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Bobcats eye Hansbrough
Ex-Tar Heel works out in front of Brown, Ford in preparation for Draft
AP Photo
Tyler Hansbrough receives instruction from Coach Larry Brown of the Bobcats in Charlotte.
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Published: June 11, 2009
CHARLOTTE
If there was ever a player who could skip an audition in front of a bunch of North Carolina alumni, it's Tyler Hansbrough.
He had plenty of television time over the past four college seasons, helping North Carolina reach two Final Fours, win a national title and set the ACC's career scoring record.
But there he was yesterday, being led through drills in a Charlotte Bobcats predraft workout by Coach Larry Brown and assistant Phil Ford, whose career scoring record Hansbrough broke.
It's no surprise that Brown, North Carolina class of 1963, wasn't about to join the group of critics questioning how Hansbrough, 6-8, will fare in the NBA.
"You know big guys in our league don't like to block out. They don't run on every play. They don't rebound every ball," Brown said. "So if you have the mentality to do those things ,you have a chance.
"And he's a much better athlete than most people think."
Hansbrough's motor was at full speed during the portion of the workout that reporters were allowed to watch. He went first in drills, sprinted up the court and showed a decent touch with his mid-range shot.
It seems unlikely that any player in this draft has had his weaknesses dissected more. Perhaps that comes from Hansbrough's playing 141 college games for one of the nation's elite programs, with most of them on national TV.
There's talk that Hansbrough, who set the NCAA career record with 982 made free throws, isn't athletic enough for the NBA. There are questions about his quickness, athleticism and shooting range.
No one criticizes his effort. But to Hansbrough, projected to go somewhere in the latter half of the first round in the June 25 draft, that has become a back-handed compliment.
"There's a lot more to me than just someone that works hard," Hansbrough said. "I can do a lot of different things. I think my skills get overlooked because people judge me as a hard worker. But I've proven myself and expanded my game a lot."
It's unlikely that the Bobcats, who have the 12th pick, will select Hansbrough that high, but Brown said: "He's going to get better. I don't think he's even gotten close to where he could be. And we all know he'll work. We need athleticism, and we need size. I'm sure we'll look at him very carefully."
Brown believes too much is made of Hansbrough's weaknesses, saying that similar shortcomings among players who didn't stay in school four years are overlooked.
Brown compared Hansbrough to Ben Wallace, a similarly undersized forward whom Brown coached in Detroit. Wallace just finished his 13th NBA season, with Cleveland.
"Everybody said Ben was undersized, he couldn't shoot the ball, he couldn't handle the ball," Brown said. "He's had a phenomenal career. There are a lot of players like that."
Chatter around the league indicates that Hansbrough's stock has risen. He also has worked out for Detroit (15th pick), Chicago (16th) and New Orleans (21st) and has workouts planned with Indiana (13th), Utah (20th) and Portland (24th).
So after countless games on college's biggest stage, Hansbrough is ready to make the jump -- and to prove his critics wrong.
"I'm not worried about it," he said, "because when people get me in the gym they're kind of surprised."
Notes: GM Rod Higgins said that the Bobcats will make a qualifying offer to Raymond Felton, an impending restricted free agent, by the June 30 deadline but that the team hasn't decided whether to do the same for Sean May, who has battled weight and injury issues.... Also working out for the Bobcats yesterday were Taj Gibson of Southern California, Juwann James of James Madison, Ben McCauley of N.C. State, Ahmad Nivins of Saint Joseph's and Shawn Taggart of Memphis. It was the first NBA workout for McCauley, and Brown said he's "a little better athlete than I thought."
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