The last month of Russ Smith’s life has been a whirlwind, flights criss-crossing the country, early-morning workouts that will determined his future, all leading up to Thursday night’s NBA Draft.
Smith has worked out for 13 teams, and has one remaining, in Los Angeles for the Clippers on Monday. He took part in the Draft Combine in Chicago and the Clippers mini-combine in Los Angeles in front of all 30 teams.
“I’m looking to do one thing, try to annihilate everyone in front of me,” he said. “I want people to understand I’m better than everyone [I’m going against]. I want to show [teams], if you guys don’t take me, the only reason why is it would be for someone who is taller than or younger than me, not necessarily because they’re better than me.”
The sessions begin early in the morning, often at 10 a.m. After a brief warm-up, they start with a three-man weave. There are structured one-on-one, two-on-two and three-on-three matchups with a shot clock and set plays, which vary depending on the team. It ends with a variety of shooting drills, from beyond the 3-point arc to mid-range for guards.
The NBA personnel on hand will occasionally talk to the players, encourage them to push themselves, Smith said, but the feedback is often given after the workouts, when teams meet with players individually.
Smith has mostly faced projected second-round picks, such as Semaj Christon, Xavier Thames, Billy Baron, Jahii Carson and Jordan McRae. He did go up against Tyler Ennis, a potential lottery pick, in Phoenix.
“I definitely held my own,” Smith said. “I thought I helped myself a lot.”
That was his toughest workout. It was run the way the Suns play — up-tempo, full of running, constant movement, even pressing. The one-on-ones were full court, as were the three-on-three’s.
Smith interviewed with 17 teams. They consisted mostly of basic questions. Does he drink or smoke, how did he grow up, what he feels his strengths and weakness are? One team asked him about giving Louisville coach Rick Pitino bunny ears during a nationally televised postgame interview and if he would do the same to an NBA head coach.
“I said it all depends on our relationship,” Smith said.
Smith feels like most of his workouts have gone well. The feedback has been mostly positive. The mini-combine in Los Angeles stood out for him.
“That one was great. I dominated it from a passing standpoint. Got everybody involved. I did a lot of stuff no one expected me to do,” he said. “Everybody has this little [idea] in their head that I can’t pass or set my teammates up, or I don’t want to. I can be a willing passer.”
His most memorable workout came in Minnesota for the Timberwolves, and included good friend Sean Kilpatrick, the former Cincinnati star from White Plains. Smith and Kilpatrick took similar journeys, going the prep-school route, before becoming major college basketball stars.
“It was pretty cool, we’re both trying to reach the same goal,” Smith said. Once the workouts began, their relationship immediately faded for the time being. “It’s always been like that, even in the AAC in our league. It’s all love for the game. It doesn’t affect our friendship.”
There was one particularly daunting week for Smith, when he had four workouts in five days in four different cities. On Monday, he worked out for the Grizzlies in Memphis, flew to Minnesota to work out for the Timberwolves on Wednesday, was in Dallas on Thursday and Indiana the very next day, all while battling a stiff back.
Several of the workouts were at NBA arenas in front of head coaches and general managers. Smith is used to playing in such buildings — Louisville’s home arena, the KFC Yum! Center, holds over 22,000 — in front of big crowds, but he did get starstruck twice: In Miami and Indiana, with executives Pat Riley and Larry Bird, respectively, present.
“That’s pretty unique,” Smith said. “You always recognize a winner. And Larry Bird, one of the best players to ever play the game, and now I have to impress him. The same thing with Coach Riley.”
Smith is happy the process is coming to a close. All the travel wore on his body. He’s ready — and anxious — to find out where his new home will be.
“It’s been hectic,” he said. “Just moving back and forth, the flights, and then competing. It’s just a lot.”