Paul Davis hoping to play like Dirk Nowitzki
Of the three Spartans expected to hear their names called during the 2006 NBA Draft, graduated center Paul Davis has the most work to do if he wants to be a first-rounder. Heading into pre-draft workouts at the Madison Square Garden Training Center, Davis was optimistic that teams are interested in his unusual skills for a 6-foot-11-inch big man.
“Being a big man who can put the ball on the floor and do good work outside will really help my game, I think. I have a lot of stuff maybe other 6-11 guys don’t have.� “Being able to stretch the defense, pop out to 18-19 feet and shoot it, knock the corner shot down consistently but, at the same time, being able to take a bigger guy off the dribble. Those are the things I can do to help a NBA team.� Davis, not surprisingly, admires the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki tremendously and “hopes to play a little bit like him one day.�
Many Spartan fans have speculated that Tall Paul’s return for a senior season did not help his draft stock and may actually have hurt it. However, Davis feels otherwise, and claims that the workouts are giving him a chance to show scouts what they did not get to see while he was at MSU.
“I think the number one thing teams are looking at as far as myself is toughness and the willingness to work hard,� he says. “Staying in school for my fourth year has really helped me develop. If people want to see if I have that ‘edge’, showing my willingness to battle the best guys in the country in these workouts should speak volumes of my passion and physicality. So if I show those things, my skills will carry me.�
According to NBADraft.net, Paul Davis is projected to be the #42 overall pick, making him a likely mid-second-round choice if the draft were held today. On the same list, Spartan teammates Shannon Brown and Maurice Ager are slotted in the top 20.