D’Angelo Harrison has seen the mock drafts. He knows there is a distinct chance Thursday night will be an empty evening for the three St. John’s NBA draft hopefuls.
And he doesn’t think it would necessarily be a bad thing.
“That’s going to put more fire under us,” Harrison said. “Not getting drafted would be a blessing in disguise.
“It’s going to make me more hungry, and people don’t want to see that once I get to [the NBA] Summer League.”
Harrison, along with former teammates Phil Greene IV and Sir’Dominic Pointer, have been busy attempting to open eyes over the past six weeks. Pointer has worked out for 17 teams; Greene has for nine; and Harrison has for six, partly because of a minor right knee injury that forced him to cancel a few workouts. They all attacked the workouts the same — as a chance to prove they belong.
“It’s like an interview,” Greene said. “Basically, just go in there and give it your all. You hope that one team falls in love with you.”
An NBA scout who has followed all three throughout their careers said he believes the versatile 6-foot-6 Pointer — the Haggerty Award winner — has the best chance to get drafted, and all three will get long looks during the NBA Summer League. The scout said he can see Greene eventually getting an NBA call-up after a stint in the D-League, but believes Pointer is the guy with the best chance to have a lengthy career.
“I was impressed,” the scout said of a recent workout with Pointer. “You could tell he was working on being more of a perimeter player. He’s got a variety of ways to score points. He figures out ways to score, and I think his game is going to get better.”
Pointer, a dynamic athlete and gifted defensive player, is looking forward to getting the chance to earn a spot in the NBA. During workouts, he feels he showed teams his supposed weakness — his perimeter jump shot — has improved.
“I’m not really expecting anything,” Pointer said. “If my name gets called or not, I’m going to be playing somewhere. I’m very confident. I feel I can go in there and help somebody.”
Greene’s agent, Keith Kreiter of Edge Sports, said “he’ll have a number of options” if he doesn’t get chosen. The 6-2 Greene averaged 13 points per game last year, but it’s the 39 percent he shot from beyond the arc that could lead him to landing a spot in the NBA.
“Some people really hadn’t studied him much at St. John’s,” Kreiter said. “When he came in they were really blown away by some of the things he brings.”
Harrison, St. John’s’ third all-time leading scorer who averaged at least 16.8 points per game each of his four seasons, was pleased with his six workouts. He had a minor knee issue that cost him a week, and he knows he will have to prove himself as a 6-4 shooting guard.
“The whole thing with me, I was consistent throughout all my four years,” Harrison said. “Hopefully, people see that. All I need is a chance. … I know I have ability that translates to the NBA game.”
Unlike Pointer and Greene, who aren’t sure of their plans for Thursday night, Harrison isn’t going to watch the draft. His family wanted to have a party, but he told them he will be in the gym working out with his phone close by.
“I’m going to wait for my phone to ring and figure where I’m going next,” Harrison said. “I’m really just anxious. I’m ready to get this over with and get back to work. I want to figure what I’m going to do next to get a check.”