Spring Break
The Daily OrangeMBB | Watkins latches on with Sacramento
By Zach Schonbrun
Posted: 6/30/07, 12:52 AM EST Section: Sports
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On Friday, the former Syracuse center joined the Sacramento Kings as a free agent, less than 24 hours after being left out of Thursday night's NBA Draft. Watkins will attend minicamp in Sacramento on July 3 then play for the Kings' summer league team in Las Vegas throughout the summer.
It's not exactly what he was hoping for, but Watkins believes he's on the right path toward earning a spot on an NBA roster.
"I was disappointed (Thursday night)," Watkins said. "(Friday) morning my agent explained the whole situation because this is like all new to me. He basically told me that this is a better situation than being pulled in the second round. So I'm feeling better about my situation.
"Because I'm a free agent I get to pick which team to play with. I get to pick which team is the best fit for me. So I end up having a better chance at making it."
Watkins said his agent, Reggie Brown of Priority Sports in Chicago, chose Sacramento for him. The decision came down to Sacramento and the New York Knicks.
"(Brown) basically told me I'd fit their style of play and I would be a good fit for them," Watkins said. "I would basically have a good career starting out with Sacramento."
The Kings recently hired a new head coach - former NBA player and recently-departed New Mexico State head coach Reggie Theus - and currently have only two centers on their roster, including just-drafted Spencer Hawes out of Washington.
Watkins may eventually end up with the Kings, but playing in Las Vegas for the summer league allows 20 other NBA teams to get a look at him, too.
Watkins watched with his family as 60 names were called in New York City's Madison Square Garden Thusrday night, none being his own. Two days earlier, the Utah Jazz had given Brown a verbal commitment that they would take Watkins with the No. 55 pick if he was still around.
The Jazz ended up taking Providence's Herbert Hill with that pick, slighting Syracuse's leading shot-blocker. Hill was later traded to Philadelphia for the rights to Ukraine's Kyrylo Fesenko.
Brown believes it was a matter of too many teams shying away from Watkins because of his "history" at Syracuse. Over four years, he averaged only 5.3 points, five rebounds and 2.2 blocks for his career and never seemed to grow into the dominant center he was once anticipated as. This season, though, he was able to catch the eye of several NBA teams, finishing second in the Big East in blocks and eighth in rebounding.
Watkins' performance over the last few months, Brown believes, helped his chances out even more, and the agent felt he was confident Watkins would eventually land on a team this summer.
"Darryl did everything in his power to be himself," Brown said. "He's a totally different player."
As for Syracuse's other front court presence, Terrence Roberts, Watkins didn't have any information about his plans, other than trying to latch onto a club in a similar fashion.
"He's basically in the same situation as I am," Watkins said. "Trying to find a spot where he can get a tryout and play in a summer league and see how that goes."
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CYNTHIA
posted 7/03/07 @ 11:48 AM EST
THIS COMMENT WAS WRONG DARRYL DIDN'T SPEAK TO ANYONE IT WAS HIS FATHER DARRYL SR. COMMENT
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