NBA Draft Talk

Thursday: DeMar DeRozan, Ty Lawson, Taj Gibson

Friday: Tyreke Evans, James Harden

Just got back from watching the ongoing parade of draft prospects working out for the Washington Wizards, including likely top-10 pick DeMar DeRozan from USC and former UNC point Ty Lawson (pictured right). Other players in the group session held on the Wizards practice court at the Verizon Center included DeRozan's USC teammate Taj Gibson, Gonzaga's Josh Heytvelt and Jeremy Pargo, Arkansas' Patrick Beverly and Coppin State's Tywain McKee.

The media is allowed to catch the final 15 minutes or so of each session, though it was a little bit less for DeRozan, who came in for a private workout after the other six prospects finished. Hard to gauge much from this short window, but the 6-6 swingman looked a little winded towards the end of a running sideline-to-sideline, pull up at the elbow shooting drill. All the prospects shoot a high percentage of these uncontested looks, though he was not drilling a terribly high percentage (as opposed to Lawson, who maybe missed one or two shots from various spots on the court).

You can probably chalk the fatigue to the solo session, as DeRozan, who is leaving the Trojans after his freshman season, did not get the breaks that he would have working with the larger group. He acknowledged that downside, but he is going through all his workouts in this set up, which are what he and his agent wanted.

"It is something [he and his agent] talked about. I really want to go in and have the all staff see everything I improved on," DeRozan said after the workout. "Off the dribble, every aspect. The main focus is you. You get real fatigued going an hour, hour and fifteen hard by yourself every drill. It's tough."

Among the parts of his game DeRozan has focused on in preparation for the workout process include his long-range shooting (good, since he hit only 16.7 percent from the college 3-point line), ball handling and post up moves.

In addition to working out with the Wizards, who have the fifth pick in the upcoming draft, DeRozan has already visited Oklahoma City, who hold the third pick, along with other lottery teams. The Wizards could use another wing player for sure, though they already have another USC two-guard on the roster in the form of 2007 first round pick Nick Young. Since DeRozan, who averaged 13.9 points a game in his one season with the Trojans, is more athlete than skilled player at this point and the Wizards have a plethora of those types, I would doubt that he ends up in DC, though those could go up if the team trades down to the later stages of the lottery.

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