Search
Brackins makes the NBA rounds
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2010-06-19
The NBA executives should have come to the Sukup Basketball Complex.
That way Craig Brackins and Marquis Gilstrap could work in familiar surroundings.
Since taking part in the NBA combine in May, Brackins has zigzagged across the country, twice going head-to-head against Gilstrap at NBA practice facilities in Milwaukee and Detroit.
“It felt like practice going at it,” Brackins said. “Everyone is like ‘Come on, let’s go’ and we are looking at each other.”
Brackins would have preferred to face anyone but Gilstrap. After spending a year together, Gilstrap knew all of Brackins’ moves.
And vice versa.
“It’s the hardest to work out against your teammate,” Brackins said. “Especially in one of these settings because it’s a business and I wanted to just go after him as hard as I can and he knows what I’m going to do.”
But who got the better of whom?
“It was a tie in Milwaukee,” Brackins said. “But I think I got him in Detroit. I had a good workout in Detroit.”
In recent weeks Brackins has been on the road more than a businessman.
He recently concluded a four-team in four-day tour and is in the midst of another long stretch of workouts.
Friday he was in New Orleans. From there, he had workouts scheduled with Atlanta, Portland and Denver before getting Tuesday off.
Wednesday, the day before the NBA draft, New Jersey will bring Brackins in. When it’s all over, Brackins will have worked out for more than half the league.
“It’s been different. It’s a grind,” Brackins said. “You kind of get a taste of what’s going to happen in the NBA with travel and playing the next day so you are always playing on the road.”
Brackins is working out for so many teams because he could land nearly anywhere in the draft.
Current projections put him late in the first round. NBAdraft.net has him going to Portland with the 22nd pick. He could go in the second round. There is also an outside chance he could end up in the lottery.
“The crazy thing is I can pretty much go anywhere,” Brackins said.
Brackins, who spent time before the combine working out in Las Vegas, believes his recent workouts improved his draft status.
“The way I shoot the ball really helps,” Brackins said. “There aren’t a lot of forwards that can really shoot it and I go out there and shoot the three really well.”
Brackins isn’t sure where he’ll be Thursday when the draft starts. He wants to spend the draft with his family in California, but isn’t sure if that will happen. If it doesn’t he expects to be in Ames to find out which NBA training camp he’ll attend in the fall.
“(June) 24th is going to be a giant Christmas present for me because I don’t know where I’m going to go,” Brackins said.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929 or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2010-06-19
Iowa State forward Craig Brackins is expecting to be selected at this Thursday's NBA draft.
Tribune file photo
Tribune file photo
The NBA executives should have come to the Sukup Basketball Complex.
That way Craig Brackins and Marquis Gilstrap could work in familiar surroundings.
Since taking part in the NBA combine in May, Brackins has zigzagged across the country, twice going head-to-head against Gilstrap at NBA practice facilities in Milwaukee and Detroit.
“It felt like practice going at it,” Brackins said. “Everyone is like ‘Come on, let’s go’ and we are looking at each other.”
Brackins would have preferred to face anyone but Gilstrap. After spending a year together, Gilstrap knew all of Brackins’ moves.
And vice versa.
“It’s the hardest to work out against your teammate,” Brackins said. “Especially in one of these settings because it’s a business and I wanted to just go after him as hard as I can and he knows what I’m going to do.”
But who got the better of whom?
“It was a tie in Milwaukee,” Brackins said. “But I think I got him in Detroit. I had a good workout in Detroit.”
In recent weeks Brackins has been on the road more than a businessman.
He recently concluded a four-team in four-day tour and is in the midst of another long stretch of workouts.
Friday he was in New Orleans. From there, he had workouts scheduled with Atlanta, Portland and Denver before getting Tuesday off.
Wednesday, the day before the NBA draft, New Jersey will bring Brackins in. When it’s all over, Brackins will have worked out for more than half the league.
“It’s been different. It’s a grind,” Brackins said. “You kind of get a taste of what’s going to happen in the NBA with travel and playing the next day so you are always playing on the road.”
Brackins is working out for so many teams because he could land nearly anywhere in the draft.
Current projections put him late in the first round. NBAdraft.net has him going to Portland with the 22nd pick. He could go in the second round. There is also an outside chance he could end up in the lottery.
“The crazy thing is I can pretty much go anywhere,” Brackins said.
Brackins, who spent time before the combine working out in Las Vegas, believes his recent workouts improved his draft status.
“The way I shoot the ball really helps,” Brackins said. “There aren’t a lot of forwards that can really shoot it and I go out there and shoot the three really well.”
Brackins isn’t sure where he’ll be Thursday when the draft starts. He wants to spend the draft with his family in California, but isn’t sure if that will happen. If it doesn’t he expects to be in Ames to find out which NBA training camp he’ll attend in the fall.
“(June) 24th is going to be a giant Christmas present for me because I don’t know where I’m going to go,” Brackins said.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929 or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
| Comments |
|
We welcome comments on all sides of all issues. We want our comment forums to be a respectful, comfortable place for people of all opinions to discuss topics of interest. Toward that end, we will not approve comments that contain profanity, obscenity, libel, name-calling, or personal attack. We reserve the right to disapprove any comment for any reason.
|