PDA

View Full Version : Chris Paul practices with the Sooners (DO)



King Crimson
9/30/2005, 03:47 AM
Hornets’ Paul goes right to work
By Andrew Gilman
The Oklahoman

NORMAN - Allen Iverson might be in Chris Paul’s future, but Thursday, Terrell Everett was in Paul’s face.

Paul, the Hornets’ first-round pick, played his first basketball game - albeit a pick-up game - in Oklahoma, scrimmaging against Everett and some of the Sooners at the Lloyd Noble Center.

“I gave him a good workout,” said Everett, the Oklahoma senior guard who spent most of the scrimmage guarding Paul. “I don’t know if he’ll be ready for Allen Iverson after this, but it was a workout.”

A long workout, too. Paul and the Sooners played pick-up games for nearly 90 minutes as players continued conditioning for the upcoming season.

“I’m just excited to get going,” said Paul, who flew into Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. “I can’t wait to start.”

The Hornets begin practice Tuesday at Southern Nazarene University’s Sawyer Center. And while Paul said he’s been playing games at Wake Forest against his former teammates, Thursday’s action was his first in the state.

And that came against Everett, maybe the Sooners’ best player.

“I’ve never seen anyone that fast who can handle the ball like that,” Everett said.

Paul handled the ball with ease and several times found Sooner Taj Gray for alley-oop dunks.

“This is getting me ready,” Paul said. “This team is good, too.”

Paul said he planned to work out with the Sooners again sometime before Tuesday. He said he was interested in a return to trip to Norman for another reason, too.

“I got to get Adrian Peterson’s autograph,” Paul said of the OU football standout. “That guy is a star.”

Paul was the star Thursday. He got hugs and handshakes from all the Sooner players. He got an armful of Sooner basketball T-shirts and shorts and received congratulations from coach Kelvin Sampson, who coached Paul on the Junior National team two summers ago.

Paul, an All-American last season at Wake Forest, averaged 15.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore. He will join J.R. Smith in the backcourt for the Hornets this season. Smith, a McDonald’s All-American player, went directly from high school to the NBA. Smith averaged 10.3 points per game last year and was the NBA’s Rookie of the Month three times.

“I love it here,” Paul said of being in Oklahoma. “It reminds me a lot of being in North Carolina.”

And Paul said he loved being on campus - no matter what campus it was.

“Any chance to come back and (be) part of college life,” he said. “Nothing like college. I’m an OU fan now, but it’s always Wake Forest first for me. Wake first, all day long.”

scotplum
9/30/2005, 09:40 AM
Cool article. Thanks for sharing.

Rhino
9/30/2005, 11:04 AM
That's pretty cool.

OUGreg723
9/30/2005, 05:12 PM
That's awesome. I can't wait for basketball season.... We are going to be nasty this year.

picasso
10/3/2005, 10:01 AM
I saw him and a few other players at the k-state game.

okienole3
10/3/2005, 11:47 AM
That is pretty cool. Mayor Mick is the man.

LSUdeek
10/3/2005, 11:47 AM
I always look forward to watching OU basketball. Coach Sampson is the real deal. Is Bookout back this year?

NickZeppelin
10/3/2005, 11:52 AM
Yep Bookout is a Sr. He will try for a hardship year after this year, but I don't know if he gets it.

I think we have our most talented team under Sampson this year as far as number of players goes. Now I don't know if our starters are near as good as the Final 4 team. Quannas is a better PG then we have, Hollis was a better shooter then anyone we have. I think Taj is better then McGhee inside. McGhee had a better jump shot. I don't think we had a player like Nate Carter or Bookout then but we had really good role players that year. This team looks like it could be real special if they have the chemestry.

Sooner04
10/3/2005, 11:58 AM
Hollis was a better shooter then anyone we have.
Incorrect.

Scott D
10/3/2005, 05:51 PM
Michael Neal might disagree with that I think.

Sooner04
10/3/2005, 08:09 PM
Michael Neal might disagree with that I think.
Correct.

Sooner24
10/3/2005, 11:33 PM
But will he be a better clutch shooter then Hollis?

King Crimson
10/3/2005, 11:37 PM
But will he be a better clutch shooter then Hollis?

hard to know. he won't be asked to do the things Hollis was, though.

unless he just blows up and we win it all. :D

King Crimson
10/3/2005, 11:42 PM
and going back--Taj and Ace are different kinds of players. and while obviously taj has got a senior season to play and Ace helped us to the FF....they are much different players. and while Ace had the sweet turnaround in the post, he bodied up against some real players that year (Baxter, Collison, the Texas big stiff rotation, David West...) and played great D with not too much foul trouble. that's something Taj needs to do. i think Ace really became a player against Maryland when he shut down Lonny Baxter in the post.

i don't have any numbers in front of me, but i think Ace was significantly better % wise from the charity stripe than Taj last year. and that's key. if there is one thing i'd like to see major improvememnt from last year it's FT shooting. we stunk.