Rookie Reality Check

http://www.hoopsworld.com/rookie-reality-check-adjusting-to-the-nba


Rookie Reality Check: Adjusting to the NBA
By Jessica Camerato
NBA Writer and Columnist


Just over a month into the NBA season, rookies have been getting a crash course on life in the pros. They are transitioning from top-tier college players who dominated the court night in and night out to newcomers in a league where the competition is bigger, stronger and faster than in the past.

The games, and their lives, are moving at a rapid pace while they become adjusted to this new chapter as NBA players.

Six rookies discussed their transition to the league, challenges they’ve faced and biggest surprises they’ve encountered early into their first season.


Anthony Bennett, Cleveland Cavaliers

“[The biggest surprise is] everybody can play. They’re all great players, that’s why they’re in this league. It’s hard [competing against players at this level]. You have to bring it every day. When you’re away from the game you just have to work hard, work on your game a lot more to separate yourself.

My shot consistency, that’s my major thing I need to work on right now. Especially coming off [rotator cuff] surgery. I couldn’t shoot for two months, three months. I’m just trying to get back into a rhythm.”



Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

“I didn’t expect the games were going to be so tiring. But it’s very tiring for the veterans, even for me. In Europe, we play like 25 games over the season. Here it’s 82.

Your best friend has to be the ice. You have to rest, rest as much as you can, and you always have you treat your body [well]. It feels like I’ve played many more games. In Europe, in a month we play four or five games. Here we’ve already played 17.”



Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic

“Everything surprised me. I didn’t know anything about the league coming into it. Going to every city, playing against every team, it’s a surprise. The pace is a lot faster than it looks on TV. It’s a little different in that sense, so it’s just something I have to get used to.

No [players have surprised me.] Pretty much watching it from home, you know everybody is really good. There’s no boys allowed. You just really have to take it into consideration every game, realizing how hard it is to do certain things. It’s pretty cool.”



Nate Wolters, Milwaukee Bucks

“The speed of the game [is different]. I knew it was going to be a huge step, but stuff in college is open for a while, the passing lanes, and in the NBA everything closes so quick and you have to be really precise and really focused every possession. It’s 100 percent faster. Hopefully the game slows down eventually. I feel like in college I was able to see the floor better and things are moving pretty fast right now, but I’m still learning.

It’s going to be a learning experience the whole year. A lot of it is improving with game repetition. Nothing is like a game, practice is a little different, so just getting game reps help and hopefully I will improve.”



Phil Pressey, Boston Celtics

“In college you feel like you’re the best player on the court always, but here everybody thinks that. I think the biggest thing is the shot clock. You go from 35 seconds to 24 seconds so you really have to get into your sets with the speed, but then you have to be under control. You think seven seconds is not a lot of time, but in the NBA that’s enough to do a lot of things. It’s just about getting used to that speed and playing fast but also playing slow. You really can’t work on it in practice. It’s different in the game so you just have to play and get used to it.

[When I watch game film I see] I’m going faster than I think I’m going in the game. In the game I think I’m slower, under control, but when I watch film I realize I need to slow down and look at some things. That’s why you watch film and there’s things I can change, but I’m trying to get better. Also, how we travel [is a big change]. I think I forgot what city we were in the other day because you travel from one city to the next in 24 hours.”



Ian Clark, Utah Jazz

“The speed and physicality [are the biggest differences from college]. In college sometimes it’s the same pace every time, up and down, up and down. In this league you have times where you pick and choose where you go fast, where you slow the ball down and execute offensively and defensively. training camp, that early. That’s when it starts. That’s why you have training camps, those practices early and preseason to kind of get acquainted. Getting used to the speed comes with repetition, getting comfortable. It helps being able to execute in practice and getting the reps that you need.

It’s been an adjustment along with the physicality. These guys are bigger, stronger, faster, so that’s something I have to adjust to. DeAndre Jordan is huge. You see it on TV, but when you see it up close and those guys are competing against you it’s different. You have to be confident in yourself [to play physically]. You can do that by being in the weight room, knowing that you can bang and be physical with the guys out there. And just playing, get it out of your mind and just play basketball.”



bob
MY NOTE:  They only play 25 games in a season in Europe?  Only 4-5 games a month?  No wonder Euros often struggle here, the NCAA plays more games than that.  Considering this, it's probably good that Stevens isn't just giving Vitor 25mpg, he'd be burned out by February.  The comment by Bennett is inane.  You're surprised at how good everybody is in the NBA?  Really?  I think I like Phil Pressey's answer best.  It's a thinking player's response and isn't just "Wow!".  He looks at a lot of film to see the differences.  Excellent.  Go Phil!



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