Bucks continue draft workouts
By Cherome Owens
Posted: Jun. 5, 2009
photo credit: Milwaukee Bucks website on NBA.com
The Milwaukee Bucks got another close look at potential draft picks on Friday morning at the Cousins Center.
The six NBA hopefuls invited to the workout were Josh Shipp (UCLA, senior, 6-5, 200), Josh Heytvelt (Gonzaga, senior, 6-11, 250), Brandon Costner (North Carolina State, junior, 6-9, 230), Michael Bramos (Miami-OH, senior, 6-5, 220), Alonzo Gee (Alabama, senior, 6-5, 215) and Alex Ruoff (West Virginia, senior, 6-6, 220).
Friday’s workouts were just as competitive as the first series of workouts held two weeks ago. Each player went through similar drills as the previous workout groups: light warm-ups, vertical jump tests, rope jumping, a variety of lay-up and jump shooting drills, and one-on-one, two-on-two and three-on-three competitions.
Assistant coaches Kelvin Sampson, Billy Peterson and Adrian Griffin, and Video Coordinator Jason Staudt instructed on-court exercises while Assistant General Manager Jeff Weltman, Head Coach Scott Skiles, Assistant Coach Jim Boylan, Director of Scouting Billy McKinney and Director of Player Personnel Dave Babcock carefully watched from the sidelines to examine and see if one of them has what it takes to be chosen in next month’s NBA Draft.
Two of the prospects at Friday’s workout were college teammates of current Bucks players. Shipp enjoyed much success at UCLA with Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, while Ruoff and Bucks forward Joe Alexander teamed up at West Virginia. However, only one of them was satisfied after today’s workout, as Ruoff was unable to finish after hurting his ankle.
“It was fun going out there and competing the whole time,” Shipp said. “I feel pretty good. I was able to do a few good things out there. I’m happy with my overall performance. The main thing was that I went out there and competed.”
Josh Shipp
On today’s workout…
“It’s a tough workout. You’re constantly moving. It’s a lot of competitive drills. I liked it. It was fun going out there and competing the whole time. I feel pretty good. I was able to do a few good things out there. I’m happy with my overall performance. The main thing was that I went out there and competed.”
On what he’d bring to the Bucks…
“I feel I can do a little bit of everything. I can shoot, defend, pass, dribble, whatever they need, I feel like I can do.”
On future workouts…
“I have to go to Sacramento, Portland and New Jersey. New Jersey is a group workout so there will be a lot of teams there.”
On talking to former UCLA teammate and current Milwaukee Buck, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute…
“I saw him this morning. I got to laugh and joke with him before the workout so that was cool. He didn’t really give me any advice. We just kind of caught up.”
After Friday’s competitive workout, McKinney gave his perspective on each player:
Josh Shipp – “A teammate of (Luc Richard) Mbah a Moute in college. Reminds me a little bit of Danny Green of North Carolina. Good shooter, good defender. Doesn’t have great foot speed, but for him I think his asset is going to be his ability to knock down outside shots.”
Friday’s exercises were the first workout at the training center since May 22. Last week, Bucks scouts and coaches attended a combine in Chicago from May 27-29 at the Attack Athletics facility. The front office staff also split up to visit group workouts in Minnesota and Golden State.
The Bucks have worked out 24 players thus far and will continue prospect workouts on Tuesday morning at the Cousins Center.
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And from The Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel:
Hoping history repeats
Shipp aims to follow Mbah a Moute's path
By Tom Enlund of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Jun. 5, 2009
St. Francis – It's not the kind of shot that UCLA swingman Josh Shipp, or any basketball player for that matter, would forget easily.
Shipp, teammate Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and the rest of the Bruins were trailing by one point in the closing seconds of a game against California in 2008 and were inbounding the ball from under their own basket. The ball went on the wing to the 6-foot-5 Shipp, who drove baseline and found himself behind the backboard. He hoisted a rainbow shot that went up over the backboard and fell through with 1.5 seconds left, giving UCLA an 81-80 victory.
Shipp, who averaged 14.5 points as a senior last season, reminisced about the shot after going through a pre-draft workout with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday at their training center.
"It was one of those shots, you look back and it's just great to be a part of," said Shipp, whose 132 starts are a UCLA record. "I mean, it was a real gutsy shot. I think if I would have hit the backboard, a lot of people would have called me an idiot.
"But I'm one of those players, I want the ball at the end of the game. I'm going to take the tough shot. I practice trick shots all the time. It was even better because it was for the game, but I have fun doing that."
Shipp and Mbah a Moute were UCLA teammates for two full seasons before the Bucks selected Mbah a Moute in the second round of the 2008 draft. Shipp is now being projected as a possible second-round pick - or someone who might not be drafted at all - so he is hoping to follow Mbah a Moute's footsteps as a second-round pick who was able to make an impact with an NBA team.
Mbah a Moute is back in town working out, and the two former teammates chatted before Shipp's workout.
"He's doing well here," said Shipp. "He's a second-round guy who came in and worked hard and contributed to the team a lot this year. It was fun (being teammates). He's one of those guys who makes the game a lot easier for you. He rebounds, passes, shoots, he does a little bit of everything. It was fun playing with him.
"I checked up on him a little bit (during the season). He did a great job. He's one of those guys who does all the little things, so he'll always have a spot."
Shipp was with a group Friday that also included guards Michael Bramos of Miami (Ohio), Alonzo Gee of Alabama and Alex Ruoff of West Virginia, along with forwards Josh Heytvelt of Gonzaga and Brandon Costner of North Carolina State, as the Bucks continue to look at players who are being projected as second-round picks.
The Bucks will conduct more workouts next week involving some of the bigger names in the draft.
Shipp thought he had a good workout.
"It went pretty good," he said. "I did a lot of good things today."
Said Bucks director of scouting Billy McKinney, "I like the fact that he shoots the ball real well and is a good defender. He's a guy that I thought kind of got lost in the UCLA system when you talk about (Jrue) Holiday and (Darren) Collison and other players. (Shipp) is not blessed with tremendous quickness and speed, and that's one thing people will look at why he would slip into the second round or possibly be a free agent. But he can make a team at any level."
Best of luck on June 25, Josh!
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