The BroadCast: 6/15/2018 ~ Draft Pod - Bridges, Bridges, Knox, and Walker Interviews

in just a moment. A reminder that to subscribe to the podcast, we would love to have you go to iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, type in Sixers Podcast Network, or you can go to SoundCloud at SoundCloud dot com backslash sixers and that will take you to our feeds. Yes, indeed, the seventy Sixers personnel staff hard at work this past week, between members of the front office, head coach Brett Brown,

his assistance, and the scouting staff. They were all on hand for the series of workouts that were conducted on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and again on Friday. And on Tuesday afternoon there was actually an individual workout with none other than Villanova's mcal Bridge is the pride of Great Valley high school and Malvern, Pennsylvania, coming off an All American season and a second national championship.

When we caught up with McHale after his workout with the Sixers, we start off by making reference to the fact that is Mom Tania heads up the human resources efforts for us here at the seventy six Ers. Probably are too many potential lottery picks who got to knock out individual pre draft workout and then say hi to Mom in the very same place. But one of the many things that distinguishes mcal bridges how did it go today? It went really well. You know, they pushed me and

a lot. It was loud, running, shooting defense and Joe's It was fun though it was it was really you know, testing me, see my conditioning and and see I am as a player. What type of physical toll does a solo workout take. That's got to be pretty strenuous. Yeah, it's this. I mean, you gotta be mentally tough for you know, you're gonna you're gonna get tired, and I mean, and they know that it's a matter of what you

do when you're tired. You're going to give up or you're going you know, keep trying to make shots and keep going hard. And I mean just you know, going through Nova, That's how I was built, you know, built mentally tough and came in here, you know, get a little tired, you know, suck it up and just keep

getting through it. From being around here, from your family connection to people who you worked with the Bill Nova who are now at the seventy six you probably have a pretty decent sense of what this organization was about. But being here today, what extra did that add to your perception of the way the Sixers work? Um, I mean as just knowing you know who they are and how they play, and I know that I'm a pretty good fit for the team. Is this offensively and defensively?

You know they love to play defensive coach loads to do and I mean I probably myself in that. So just going in there knowing that I fit well with the team, and you know, like like the things that they do for someone on the outside of prospect who's

trying to break into this league. Just how much has the perception around the seventy Sixers changed over the last couple of years, just you know, going from you know not you know, one of the worst teams to you know, the top teams in the yo in an NBA, and you see, you got two tons of guys that you know, and Ben and Joel, and you know they'll just finding pieces, you know, to you know, correlate with them, and I mean they defending, they behinds off and they would get

out on transition, which I love to do. So, I mean it's really cool watching them and seeing the things they've been doing. So you were ham filing over for four seasons. You red shirted your first year. Can you, to the best of your memory, walk me through year by year what your to do list was, where you wanted to improve and how you expanded your game with

each passing season. Yeah. So my freshman year, I've read shirted and took time off, you know, just to get stronger and you know, be able to play, you know, with all that strength out there in physicality in the game. And then sophomore year just going out there defending, you know, playing my role, which just coming to bringing sparks off

the bench, things like that. In my junior year, third year playing basically my second year, the second year playing with my third year, you know, you came a starter and try you know, still be that deep as a guy. Also make plays, you know with Josh and Chris and seniors and Darrow, just trying to make plays with them.

And last year, you know, just being a leader and getting better, you know, throughout the summer and just you know, try to lead on and off the court, and you know, try to dominate whenever you know, I get on the court. Did you sense that there was a lot riding on this season for you personally? The people started to pay more attention to you after your sophomore season, if they were expecting big things for you this year? Ah? Yeah, and you know, just getting better here. You know, it's

just not even for the people, just for myself. You know, I always, by end of my time, I just want to be the best basketball player I can be. And I mean I'll just trying to get better every year. And I'm Michael Subber too, I'm the best I can possibly be. So I mean it's just more myself trying to be trying to get better. And you know that's why I did and continue I'm gonna continue to keep

doing that. And so begin to wrap this up, what would you say your skills that are most NBA ready are and then what are some areas where you're like, I can't to get in the league and work on this. Um, probably defense and shooting for sure, and transition. Um what to work on probably is gonna be ball handled playmaking and just reading things like that. It's probably gonna be the biggest thing. Impressions with coach Brown. Yeah, he's a really cool, really cool guy. And uh, I mean you

could tell that he's he's about it. You know, he's about winning. He's about defending and playing hard. And I mean that's the same thing at Nova, and you know I love that how much when you look at your own personal package and profile, do you think that being a part of a winning program and contributing to a pair of national championships does in the way people you aside from the natural gifts and skills to you, Yeah, um, I might just work hard. You know, I got a

really good work ethic. And it's not a lot a lot of it, some of the talent, but ibou, you know, the work you putting in. I mean, you know that's the thing I kept with me that Jailing is always telling me. You know, you know, you work too hard for this and just all of a sudden, I cotting back in my mind just to know myself on that floor. You know, I work too hard to not be doing this and that, And I just take that with you where abo I go. I probably would menure to say

that just about everyone here at the training complex. If they were asked who was the hardest working person on this campus, they would say VP of Human Resources today? What is she? In part upon you? What? What part of your makeup your DNA comes from your mom? You know, especially being a good person. You know, it's just it's just, you know, it's sticking to it. Don't stop. That's she's Sometimes things will go well, but she doesn't stop. She

doesn't quit. And she always told me out to be a quitter of things, and I took it on life and all right, Michael, best of luck, Thank you, appreciate of all the many neat layers to the mccaal Bridges story, the fact that he's got a mom who works for an NBA team definitely one of them, and man does she work hard and clearly did a great job raising a guy who very likely will probably not be on the draft board past number ten next Thursday. From one

Bridges to another, mchaal To Miles. Miles was in Camden on Monday morning taking part in a six player workout that also featured Lonnie Walker. Miles Bridges averaging around seventeen points, seven rebounds, and shot seventy one three pointers this past season, an All American pick on the second team and one of the standouts in the Big Ten first team All team selection. He gave us a sense of what his day was like with the seventy sixers after he got

into town. Miles, one of your earlier workouts here with these seventy sixers, walk us through what is this day like from what you've experienced so far, from when you get here to when you get on the court. When I hear I mean, I love the facility. This is a great facility, newer facility, and most most teams and coaches and chinas, they have great, great energy and that's what I like about the program. Coming from Mission State, UM so, I kind of feel at home here. Brett

Brown definitely comes off as an energetic guy. Was this your first time getting to speak with him? What were your impressions? Oh? Yeah, sorry, this is my first time meeting them, and Kylor reminds me of coaches in a little bit, so that that made me feel that home. I said, he brought a lot of energy and talked to us after a lot of coaches do that. Um, so he's great. Where were some of the pieces of advice that he gave you? Oh, just to keep my

intensity of energy. Um, it's never changed for anybody. UM, continue to I said to bring energy to every workout. So when you look at where you were this time year ago, there were a lot of people, some extremely close to you might have said, well, this should be exactly what the journey was back in two seventeen. But compare this time now to a year ago, and just how much have you changed in all facets. I think

I'm more season, more mature. I know what to expect now, so I come into every workout or a lot of energy. I think last year I would have came in nonsalantum. So that's that's what I learned from having another year at Mischian state Confidence any different based upon what you individually in the team accomplience this year. Yeah, my confidence

coming into every workout is through the roof. Um that I think that gives me great, great insight on every team would be fair to say that you are more well random player now than you were after last season. It seemed like Michigan State used you in a different way this year. Yeah, for certain, Philly is the same way that they use everybody, putting out different spots on the floor and they could be effective. So that's I

try to do in Michigan State. I think if I came in out fit right in, what do you think skill set wise? Is your motive? NBA ready attribute right now? Just my versatility. I could guard any player on the court, offensive defense, They could put me in any position. So I feel like maybeing versatile is going to help any teams. You also seem like you can get to where you want on the court. Where does that explosiveness come from? Well, I didn't really have that explosive them off to dribble.

I kind of gained that my second year of college. So that just comes from Phil watching watching Blail Lah blah, and watching a load of choir leonard Um watch those guys get to the floor their sweet spots. Depending on how people like to look at their stats, You've graded out pretty well on the defensive end in two years in college. Where do you think that's side of the fourth place to your strengths. Oh, it's gonna be a big, big,

big strength for me coming in as a rookie. You have to be able to play defense, get time on the floor, and up. It doesn't gonna be big for me. How much have you've heard the phrase three and D over the last two or three years. I heard that a lot. Every team needs needs a player like that that could guard and hit hit the three when you need it. Um. So that's big green team Michigan State. Obviously, it's a lot of pretty reputable and renowned, accomplished alumni.

Is there one piece of advice from one person that you've been trying to carry with you throughout this whole experience. Ah, that's I got a lot of advice from Draymond. Keep my surfer small on my team, keep a lot of energy, Jay rich It just to have fun with everything. So those guys at Michigan State, they give me a lot of advice maturity wise, that's something that Tom is So I want to make sure I don't mess this up. I think he called you a blue collar type of superstar.

When you look at the city like Philadelphia, I'm sure like FLYNT. I'm sure like East Lansing, what about it? Your personality fits in in a situation like that. I mean Flint and Philly, they have a lot in common. Um, blue collar, UM. A lot of people come from the hood and not the suburbs. UM. And that's what I like to see. I like, I like to see toughness in the city because that's where I came from. We

had T. J. McConnell working out behind us. You got guys like Joel Ebide, Ben Simmons, Marquelle folks involved here as someone on the outside potentially who knows where you could end up. What type of perception now is there in Philadelphia seventy six ers. Oh, it's a thing to be reckon with the future. Right now and in the future. Joel He's an All Star Ben Simmons is gonna be All Star next year. Mark Kelly's coming up. UM. And those are guys that I've I've watched play and play

with or against. UM. So I feel like I feel comfort you coming in. Miles Best, thanks so much. I forced to be reckoned with is how Miles Bridges describe the seventy sixers, And you could certainly use that same description to characterize the man from Michigan State himself who had a terrific year number two in a Spartans uniform. It's not so often that you find there's a group workout setting where you have two prospects who are projected to go in and around the same high spot in

the lottery. But that was the case on Monday in Camden when Bridges was in the building and so was Lonnie Walker, the fourth out of Reading Senior High School. Lonnie Walker not only toured up in Burke's County and also in the ACCA. Walker the first Miami freshman ever to land a spot on an Accall League team. He averaged around eleven and a half points last year. He had fifty six threes. Has a versatile skill set out

of the backcourt. And we chatted with him. Lonnie said that even at this dage, he likes feeling some anxious excitement going into these workouts that he knows carry a lot of weight. Between all the workouts you've been a part of so far leading up to this, there still is that anxious anticipation that you feel absolutely you know, I'm a bit of a grasp of the moment type of guy. So you know, being here and playing for the sixes. You know, I grew up kind of watching

allan Ivas and watched old film and Julius Therevan doctor Dreyer. Uh. Family oriented. It's forty five minutes away from my house, so this is pretty intense for me. Honestly, I was starting to a lot of friends like, yo, you're not too far from home man. Uh, It's it's exciting. Tell me about your impressions of Brett Brown. It was just your first chance to interact with him today and one type of impression to be leaving upon him. Um, he left the great impression. You know. He shows that he

wants to win. He shows that, you know, it's sixty is this community. It's not for everyone. It's all about you know, only the strong will kind of survive on his team, and you know that's what I'm built for. I'm not too far forty five minutes from here. Red infanspan. You want to high poverty schools. You talk about that grit in that grind and that's swagger like he was

talking about. Um, that's who I am. So you know everything he said, how he talked, how your approach, you know, not the same but our intensity is kind of close up there. So he wants to win and I want to win, and we want to create a dynasty. Saying with himself as being a great coach, so great similarities. On the outside, it seems like he might be the type of prospect who's been on the rise as of like,

do you feel that yourself? What type of amentum do you feel like you've built up over the last few weeks, you know, just building my name. Lot of people know that. You know, I'm still day in, day out, I'm gonna progress. You know, even at Miami, I started off slow, but I kind of got better, got better day in and day out. So now you come here, you know you haven't seen me in so long, and you can kind of know us. I'm getting stronger, faster, shouldn't the ball out,

better handling? So everything is all about progress, and you know that's all I want to show is that I'm still improving my game. They've been videos out there where you talking about your passion and it sounds like you view that as a distinguishing characteristic or something that makes you a special type of prospect. Where does that come from and how does that feel you? My family, my father.

You know, growing out, my father worked about three four jobs and sometimes where you know, if he's working three days, right, So you talk about that work ethic, and where I get it from, It's just from him, you know, watching him get an hour sleep and going to work, watching him just continue to work and fight and show that you know, even when he has nothing less, he's nothing left, he still has more gas to get. So that's where I get it from. Now you talk about that passion

and that heart and that pride. I get that from him, But I also get that from my community. You know that in Pennsylvania were going to raise and you know they take great pride in basketball and who I am. So that's where I get it from him. The workout that you were involved in also featured Miles Bridges. You guys projected to go in the lottery face of the draft. What type of atmosphere did that land of the court?

I see you guys wearing different colored uniforms. You were on the white team, he was on the blue team. It's definitely very intense. You know, we're around that same range of motion and we're all fighting for that same spot. So it definitely creates no friends in the court type of thing. You know. Off the court, me and him a great friends. We talk can there, but on the court it's definitely more intense. You're trying to get at each other and we both have a target on both

of our backs. Amongst the other players out here, shake Melon is a great guy, you know, great guards. So day in and day out, you gotta know that there's a target on your back and you gotta give it all you've got behind you. You've got a proven pro and t J McConnell working out, guys like Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Marquel Full It's a part of the fold here. Do you let yourself think about where you might be able to fit in should this workout? Where do you

think you could fit in a situation like this? For that I can figure right. It's a very transition team, very defensive oriented, and a past first team, very unselfish. So you talk about getting shots up, transition defense and everything and getting under people. This is what the six Summi. Such is his name, you know, that's their name, and that's where they where they take great pride about. So for me, I can talk about my style of player shooting, passing, defense,

transition and why not. So you know, we kind of got a great thing. It's similar. But and also off the court, I'm a very great kid, so you don't got to worry about that. Um. You know, it's very exciting to see where I where I shout to. They only make them great in Burke's County. Absolutely, that's a lot, Thank you. It is true. All things from Burkes County very much great. A terrific place. Walker was part of Monday's six man workout. Kevin Knox, who is moving up

draft boards. It seems a part of Friday's six man workout group. Knock someone who the Sixers feel has a good touch. They like his tenacity and he can do a lot of different things on the wing. He was the sec CO Freshman of the Year, and like a handful of these other conversations, we start off by asking Knox about his impressions of the seventy six ers organization. All right, we why don't you start by telling about what's the experience been like visiting the seventy six ers.

It's ready experience read facilities. I think he said in September would be two years old, so it's kind of brand new night germ, nice facilities, and it's one of the best ones I've been too so far. So I mean it's the process. I mean, good trainers to have good coaches. I mean it's kind of been one of the best ones from a hospitality standpoint. Are there certain things that this team has done differently than some of the others that you visited? I mean no, not really.

I mean this one we did shoot a lot more shots than the ones I've been But that's kind of how Coach Brown coaches, and he lets you do a lot of threes. It's kind of how contesting threes two being physical, be able to shoot off the catch you off the run. So kind of started the day off shooting a lot of three. So today's probably one of the more shooting threes in the other workouts. Sounds like you did your homework on the team. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

I do. I do my homework on every team I go to as good as I know what kind of workout you going into, so kind of do my research, my agent, do our research my trainers. So it's kind of had the right mentality going into these workouts in your mind, what type of fit would this scenario be it'd be a great fit. I mean, Coach Brown really loves me at the three. He loves my versatility and loves where I can shoot the ball take it to the basket. So I think it's a compliment really well.

With Ben Simmons, Joel and b you got a big fours down low. So he really loves my versatility. He loves me at the three. So I think I'll do really well here. You don't necessarily come off as a young guy man your age, certainly one of the younger players in this class. How have you managed that over the course of your time dealing with that whole Yeah, I mean, let's kind of get that everywhere I go. And you got a lot of guys in the draft of the twenty one years old got more experience than me,

but got really high upside. And that's kind of my messages to the teams. I mean, I'm eighteen years old. I still got a lot to learn, a lot to grow as a person as a player. So I mean, just coming towards the team, you have to learn as much as I can. I'm gonna keep getting better every single year, I mean' So I mean that's kind of my message of teams. I mean, I'm really mature for my age show. I mean I just kind of don't want happen go off for me as a young, immature

type of player. I mean I'm really old. I'm not that old, but I'm eighteens old, but I act holder than age. The Sixers sighted yard tenacity, that was a quality there said, So where does that come from? How How long has that been a part of your profile? I mean I could tuck. I mean, you gotta play with that. You gotta play with that type of energy, that type of fight. I you know, you gotta have toughest playing there where you play on the road, I

mean sold out games. I mean it's kind of how it is mean twenty four thousand and rupt and usually have that mentality just going there, the right mindset. That's kind of how Kyle coaches the coaching staff. Mean, you gotta have that right intensity. I gotta have the right effort to play in Kentucky. It seems like you knew a lot about Brett Brown when he sat down with you guys, and with you in particular. What were some

of the things that he left you with. I mean just the city, I mean he talked a lot about the city. I mean, is one of the best cities in the world, he said. I mean he got a Super Bowl champions So, I mean the basketball team is they would like to play for the play for the city, play for the kids theater. It's kind of his message. I mean, you gotta come here and be able to fight, play with effort, play on Andrewthon, play with Anshy. I mean we don't we don't play with mean we played

for the city. You know. That's kind of how it was. And he's a big city guy. It's kind of the message he gave to us. Kevin, thanks so much, Thank you. I thought that was really interesting to hear from Knox. Seems kind of obvious, but just the amount of homework and research and due diligence he did and learning more about the seventy six ers prior to his visit here and certainly sounds like he feels like this could be a good landing spot for him should the Sixers go

in that direction. With number ten final interview on this episode of the podcast, We're gonna hear from Winnie and Gabriel, who was a member of Kentucky's team with Kevin Knox's last season. And this is just to give you a sense of how much some of these prospects go through this time of year to get themselves in front of different NBA teams and try and earn a shot, whether it's as a draft pick or a Summer league edition

or in the G League. Friday's workout for Gabriel was his fifteenth overall, So that's for half the teams in the entire league, and his fifth straight day of workouts. Who's gonna have two days off this weekend and then another one on Monday, So just a crazy stretch for someone like Gabriel trying to latch on somewhere in the league.

Quite the journey that Gabriel's been on. He was born in Sudan, he lived in Egypt for a while, ultimately made his way over to the United States, and now he's potentially on the verge of becoming a pro at the NBA level. So here's our chats with Gabriel. So you've been through a good number of workouts, half the teams in the league. How are you feeling at this stage of the game. I'm at the home stretch right now. I feel like today I had an extra boost of energy.

Extra first, you know, I have two more workouts after this, you know, you know it's gone to Philly and had a great workout. To what do you think gave you that extra boost? You know, I just you know, I talk to my age and talk to my family, and you know, it's the home stretch, right you know what I mean, dreams about a week away and I start thinking about that. You know, when you get a lot of energy going forward. So what does it feel like to be on the cusp of this and everything that

you've been through. Describe a little bit of your journey getting to this point. It gets to the point. I mean, you get a little bit of relief at this point, and then it's just you look back and just, you know, kind of proud of yourself but what you've been through and how you keep pushing forward, and you just look like it's a new life coming forward right now. You know, your whole life is about a change in a couple of couple of days. So this is a great feeling,

you know, just just some change in your life. You've lived all over the world. When did you have a sense within your own belief that the NBA was something that might be an attainable goal. Um when I blew up in my junior year in high school, so I went up my first year in the second year old the AA circuit, I kind of blow up and had a bunch of schools offering So I like to tell you want to see do Kansas and just in all

my dream schools ended up offering me. So I had my choice from there, and that's when I kind of knew all I have a opportunity to play in the NBA. So I really focused on one after What would you say your games at right now on both ends the floor, what are you feeling good about? What are you focusing on working here? I'm feeling good. You know my defense has been picking up, you know, being able to switch out.

I feel like the league is going to that way where you know you're going to ball screens and just being able to switch or the games played really fast from my ability to guard a bunch of different positions, so I think I can bring that to the table. It's being really versatile and offensively my outside shooting, so coming in as a three D type of player, I feel I can be plugged in and play in any type of offense, So you know, I know, I know

they played great a lot of defense here in Philly. Yeah, shoot a lot of threes, and uh, I think I'm at a good three point shooter. I played hard all the time, and I defend the rebound at least on the outside. It seems kind of amazing that fifteen workouts into this whole thing. This was the first one here with the seventy six ers where you went up against a fellow Kentucky player and Kevin Knox. What was that like?

It was great. I came in. I think I just found out yesterday I was gonna play with him, and I just thought it was good to see my old teammate and a workout you get to compete with him. I kind of want to see how he's been doing, you know, how where his game has gone throughout the last few weeks. And it's happy soon. Great insights from Winnie and Gabriel to your player at Kentucky and all the other prospects that we heard from on this episode

of a podcast. Cal Bridges, Miles Bridges, Lonnie Walker the Fourth, and Kevin Knox. More draft coverage on the podcast will come your way on Monday, as we keep crossing off the dates on the calendar until June twenty one. Enjoy the weekend. See