Wednesday was a typical day in the life of rookie Julian Wright.
It began with boxes and ended with buckets.
Before arriving at the Alario Center for another grueling four-hour workout, Wright, the New Orleans Hornets’ precocious forward, made a stop to buy coffee and three dozen donuts, required duty by order of the team veterans. His day ended around 3 p.m. – well after the rest of the 17-man squad completed practice – as he sank the last jumper of a 45-minute post-practice individual shooting drill.
In between, it was a mixed bag, as former Kansas University standout Wright fought through the experiences each rookie entering the NBA encounters. He struggled to keep up with the veterans while trying to bolster his conditioning for the rigors of an 82-game season, and he missed a layup during a post-practice drill, nearly causing his teammates to run sprints.
“I’m still a rookie, so I know I have a lot to learn and need to keep working on my game,” Wright said. “You’re supposed to work on things you need to work on on your own time. That’s part of being a pro.”
Veteran guard Jannero Pargo participated in the workout with Wright. Veteran center Melvin Ely, a homeboy of Wright’s from Harvey, Ill., encouraged him from the sideline. Watching from the bleachers was general manager Jeff Bower.
That so many teammates, coaches and staffers are investing time in Wright is a testament to his potential. They know Wright has the stuff to be special.
It’s why the Hornets selected the college sophomore with the No. 13 overall pick in the NBA draft last June and why they rated him the No. 6 overall prospect on their final draft board.
“Like any rookie, he comes in with a world ahead of him in terms of experience and what he has to learn,” Bower said. “But his athleticism and attitude, that is going to be something that helps our team. We’d like to think that he can be a player that is battling and in our rotation and giving us some help – and he will be in that position. The question is how quickly and at what pace is he ready to do that. I think it’s a matter of if as when that takes place.”
Wright’s role with the Hornets won’t be determined until he proves himself in practice and exhibition games. He’s been asked to learn and play both forward positions, but is expected to see most of his time at small forward, where he’ll team with Rasual Butler to spell starter Peja Stojakovic. Wright also will see time at power forward, the position he played primarily at KU, where he averaged 12 points and 7.8 rebounds a game as a sophomore last season.
“He has tremendous talent,” Ely said. “I didn’t know he was that tall. I didn’t know he could shoot that well or that he could dribble that well. Everybody sees so much potential in him, and it’s up to the players and coaches to help bring it out of him.”
Scouts count Wright among a new breed of NBA forward, a hybrid with perimeter skills to play outside and the height and bulk to play inside. As teams around the league employ smaller, more athletic lineups, versatile types such as Wright, Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns and Andre Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz have become more valuable.
Wright, 6 feet 8, is an inch or two shorter than most power forwards. He compensates with a standing reach of 8 feet, 11 inches, higher than any other power forward in the draft. His long arms are a defensive strength, allowing him to block shots against taller players and make steals against smaller ones.
Wright knows his defense and rebounding are what will endear him to the Hornets’ Byron Scott, an old-school coach with a reputation for being impatient with rookies.
Defense and rebounding will have to carry Wright early on as he works to improve his shooting, the one area scouts said prevented him from being a sure-fire lottery pick. Wright shot 61 percent from the free-throw line and made three of 13 3-point attempts last season at Kansas.
Wright said he’s not afraid of hard work. “He’s doing well,” Scott said.
Off the court, Wright’s transition should be aided by family. His mother, Gina, and older brother, Andre, have moved to New Orleans and will live with him in the house he recently purchased on the West Bank.
“Obviously, I don’t have all the answers, yet. I just go out every day and try to get better and work with the guys here and soak up all that I can. I have a lot more room for improvement,” he said.