Jeryl Sasser

[Webmaster]

Jeryl Sasser is the 22nd pick in the NBA Draft and goes to the Orlando Magic.



[This message has been edited by Webmaster (edited 06-28-2001).]

[D]

Sorry for the long post, but below are the thoughts from the Magic on their draft picks. Sounds like they were very impressed with Sass. The defense comments are particularly interesting. I never thought he was a bad defensive player, I just didn't think it was his strength although he does have an incredible knack for coming up with the ball. Anyway, congrats Jeryl. Looking forward to watching you. Good luck and keep working hard.

Gabriel & Rivers Comment on Draft
Orlando Magic General Manager John Gabriel:
"As drafts go, this was a great one for us. We feel like we clearly addressed our needs in athleticism with the acquisition of Hunter. With shot blocking with Haywood, and rebounding, which was something else we wanted to work on with all of these guys, including Sasser, who is one of the best rebounders of all the guards in the draft. We also added size with the seven-foot Haywood, the 6-10/6-11 19-year-old in Hunter, as well as the size that Sasser brings in point guard. We're very pleased with what took place, we also had a small transaction in the second round of this draft early that will eliminate our last draft pick encumbers to Denver, really making this night a home run for us."

"Well, it works just fine. Number one, there are three guaranteed contracts for the next four years, which brings you a lot of cost certainty when it comes to taxation, which is on the tongue of every team in the league as you try to manage your salaries, so that's very, very good. In regards to how it affects us with free agency, it actually in some ways helps us because we have the acquisition of another fine player with a minimal hit when you consider a lower level first-round selection."

"The thing that's really most important to us was to go to 12 to get Hunter. I think everyone did a great job hustling because you don't know what's going to happen between 12 and 15. You believe and see your worst nightmare that everyone between 12, 13 and 14 is going to take the guy you covet, but we did a great job among our entire staff of hustling through the league and finding out who was going to go. It would have cost us 15 and 22 to go 12. We stayed pat, made the deal for Michael, and end up getting the three players that have been at the top of our board since the day we walked into the war room."

(Commenting on Sasser): "The one thing he did in the workout for us is number one, he's a relentless worker as a player. His approach to the game will fit in very well with the way Doc coaches this team. Secondly, this is sort of a guard-driven conference with the Marburys, the Iversons, Sam Casell and on and on. This guy is a flat-out point-guard stopper. He was the best defensively that I've seen come into the building in a long time. Plus, he could rebound the ball, which is one of our weaknesses."

"There's a certain point where there's a comfort level for teams. It doesn't always happen. There's a comfort level once a number of selections are made prior to a certain pick, in this case 11. The team beneath them may have two or three guys on the board for themselves, so they are not in fear at 12 or 13 or 14 of losing their player because there are enough options for them available. You don't ever necessarily find out from those teams who exactly they are going to pick, but if they can give you two or three names and your player does not appear within those two or three names, you know you can make it to where you want to get, in this case Steve Hunter."

(Commenting on Steven Hunter): "What Steve Hunter needs right now is time to play, game time. That's what he needs. He made as big of an impression on the entire NBA scouting out in Chicago as anyone we've seen maybe in three or four years. Through his performance at the Chicago pre-draft camp, which was in early June, we actually thought we he passed us at 15. We really did. He was that good. I think they responded to that on TV when he was selected. He was just unbelievable. He made more of an impression there than he did in his collegiate career. We're banking on the fact that he can carry on that upward-climb in his play, which we think he can."

Orlando Magic Head Coach Doc Rivers:
"Again, I'm in echo of what John said. I'm really happy about the way things broke for us. It got hairy at times because things really had to fall our way for us to get Hunter, number one, and they did. Then again with Haywood. I thanked Mike Doleac earlier, and he's a guy I really enjoyed coaching, and I think he's still going to be bright and good and all around the league wherever he ends up because he's a free agent in a year, but I thought we had to do what we had to do. We got big in all the positions we needed to get bigger in, and we added more athletics in the positions we needed to be more athletic in. So, I'm really happy about it."

"Haywood's a center, and I think just a five. Hunter's a four or a five. Sasser's a one, two, or three. Your choice, so let me know."

(Commenting on Sasser): "Yeah, we did. There's no doubt about that. We were pretty sure a couple teams were going to draft him. You find that out when they call you and they throw out his name. The Hunter thing had already been out there and we really thought number 12 was where he was going to go. Again, it had to break our way for us to get him and we didn't want to do the same thing with Sasser. We didn't want to lose him."

(Commenting on Haywood): "Great body, blocked shots, rebounds and went to North Carolina are the things that I like the most. North Carolina players tend to do better in the league. They are fit into a system there, and I think they are allowed to express themselves a little more when they get to the NBA."

(Commenting on Hunter in college): "The upside. One of the things we talked about yesterday with Hunter is he's not a guy you draft and say 'wow.' He's has a chance to be a great player, he's not a great player. He's not even a good player yet. But he has a chance to be all those. I look at Hunter and I look at his athletic ability and I look at his size and I look at how I believe as intense of a player he will be and I think he has a chance to be like some of the young guys at that top five or six. He's no different except for he's 19 and he's been to college for two years, so there's a one-year difference in age and he has a two-year advantage as far as college experience and he has the same athletic ability as all the other guys. One thing he can do now is block a shot. There's no doubt about that. The other thing he can do is outrun you. He can beat most of the bigs down the floor. After that, we'll see. But I'm willing to wait. I think sometimes you have a guy who you think has a chance to be pretty good and may be a project, but you wait for him."

[ponystudent]

best of luck to Sasser! This is great for him, it seems like he had a real good work ethic during all of this and I hope he keeps it up and finds success in the NBA.

He shocked a lot of people!

[Recruiting Guru]

Hopefully Sasser will latch on to Grant Hill, follow him around and emulate everything Hill does. He couldn't have a better role model to begin his pro career. Congratulations, Jeryl!

[Bballer]

I am pumped for Jeryl and cannot wait to see him throughout his career, and I hope it is a long one!