The NBA draft will be held June 20 at the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets. The Arizona State’s Luguentz Dort said he was very pleased with the recent evaluation camp he attended in preparation for the selection session.
Earlier this month, along with some 70 hopefuls, Dort gave recruiters a glimpse of his skills and talked to some clubs, as well as speed and jump tests, as well as medical exams.
“It went well. I got interviews with teams, I answered the questions well. We had good conversations. Medical exams are part of the protocol [to discuss old injuries], but I’m in great shape.” Dort said.
“I’ve always been really athletic, but that’s something I’ve worked on a lot. In training, my best score was 36 inches and in the combined, I managed 38 [tied for 12th]. It’s a nice improvement. I was really happy with my result.” Dort added.
The 19-year-old point guard is supported by an Octagon agent, two coaches and three other people who give a hand in the practical aspects of the sessions such as rebounds and passes.
On May 22nd, many NBA recruiters also attended the Octagon Pro Day, featuring the firm’s customers. A group that includes Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young, Khris Davis and Vladimir Tarasenko, among many other big names in the sport.
The evaluation camp is a crucial step towards the draft, where Dort could be chosen near the end of the first round or perhaps even a little before, who knows.
Luguentz Dort is supported by two coaches. (Source:www.arizonasports.com)
“I’ve been following this for a number of years now. But when I realised that, wow, I was invited and on the spot with everyone.” Dort said.
“I was sitting in a room with [the legendary] Jerry West [the silhouette of where the NBA logo comes from]. I saw him talking about me, he who won championships, who coached. Just being around people like that, it’s really nice. It was a little surreal.
“At the basketball level, I shot very well. I was able to show recruiters and NBA people my strengths beyond the defense. I improved my shot a lot, and I’ll be able to show it even more in private practice with the teams.” Dort added.
Next step of the process, private training, numbering about ten, will take place from the end of the month to mid-June, with on the agenda meetings with Trail Blazers, Pacers and the Heat, among others.
