NBA prospect Willie Cauley-Stein, out of Kentucky, took a break from watching draft boards for some Q&A with The Post’s Steve Serby.
Q: Why do you consider yourself the best player in the draft?
A: Because nobody plays both sides of the ball. I mean, they do, but I feel like most people care about offense and then play defense ’cause they have to. I take pride in defense, and will play offense when I have to. Everybody overlooks my jumper, which if we went to the gym right now, you would be impressed with my jumper, or handling skills. I could do a lot of different stuff on the court that nobody knows about. If I was on a trash team, I could have took 20 shots a game, and averaged these crazy numbers, but don’t have to do that, so it’s just not part of you. But at the next level, you’re going to be on a team to produce, so I feel like that’s when it’s going to come in. I think people are going to be shocked.
Q: By what?
A: By the offensive game that I have. And it’s going to drive me. I want people to eat their words and say that they were wrong about me.
Q: How would you like to play in this city?
A: It would be unique here. Especially just from a history standpoint. The Knicks are historic, in one of the best programs. If you had Knicks on your jersey, you’d automatically become part of a fraternity. Also, they’re having a down period where they’re not as good as they’ve been in the past, so if I was to come in and our team turned it around, then you’re going to automatically go down in history for turning around the Knicks.
Q: Do you remember the first time you played at the Garden?
A: I don’t think I’ve ever played there.
Q: What do you know about Phil Jackson?
A: Legend. Got a lot of championships. Coached Hall of Famers. Makes everybody better. Smartest dude I’ve ever talked to in my life.
Q: How long did you chat last month?
A: A couple of hours.
Q: What was it about what he said?
A: Well, I like to think I’m pretty intelligent, and he was talking way over me.
Q: Basketball-wise?
A: No, just life, really.
Q: Did he talk about the triangle offense?
A: Yeah, we actually had like a two-hour film session on the triangle offense.
Q: Can you play in that offense?
A: Yeah. I played in something similar to it in AAU, but the terminology’s really just different. A backdoor to him isn’t a backdoor to my generation. It’s actually opposite. It’s probably going to be the hardest part of going into the league — it’s like everybody’s terminology’s different, all the coaches use a different saying for everything.
Q: Could you guard all five positions?
A: Depending on who it is, I think I can.
Q: Have you improved your mid-range jumper?
A: I never couldn’t shoot a mid-range jumper. … I just never shot it. Working out at night, I don’t miss that much.
Q: What drives you?
A: A couple of things. This little boy named Blake, who just passed away a couple of weeks ago, he had cancer, but I was like really close with him, so that drives me. And then also [when] people tell me I can’t do something, really drives me.
Q: What criticisms that you’ve heard bother you the most?
A: That I don’t love the game, and that I’m just using it for a paycheck and then I’m out. Or I’m really not that good or stuff like that. People don’t just play the game just to play the game. You’re playing for something.
Q: Your on-court mentality.
A: Assassin.
Q: Define what that means in basketball terms.
A: Not much of a talker. But my actions are like an assassin, it’s quick, fast, get the job done and get out.
Q: You’re a basketball hit man.
A: Sure.
Q: You weren’t always that way.
A: I think as a freshman I was still just not knowing if I belonged at Kentucky, or if I was really that good to be there, stuff like that. But then I shortly found out that I was legit.
Q: On a scale of 1-10, where’s your swag?
A: There’s no 10. … My swag’s above 10.
Q: Why do you think your swag is above 10?
A: Self-confidence.
Q: You weren’t always that way, right?
A: No. You have to find yourself, I feel like.
Q: What area do you think you’ve made the most improvement?
A: You have to have a strong mental aspect of the game. I think right now, my mental aspect of the game is as strong as it’s ever been.
Q: As far as handling adversity?
A: Everything — adversity, criticism … bad games, good games … mental confidence, knowing that you put in hours and hours of work, and like to have confidence in your game. … That’s all mental.
Q: Which comparison to you is better — Tyson Chandler or DeAndre Jordan?
A: I feel like everybody has their own unique skills. I’m not Tyson Chandler and I’m not DeAndre Jordan.
Q: You’ve gained 20 pounds, to 250, since leaving college. You haven’t lost any quickness or speed, right?
A: Probably gained some.
Q: Favorite inspirational or motivational sayings?
A: Two things: One, the greatest pleasures in life is doing what everyone says you cannot do, that’s kind of what drives me. Then there’s another one from “Batman” — why do we fall? So we can pick ourselves up again.
Q: You also liked watching Allen Iverson.
A: ’Cause he changed the game for everybody. He brought hip-hop culture to basketball, and it was unheard of. People thought he was this thug because he had tattoos and he would rock big old chains and a do-rag and say what he wanted to say, but he was cold so you couldn’t do anything about it.
Q: What’s it like being Willie Cauley-Stein?
A: Interesting. … Always a good time, for sure.
Q: Why do you like changing people’s lives so much?
A: Self-satisfaction. Knowing that you can touch somebody, or change the way they think, or, you know, make ’em happy.
Q: You’re not a lefty, right?
A: No, but I’m pretty good with the left hand. I’m not going to lie. I spend a lot of time working on the left hand. When I was in like eighth grade, I used to sit in my basement and throw a football left-handed, ’cause I was a scrambling quarterback, so if I was scrambling to the left, I wanted to throw off my left.
Q: You didn’t throw lefty in a game.
A: I did once.
Q: What happened?
A: Nothing bad happened. It wasn’t like a frickin’ bomb, it was probably like a 10-yard pass.
Q: You were a receiver as a senior. Did you ever make a catch like Odell Beckham Jr.’s?
A: Not like this (bending backwards with right hand). I made it like that once (extending one hand forward), with two guys on me, yeah. It was like a 50-yard game, against the state champs. I had like 211 yards, three touchdowns.
Q: You don’t miss playing receiver?
A: No.
Q: How would you compare Manhattan to Spearville, Kan.?
A: (Chuckle). You could fit Spearville in this building (1411 Broadway).
Q: Was it a good place to grow up?
A: Great place.
Q: One grocery store, right?
A: One grocery store … and a truck stop. … All the families that live there have been there since the beginning, so the whole town’s like a big family. Everybody knows everybody. Everybody knows when your birthday is, what your favorite color is, it’s crazy like that.
Q: What would you do?
A: Bike, skateboard, scooter … go-kart, had a go-kart once.
Q: Where would you race a go-kart in Spearville?
A: Alleyways. They’re all like dirt. It was like a homemade one, so it’s not like I had a speedometer on it or anything.
Q: Did it work OK?
A: It was kind of janky, but it got the job done.
Q: How fast would you go?
A: Maybe like 25, 30 [mph].
Q: Athletes you admired as a kid.
A: Donovan McNabb; Derek Jeter; of course Michael Jordan.
Q: Coach Calipari.
A: A businessman … is about his money … his players are like his kids … he’ll do anything to help you out, protect you … funny. I admire the way he has to change his team up every year. He has a different team every year.
Q: Is he misunderstood?
A: For sure. But that’s what makes Coach Cal Coach Cal — it’s ’cause he didn’t care what people think, or he’s going to do whatever he wants to anyway.
Q: Your grandmother.
A: She’s like the ideal American grandmother — bakes, sews, makes quilts, knows everybody, everybody can just walk in her house and go to the fridge. She’ll probably make you pancakes if you came over and asked for it.
Q: Your guardian growing up, Will Shields.
A: Changed the game for me, I think. You still have a lot of freedom, but it’s like you know don’t mess up, you got this gorilla …
Q: He’s what you needed at that point in your life.
A: For sure. That structure, that father figure, I never had it so …
Q: Coach Konrade [his youth baseball and basketball coach].
A: He was probably like a dad to me when I was younger. I was always at their house, his daughter was in the same class as me, his son was two years older than me, so I was always over there playing baseball or football or basketball. My grandpa was old, so eventually he couldn’t play catch with us or teach us how to swing the bat or stuff like that. So Louie was that guy who would teach you how to shoot free throws, or talk to you about the games and stuff like that.
Q: Did you miss not having a father growing up?
A: Wouldn’t you miss it?
Q: How would you describe your fashion style?
A: I’ll wear anything if the colors go together.
Q: Other interests?
A: I really like music. I think that’s going to be my go-to, is music. When I’m not hooping, I’m going to be doing something musically.
Q: Are you going to pick Jay-Z’s brain?
A: I would love to do that.
Q: Three dinner guests.
A: Albert Einstein … Doc Ellis … Will Ferrell.
Q: Why Doc Ellis?
A: ’Cause his story’s crazy. He was the first black pitcher that was really, really smarter than everybody else, but everybody else thought he was not smart ’cause the stuff he did — the first dude to put curlers in his hair, have his hair corn-rowed. He said in the documentary he never pitched a game sober.
Q: What would you ask Einstein?
A: Probably his theory on technology … how technology is going to take over the world, and robots are going to be far more superior than humans.
Q: Favorite movies.
A: What genre are we talking?
Q: You can give me as many movies as you want.
A: “Semi-Pro” … “Talladega Nights,” I’m a big Will Ferrell fan … “Money Talks” … “Cars.”
Q: Favorite actors.
A: Chris Tucker, Brad Pitt.
Q: Favorite actress.
A: Angelina Jolie.
Q: Favorite entertainer (aside from Jay-Z).
A: Future.
Q: Favorite meal.
A: Steak.
Q: I’m an NBA GM. Tell me why I should draft Willie Cauley-Stein.
A: I’m the greatest. Nah I’m playing. I just bring a unique personality and set of skills to a team. I’ve never been on a team where I didn’t get along with everybody. I feel like I make everybody better. I think I’m a rally dude. Through thick and thin, I’m going to be the same no matter what.
Q: Are you the kind of guy that’s going to have a chip on your shoulder for teams that passed on you?
A: I’m going to have a chip on my shoulder regardless, because … I think I’m the best person in the draft, so I’m going to have a chip on my shoulder ’cause I’m not going to go first in the draft, you know what I’m saying? So, I’m going to play like that, that I’m better than everybody else. I think you have to play that way.
Q: If I was making the decision for the Knicks, I would draft you. New York City would not scare you, would it?
A: No. I’m like a robot. Show me where to go and I’ll do it, tell me what to do, I’ll do it.
Q: You would welcome the big stage?
A: I think I’m built for the big stage.
Q: How so?
A: I feel like there’s college basketball, there’s Kentucky, and then there’s the pros. You probably got more publicity being at Kentucky than you do being in the pros. I feel like people probably know who I am just from basketball at Kentucky [more] than like so many in the league. There’s probably people that don’t even know somebody in the league because I played for Kentucky.