Insider: Lampe Makes Big impression

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'd trade up for Lampe, but with Walker indisposed, 
unlikely for the Celtics to have enough to do such a deal. 

 
Lampe leaves lasting impression
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford 
Tuesday, June 3

Editor's note: ESPN NBA Insider Chad Ford got exclusive access into the
pre-draft workouts of Dwyane Wade, Maciej Lampe and Chris Kaman on
Monday. Here's his report from Hoops Gym.

CHICAGO -- How do three potential lottery picks prepare for the NBA
Draft? Think lots of shooting, protein shakes, shuttle drills, suicide
runs, weight lifting, some one-on-one with a 7-foot-5 foam dummy and a
lot of instruction from Michael Jordan's personal trainer, Tim Grover.

9 a.m. Marquette's Dwyane Wade hits the court to begin the first
workouts of the day. He's joined by Ball State's Theron Smith, North
Dakota's Jerome Beasley and Marquette's Robert Jackson.

After a light warm-up, trainer Grover pulls out a pair of 7-foot-5 foam
dummies and asks Wade and Smith to start shooting over them.

Wade and Smith follow each other, putting the ball on the floor,
swinging around one dummy and shooting high-arcing shots over the next.

After 15 minutes of shooting, Grover returns and runs them through the
next drill.

This time, both players are told to stand in the free-throw circle. Each
is given a ball and told to keep dribbling while trying to steal the
basketball from the other player. 

The drill makes both players look a little bit like a dog chasing his
tail. Wade manages to get a couple of pokes in on Smith's ball, but he
isn't able to keep dribbling and poking at the same time.

Grover then runs the players through some shuttle drills. Both Wade and
Smith have excellent lateral quickness.

Soon Grover has them back to shooting. Both Wade and Smith are facing
similar issues in the draft: They're too short to play their collegiate
positions in the NBA, and there are doubts they can adapt to new
positions. Wade is trying to prove to teams that at 6-foot-3, he can
make the transition to the point, at least part time. Smith, at
6-foot-7, is trying to convince teams he can play small forward.

The knock on both players is their perimeter game, so Grover makes them
chuck up shot after shot after shot. Things look pretty good until they
step out past the NBA 3-point line. Wade makes just 11 of his 25
long-range attempts. Smith is a bit better, hitting 13 of 25.

After they're done shooting, Wade and Smith are asked to dunk the ball
from a standing start, flat-footed, with their backs to the rim. It's
cake for the 6-7 Smith. But it's the 6-3 Wade who grabs everyone's
attention with a rim rattling dunk.

Grover claims both players are making major progress.

"Both of these guys are unbelievable athletes," Grover says. "The trick
is just to get them consistently shooting the ball. They usually shoot
better than what you saw today, but obviously, they need more work."

11 a.m. 18-year-old Polish forward Maciej Lampe has been warming up for
two hours on an adjacent court.

He showed up at Hoops two hours early for his workout. He's been doing
that for the past four days.

"I didn't know a lot about the kid when he first came in," Grover said.
"But I learned real quick. He took a 10-hour flight from Spain, drove
over here straight from the airport and went through a two-a-day before
he had even unpacked a bag. When you have that kind of desire, good
things happen."

Lampe is actually bursting with desire. After suffering through a lonely
season with Real Madrid, where he was loaned out to a lower-division
team and received little in the way of coaching, Lampe is ready to roll.

I ask him how he's enjoying his first trip to the U.S. "I got to see
Hooters," he says with a big smile. "But it really wasn't as big of a
deal as I thought it would be."

Anything else? "Not really, I came here to work," Lampe said. "And to
see Hooters," he says again with a smile.

Lampe nervously fidgets with his shorts as he awaits his turn to work
out. After four days of solo workouts, he's getting his first chance to
work out with some Americans.

They just happen to be Elton Brand, Darius Miles, Corey Maggette and
Quentin Richardson.

That's a pretty big jump from the Spanish ULEB league, in which Lampe
used to play.

"He's been unbelievable in workouts," says Greg Ryan, Hoops director of
scouting. "But he still doesn't think he really belongs playing with the
top guys. We think he does. Today we'll prove it to him."

Brand is the first to arrive. This is also his first week working out
for Hoops. After a disappointing season with the Clippers, Brand said he
felt like it was time to come in and make sure his body was in perfect
shape to handle the rigors of next season. When he's told he'll be
working out with Lampe, he smiles: "The rookie!"

Brand and Lampe begin shooting, matching each other around the court. As
Lampe gets more confidence, his superior touch from the perimeter allows
him to pull away.

"That kid can shoot man," Brand said. "How do you keep up with that?"

Lampe and Brand also work with the foam dummies. Today Brand is in the
post working on hooks shots over the 7-foot-5 obstacles. Lampe is
working on his outside game.

At one point Lampe starts to get winded, and Grover approaches agent
Keith Krieter with some advice.

"What's he eating for breakfast?" Grover asks.

"Fruit Loops."

"Not a good idea. He needs to take in about 30 percent more protein in
the morning."

Where does Grover get the 30 percent number? 

"I can do it just eyeballing him. He's got to start eating better. Most
of these kids are the same way."

Indeed. Ryan claims that when Bulls guard Trenton Hassell first arrived,
his diet consisted of Kit Kat candy bars.

"I said, 'O.K. but what do you eat for meals,' " Ryan said. "He just
says, 'I eat the Kit Kats for meals.' It doesn't get any worse than
that."

Lampe looks ready to roll after a brief breather. He keeps working out
relentlessly until Richardson and Miles arrive. Miles greets Lampe at
mid-court and tells him to take it easy on Brand.

Soon Lampe and Brand are in another shooting contest. Lampe finishes 15
of 25 from NBA 3-point range. Brand was a few steps below that.

After the workout, Brand sings Lampe's praises. "That kid can play now."

Grover calls Lampe "special."

"His fundamentals for that size and age are off the charts," Grover
said. "He's going to be a great player once he hits the weight room a
bit and bulks up."

Richardson claims Lampe will be a top-10 pick with one caveat. "Let's
just hope you don't have to play for the Clippers," Q tells Lampe. "We
have no money, no coach and no clue."

Lampe laughs. One week in the U.S. and already he has figured out
everything a young prospect needs to know -- where the Hooters are and
how to avoid the Clippers.

2 p.m. By the time Chris Kaman arrives, several other players are
spreading the bad news.

"Have you seen the 18-year-old kid from Poland," one asks. "He's 7-foot
and his shot is fantastic."

That's all Kaman needs to hear at the moment. He's coming off a lousy
workout with the Clippers and doesn't want to know there's another
7-footer waiting to take his job.

Kaman looks remarkably like Lampe from a distance. They're about the
same height, weight, body type and hair color. But Lampe is listed as a
small forward and Kaman as a center.

It doesn't take long to understand why. Kaman is nailing hook shots with
his right hand and his left. He looks more comfortable on the low block.
His footwork is outstanding.

His perimeter game, however, needs some help. Kaman is money from 10
feet and in, but when he strays further, the shot just won't fall. At
one point he playfully punches out the 7-foot-5 dummy in disgust.

"I know you're a reporter, but can the shooting thing be off the
record," Kaman asks. 

Um, no.

Kaman also doesn't appear to have the athletic ability Lampe does.
However, that shouldn't stop him from making an impact in the league.
His knowledge of how to play in the post far exceeds Lampe's limited
experience. 

Lampe will get by on size and athleticism. Kaman will be forced to use
his head a little more -- and his body.

Grover's goal is to make Lampe quicker. Kaman, on the other hand, is
lifting every day trying to get stronger.

"If he's going to play center, then we've got to make sure he doesn't
get pushed around," Grover says. "So we've really got him on the
weights. He's got a nice frame, I think he'll be just fine."