Aldrigde Interview, with bulls.com Options

[Cute Little Bull...]

Got this from Bulls.com...I found it interesting, Enjoy it. (sorry if someone already posted it)

Lengthy Aldridge ready for the big time

Posted June 14, 2006

After working out several candidates for consideration at the 16th pick, John Paxson and the Bulls bring in some of the draft’s top prospects this week, with Texas big man LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way.

The versatile Aldridge (6-10 | 240) boasts a surprisingly polished game for having just two years of college under his belt. He has shown to have extremely sound fundamentals, good hands, and a nice shooting stroke. Additionally, his enormous wingspan has helped him become a very formidable defensive player—one that will almost certainly be a top-five pick in NBA Draft 2006.

Bulls.com: How did you feel that your workout went?

LaMarcus Aldridge: “I think it went pretty well. It was very intense; there was a lot of up-and-down and agility drills for them to gauge how I move and how I shoot it. I think I did alright.”

Bulls.com: Was this your first workout? What other workouts do you have scheduled?

Aldridge: “This was my first one. I go to Portland in two or three days and I’ll go wherever from there.”

Bulls.com: What kind of things did you consider as you debated entering the NBA Draft or returning for another season at Texas?

Aldridge: “First off, I really loved being at school and my teammates were all great. We had a great time and a great year, and there are some really talented guys coming in for next year. It was a matter of deciding if I wanted to stay and possibly help that group win a national championship, or leave and go pro. I finally sat down with Coach [Rick] Barnes and my mom and a few other people and I decided that it was time to leave because it was the best thing possible at this point in my life.”

Bulls.com: You’ve drawn some comparisons to Tim Duncan for your style on and off the court. Do you feel they are accurate?

Aldridge: “I hope that they are. He’s a great player and he’s got a great personality on and off the court. He’s just a great overall guy; he’s certainly not a bad guy to be compared to. With him being close in San Antonio, I had the chance to watch him play quite a bit so I’d take pointers from him when I could and used them when I could.”


Bulls.com: You’ve recently been working out with help from former Bulls center Will Perdue. How did that come about? What have you concentrated on in those sessions and how has he helped you?

Aldridge: “There was a connection through my agent, and things just worked out from there. We’ve been working out the last few months in Dallas and he’s helped me with a lot of the things that we did today—shooting, agility, footwork, and various moves in the post.”

Bulls.com: One of the first things you notice when seeing you in person is your long arms. How big is your wingspan and how has your length helped you on the court?

Aldridge: “My wingspan is 7-foot-5. My long arms help me as I try to become more versatile. I’d like to be able to guard anywhere from a three to a four to a five. I think my wingspan helps me out on defense, because I can cover a little more ground and block a few more shots. It helps on offense too, because when I put up a shot with a little higher release, it’s a little tougher for guys to challenge.”

Bulls.com: You were 6-foot-7 as an eighth grader, but you lacked the skills to excel as basketball player. How did you go about improving your game?

Aldridge: “I sucked. [Laughing] But my brother was there, always pushing me and motivating me to go to the parks and to hit the gym and work on my game everyday. I started to really develop in high school, and my coach there helped me a lot too in pushing me to my max all the time. Some guys who are stars go to high school and don’t get pushed, but my coach worked me and helped me become the player that I am now.”

Bulls.com: Which is more important to you, being the first overall pick in the draft or landing with a team where you’re a great fit?

Aldridge: “More than anything, I want to be a great fit. I want to be somewhere that I can shine and become a great player and hopefully be in this league for a long time.”

Bulls.com: You’ve known Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh for a long time, going head-to-head since your high school days. In fact, you averaged a stellar 23 points and 13 rebounds in two games against him your sophomore year.

Aldridge: “Yeah, I’ve known Chris since high school and I did pretty well against him. There was a lot of hype going on leading up to those games, and I was able to get myself psyched up and ready to play. I have a great relationship with him and it’s real cool. When I’ve been in Dallas this summer, we’ve worked out every day. It’s been helpful for me to get used to going against someone who is long, quick, and All-Star caliber. Hopefully, that will help my game go to the next level.”

Bulls.com: How competitive do your one-on-one matches get?

Aldridge: “Oh they’re serious. We’re falling all over the place and going full speed; we both want to win so badly. But they’ve been fairly even; he’ll win one and I’ll win one. We’ve just kept going at it. If I lose, all I want to do is play him again and come back strong the next game.”

Bulls.com: One of the few knocks on you is that you need to add some bulk and muscle to your frame.

Aldridge: “That’s a given. Everyone who is looking at drafting me knows I need to get stronger and bigger. I’ve been working out it, hitting the gym three times a day to work on my conditioning and with the weights in addition to my court workout.”

Bulls.com: What position do you see yourself playing the most in the NBA?

Aldridge: “I see myself mostly as a true [power forward], someone who can be mobile and shoot the ball, whether it’s stepping out or on a pick-and-roll. Playing the four is where I see myself mostly, but I am definitely versatile enough to play the four or the five.”

Bulls.com: Now that you’ve had a chance to get to know John Paxson, Scott Skiles and some of the Bulls’ other coaches, how do you think you would fit in here?

Aldridge: “I think I’d fit in great here and I’d love to come here. Overall, this is a great team and organization and it would be a great situation for me. I love talking to the coaching staff here; I even got to talk with a Luol Deng for a little while. I love every bit of it.”

Bulls.com: A growing theme here in Chicago has been defense. What kind of defensive player are you?

Aldridge: “I take defense very seriously. I was All-Defensive team in the Big 12 and All-Defensive Player of the Year. More than anything, I want to be in a position where I can guard guys all over the court, whether they are a three, four or five. I want to be as versatile of a defender as I can be.”

Bulls.com: In Chicago, you’d play along side another 7-footer in Tyson Chandler. How formidable of a front line do you think that would become?

Aldridge: “I think we could be something special, hopefully kind of like Tim Duncan and David Robinson were back in the day. I think we’d be a nice complement to each other; I know I could learn a thing or two about playing D from him and we would push each other to improve both offensively and defensively. He could help me out and hopefully I’d help him out too.”

— Adam Fluck | Bulls.com

[Wanne]

Bulls.com: You’ve recently been working out with help from former Bulls center Will Perdue. How did that come about? What have you concentrated on in those sessions and how has he helped you?

And this helped how?!?

Along the same lines of Jim Thome having Greg Walker as a hitting instructor.

[bulls91]

Got this from Bulls.com...I found it interesting, Enjoy it. (sorry if someone already posted it)

Lengthy Aldridge ready for the big time

Posted June 14, 2006

After working out several candidates for consideration at the 16th pick, John Paxson and the Bulls bring in some of the draft’s top prospects this week, with Texas big man LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way.

The versatile Aldridge (6-10 | 240) boasts a surprisingly polished game for having just two years of college under his belt. He has shown to have extremely sound fundamentals, good hands, and a nice shooting stroke. Additionally, his enormous wingspan has helped him become a very formidable defensive player—one that will almost certainly be a top-five pick in NBA Draft 2006.

Bulls.com: How did you feel that your workout went?

LaMarcus Aldridge: “I think it went pretty well. It was very intense; there was a lot of up-and-down and agility drills for them to gauge how I move and how I shoot it. I think I did alright.”

Bulls.com: Was this your first workout? What other workouts do you have scheduled?

Aldridge: “This was my first one. I go to Portland in two or three days and I’ll go wherever from there.”

Bulls.com: What kind of things did you consider as you debated entering the NBA Draft or returning for another season at Texas?

Aldridge: “First off, I really loved being at school and my teammates were all great. We had a great time and a great year, and there are some really talented guys coming in for next year. It was a matter of deciding if I wanted to stay and possibly help that group win a national championship, or leave and go pro. I finally sat down with Coach [Rick] Barnes and my mom and a few other people and I decided that it was time to leave because it was the best thing possible at this point in my life.”

Bulls.com: You’ve drawn some comparisons to Tim Duncan for your style on and off the court. Do you feel they are accurate?

Aldridge: “I hope that they are. He’s a great player and he’s got a great personality on and off the court. He’s just a great overall guy; he’s certainly not a bad guy to be compared to. With him being close in San Antonio, I had the chance to watch him play quite a bit so I’d take pointers from him when I could and used them when I could.”


Bulls.com: You’ve recently been working out with help from former Bulls center Will Perdue. How did that come about? What have you concentrated on in those sessions and how has he helped you?

Aldridge: “There was a connection through my agent, and things just worked out from there. We’ve been working out the last few months in Dallas and he’s helped me with a lot of the things that we did today—shooting, agility, footwork, and various moves in the post.”

Bulls.com: One of the first things you notice when seeing you in person is your long arms. How big is your wingspan and how has your length helped you on the court?

Aldridge: “My wingspan is 7-foot-5. My long arms help me as I try to become more versatile. I’d like to be able to guard anywhere from a three to a four to a five. I think my wingspan helps me out on defense, because I can cover a little more ground and block a few more shots. It helps on offense too, because when I put up a shot with a little higher release, it’s a little tougher for guys to challenge.”

Bulls.com: You were 6-foot-7 as an eighth grader, but you lacked the skills to excel as basketball player. How did you go about improving your game?

Aldridge: “I sucked. [Laughing] But my brother was there, always pushing me and motivating me to go to the parks and to hit the gym and work on my game everyday. I started to really develop in high school, and my coach there helped me a lot too in pushing me to my max all the time. Some guys who are stars go to high school and don’t get pushed, but my coach worked me and helped me become the player that I am now.”

Bulls.com: Which is more important to you, being the first overall pick in the draft or landing with a team where you’re a great fit?

Aldridge: “More than anything, I want to be a great fit. I want to be somewhere that I can shine and become a great player and hopefully be in this league for a long time.”

Bulls.com: You’ve known Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh for a long time, going head-to-head since your high school days. In fact, you averaged a stellar 23 points and 13 rebounds in two games against him your sophomore year.

Aldridge: “Yeah, I’ve known Chris since high school and I did pretty well against him. There was a lot of hype going on leading up to those games, and I was able to get myself psyched up and ready to play. I have a great relationship with him and it’s real cool. When I’ve been in Dallas this summer, we’ve worked out every day. It’s been helpful for me to get used to going against someone who is long, quick, and All-Star caliber. Hopefully, that will help my game go to the next level.”

Bulls.com: How competitive do your one-on-one matches get?

Aldridge: “Oh they’re serious. We’re falling all over the place and going full speed; we both want to win so badly. But they’ve been fairly even; he’ll win one and I’ll win one. We’ve just kept going at it. If I lose, all I want to do is play him again and come back strong the next game.”

Bulls.com: One of the few knocks on you is that you need to add some bulk and muscle to your frame.

Aldridge: “That’s a given. Everyone who is looking at drafting me knows I need to get stronger and bigger. I’ve been working out it, hitting the gym three times a day to work on my conditioning and with the weights in addition to my court workout.”

Bulls.com: What position do you see yourself playing the most in the NBA?

Aldridge: “I see myself mostly as a true [power forward], someone who can be mobile and shoot the ball, whether it’s stepping out or on a pick-and-roll. Playing the four is where I see myself mostly, but I am definitely versatile enough to play the four or the five.”

Bulls.com: Now that you’ve had a chance to get to know John Paxson, Scott Skiles and some of the Bulls’ other coaches, how do you think you would fit in here?

Aldridge: “I think I’d fit in great here and I’d love to come here. Overall, this is a great team and organization and it would be a great situation for me. I love talking to the coaching staff here; I even got to talk with a Luol Deng for a little while. I love every bit of it.”

Bulls.com: A growing theme here in Chicago has been defense. What kind of defensive player are you?

Aldridge: “I take defense very seriously. I was All-Defensive team in the Big 12 and All-Defensive Player of the Year. More than anything, I want to be in a position where I can guard guys all over the court, whether they are a three, four or five. I want to be as versatile of a defender as I can be.”

Bulls.com: In Chicago, you’d play along side another 7-footer in Tyson Chandler. How formidable of a front line do you think that would become?

Aldridge: “I think we could be something special, hopefully kind of like Tim Duncan and David Robinson were back in the day. I think we’d be a nice complement to each other; I know I could learn a thing or two about playing D from him and we would push each other to improve both offensively and defensively. He could help me out and hopefully I’d help him out too.”

— Adam Fluck | Bulls.com

nice find that was a good thing to read and it sounds like he would love to be hear and play with the team. it sound like it would be a good fit for both us and him.

[The Dude Abides]

great post.

I have said Aldridge all the way, but his interview was stellar and I am even more hopeful we get him at 2 now. His interview blew away Thomas's...they are not even in the same league right now.

This guy would fit in great here, contribute immediately and has potential to be a great player for a long time.


Please draft Aldridge!!!!!!

[madisonsmadhouse]

Sounds like a smart kid who knows something about the Bulls. I like the fact that he really proud of his defense. He puts on 30 pounds and he could be an all-star.

[Bullies4Life]

I really hope Paxson doesnt pass up on this guy... He almost seams like a perfect fit here...

[bullkirk]

Sorry guys but pax will pick Tyrus

[Balta1701-B]

Sorry guys but pax will pick Tyrus

On draft day, either a lot of people are going to be laughing at you, or you're going to be laughing at a lot of people.

[WHarris1]

God I want this guy to be a Bull so badly.

[SoxFan1]

On draft day, either a lot of people are going to be laughing at you, or you're going to be laughing at a lot of people.

Hopefully the former.

[Bullies4Life]

Sorry guys but pax will pick Tyrus

Why does Pax want a guy that wants to play as a SF? thats actually the Bulls strength right now... Do you agree with me?

[72-10]

I agree. I think what Alderidge has to offer is exactly what we need; which seems like thats what he needs to. And I had not even thought about the whole Robinson, Duncan-esque situation that he and Tyson can bring...granted Tyson is far from where he needs to be; but with the league the way it is now, having two guys like that drawing attention and being at threat can take us very far.

[TeaLeafReaderII]

only way the Bulls don't take Aldridge is if he is off the board or they trade.

[Guest_The Gladiator_*]

Sounds like a smart kid who knows something about the Bulls.  I like the fact that he really proud of his defense.  He puts on 30 pounds and he could be an all-star.

30 pounds? Seriously? Hes already 240 that would bring him up to 270 and thats a little much if you ask me! I would rather have a quicker player. Adding 10-15 pounds would be great for me.

[Bullies4Life]

30 pounds? Seriously? Hes already 240 that would bring him up to 270 and thats a little much if you ask me! I would rather have a quicker player. Adding 15-20 pounds would be great for me.

yeah i would like him to get about 10-15 more pounds of muscle, and that way he should be stronger, and wouldnt lose much of his quickness.