DT: Yes, it was actually my second trip there.
KB: That makes sense to me that they'd be interested because they have 3 picks: 27, 34, and 51. How did the workouts there go?
DT: Good, really good.
KB: Do teams like the Jazz give you the sense that they are legitimately interested in selecting you. Or is it a guessing game?
DT: No, they seemed very interested, as well as some of the other teams. I thought Utah was a really good fit, but I'd be happy to play anywhere that I got the opportunity.
KB: You went through this process last year -
DT: Well, actually I didn't go through the whole process. I didn't go through all the workouts, just went to Chicago and the like.
KB: So you went through the camps, but then changed your mind?
DT: Exactly. I decided to go back to school.
KB: Why was that? Was there something specifically about your game that you decided that you needed to work on, to improve?
DT: Not specifically that, but I felt I left a lot of unfinished business at UCLA. I was one year away from getting my degree, and I thought that our team had a chance to do well. I wanted to try and go out on top.
KB: UCLA is a great program. However, a big problem on the East Coast is that we don't get to see as much of the PAC-10 players as we would like, being that it is ACC and SEC country. To be honest, I did not get to see as much film of you as I wanted to, and thus it was difficult to evaluate you compared to some of the other players. Is there anything that people like me here on this side of the country, who might not have seen you that much, should know about you or your game? Like what style of player are you?
DT: Wel,, one thing a lot of people don't realize is that I am 6'8" tall, or that I am versatile enough to play several positions.
KB: Which position do you prefer, the '2' or the '3'?
DT: It doesn't matter, I can play either. I'll take on all comers. I just love to play.
KB: Now there are some former teammates of yours who were in similar situations the past couple of years, Jason Kapono and Trevor Ariza, who were both selected in the second round and were able to carve a niche in the NBA. You are projected to be taken in a similar spot - is there anything you took from their experienced that helped you prepare for the draft or the pre-draft workouts.
DT: A little bit, but you have to remember that we're all different types of players with different skill sets. So a team will not be looking for me to do the same things as Trevor or Jason.
KB: You played against a lot of future pros while at UCLA, guys like Luke Jackson and Josh Childress. Was any particular opponent more challenging than the others?
DT: No, I was prepared to take on everyone. I felt as though I matched up well. Josh and I actually played against each other in high school as well, so we go back a long way, had some good battles.
KB: Yes, Josh made quite an impression in Atlanta last year. Of course, the team wasn't too good, although he got a lot of playing time. Would you rather be in a situation like that or go to a winning team where you might not be needed?
DT: Well, regardless of where I go, I feel that I'm ready to step in right away and help the team. Obviously if I end up on a really good team like the Pistons there won't be as much opportunity, but I still feel that I'm ready to contribute now.
KB: There's been talk of a lockout. Have you thought about what you might do in that situation, or if for whatever reason there's a terrible oversight and your name doesn't get called? Would you play in a developmental league or overseas?
DT: Honestly, I haven't even thought that far ahead. I've been concentrating on my workouts, showing everyone what I can do, and I'm confident that I'll be drafted.
KB: That's a great attitude. Now you're from Inglewood, is that correct? That's how far from UCLA?
DT: Yeah, it's about 30 minutes away.
KB: Do you think it would be better for you to be drafted by the Lakers or the Clippers and stay close to home, or are you looking forward to being in new surroundings?
DT: Actually, I think it will be better for me to get away and try somewhere new just for the experience, although I'd certainly play in Los Angeles if they chose me.
KB: The Lakers weren't your favorite team growing up?
DT: No, the Bulls were.
KB: That's right, I remember now - your favorite player was Michael Jordan.
DT: Exactly.
KB: Now you were a high school All-American, one of the top 5 seniors in California. It's become trendy now for the NBA teams to become infatuated with high school seniors and foreign players, while guys like you, the 4 year college players, are often overlooked. Do you have any opinion on that.
DT: Yeah, I think a lot of the 4-year players sort of get lost in the shuffle, kind of taken for granted. We played for 4 years at major programs, put in a lot of hard work to learn and improve our games, and we got experience in game situations.
KB: A common complaint I hear is that the scouts target the weaknesses of the college players, because they see them play in a lot more situations, whereas they target the potential of the younger players, who are unknown.
DT: Yeah, I would agree with that. Really, there's a lot of guesswork with those players. A guy might have tools, but you really don't have any idea how he's going to turn out. Someone like me, you know what skills I bring to the table.
KB: So you're looking forward to proving that you're as good, if not better, than some of these other players.
DT: Yeah, I just want the opportunity to show what I can do. It doesn't matter where I'm drafted. I play hard and I've learned a lot.
KB: Well, I personally think you have a promising career ahead of you, and I'm looking forward to watching you play in the NBA.
DT: Thank you, I really appreciate that.
KB: Good luck on draft night, and thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule!
DT: Thank you.
SUMMARY
Dijon was one of the toughest players for me to evaluate, as I did not see nearly enough film on him as I wanted to. To be on the safe side, I rated him on par with Kennedy Winston, a small forward I did see a lot more of. Dijon definitely has NBA talent, especially on the offensive end. Best case scenario, I'd compare him to Lamond Murray (the 'hitting on all cylinders' version of Murray). Average scenario - Tim Thomas or Ron Mercer. Worst case scenario - Kareem Rush. (difference - Dijon is right handed). He probably below the level of a Jamal Mashburn or a Glenn Robinson, although he's got a good midrange game and is an above average rebounder. He's smaller than a player like Rashard Lewis, and it's unclear to me whether he has that type of post up game. Question still exist among scouts regarding his focus on the defensive end of the court (much like all of the players I have just compared him to). He also needs to avoid 'Nick Anderson disease', which is falling in love with the jumper and forgetting to take the ball to the hole and draw fouls. However, some things you might notice: (1) All of the players I have compared Dijon to were top 7 picks (except Rush) but were considered disappointments. Had they been pciked where Dijon Thompson is projected to go (anywhere from 26-56), I'm sure our perception of these players woud be different. (2) All of these players have had long NBA careers, and at one point averaged 15+ points per game, whether starting or coming off the bench (again, except Rush, who was stuck behind Kobe Bryant).
Bottom line - I think that Dijon will find a place in the NBA. How good he becomes or how many minutes he gets is up to him and how much he improves. I think that eventually he will develop into a 6th man/instant offense type, and that's something a lot of teams can use. If he were to be drafted into a situation like Portland, Utah, or New Orleans (all possibilities, with picks at 27, 33, 34, and 35), then they'll be a distinct possibility of playing time. If he somehow slides to Detroit at 45 or 56, he'll likely be sitting next to Darko. I do think there are a lot of guard heavy teams in the middle of the second round, so if Dijon gets past 35, he may slide into the 50's, even though his talent merits him to be a higher pick. In my original mock draft I did have him sliding to #56 for this reason, but insider information from Dijon's agent Todd Ramasar indicates that it would be highly unlikely for Dijon to far past #37 (as such, I have adjusted the mock draft). The fact that several foreign players such as Tiago Splitter have withdrawn from the draft can only help move a player like Dijon up on the board. Considering Dijon's skills and potential, being picked in the late 20's-early 30's may very well have him rated as the steal of the 2005 draft when we go back and review a few years down the road.
Look for more draft coverage as draft day approaches! |
