http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1088150296158130.xml Pickett touched Hornets with shot Ex-FSU guard seen as versatile scorer Friday, June 25, 2004 By Jimmy Smith Staff writer There's one thing that jumps out about Hornets second-round draft choice Tim Pickett. As a freshman at Daytona Beach Community College, Pickett led his team in scoring with a 16.7 per-game average. The next season he moved on to Indian River Junior College, and Pickett led his team in scoring with a 20.6 average. The next season at Florida State as a junior, and again this past season as a senior, Pickett led the Seminoles in scoring (17.1 and 16.5). If that seems monotonous, so did the way Pickett performed in Tuesday's pre-draft workout at the Alario Center, hitting shot after shot after shot despite a tender right ankle that several times forced him back to the locker room for additional taping. "We feel like Tim's another athletic player who'll be able to play multiple positions, and he's got a lot of energy," Hornets general manager Allan Bristow said of the Pickett, the 44th overall selection in Thursday night's draft. "His range on his jump shot was impressive. He's a very strong player. I think he's the kind of player that the coaches like being around because of his high energy. I think he's got a chance to make our club. He had a terrific workout the other day." Pickett, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who's described as a competitive and confident player who can hit 3-point shots in bunches, could add firepower to the Hornets' off guard position. Pickett said Thursday night that when he left the Alario Center after Tuesday's workout, the last of a journey that took him from Sacramento to Denver to Chicago for the pre-draft camp prior to coming to New Orleans, he thought the Hornets might be the best fit for him. "I just felt so comfortable there," Pickett said. "I was feeling so much confidence. I felt like I was putting Chicago behind me, all the ankle injuries . . . I just felt like myself again." Pickett had injured his right ankle working out for the Kings early in the month, then re-injured it during a showing for the Nuggets. "It was the kind of thing that really needed rest," Pickett said. "And it just kind of stayed with me. I probably should have rested, but I was just trying to do the best I could in the draft. I didn't want to sit down. I played hard, and I think I showed (the Hornets) that I had heart. "On Tuesday, I just kind of felt like I was in the right place at the right time, being there within the framework of that workout, doing what I did best: hitting shots and playing great defense. I just hope I can continue to do that." Last year, Pickett was selected to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team. Pickett's 110 3-pointers ranked third in the nation. His 82 steals ranked him 10th in the country. Yet all those statistics are meaningless once training camp begins in October, especially considering that second-round draft picks rarely make NBA rosters. "My motivation started when they called my name," Pickett said. "It's all just about working hard and being the best you can every day." . . . . . . . Jimmy Smith can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3814. --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 218.166.77.113