ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  Minutes before walking into his introductory news conference, Orlando Magic guard DeAndre Liggins received some advice about being a second-round pick from his new teammate, Gilbert Arenas.
“Gilbert just told me in the locker room … that he was a second round pick,†Liggins said. “He said, ‘Everybody’s got to play on the same court, so it really don’t matter.’â€Â
Liggins says he was surprised that he lasted until pick No. 53 in this year’s NBA Draft. But he’s planning on using that as motivation as he prepares for his rookie season.
So does forward Justin Harper, who was selected No. 32 by Cleveland and traded to the Magic on draft night for a pair of future second-round picks.
“If you look at a lot of past drafts, a lot of great players get overlooked,†Harper said. “They fall into the second round. I just kind of use that as motivation.â€Â
Unfortunately for both players, the NBA careers of the two players may be put on hold. Owners are expected to lock out players unless agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement can be reached before midnight Thursday.
The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Harper improved his draft stock tremendously with a senior season at the University of Richmond in which he averaged 17.9 points and 6.9 rebounds. His 179 3-pointers rank fifth in school history. The 6-foot-6, 209-pound Liggins comes from Kentucky with a reputation of being a lockdown perimeter defender who will bring the kind of toughness the Magic are looking for.
“They’ve both played in great programs for great coaches,†Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “These guys have been taught and they’re fundamentally sound. They’ve got a leg up. These aren’t raw guys. They’re as ready as guys coming out of college can be from what I’ve seen.â€Â
General manager Otis Smith said he was surprised both players fell as far as they did in the draft and that the Magic were “lucky†to add them to the franchise.
7 Responses to Magic “lucky” to add Liggins in the second round
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I think more than a few teams might end up regretting not taking Ligs. Not that I think Liggins will be an NBA All-Star, but he proved at UK he’s willing do whatever it is he needs to do to get on the court. He’s a passionate defensive playmaker who brings energy to the floor, and finds ways to score (around 38% from beyond the arch last year). He’ll never average 15-16 points per game, but if he can score (and rebound), just a little, he’ll be a valuable member of whichever team he settles with.
I think DeAndre could have a long career as well by just knowing his role
I agree with Ken. Deandre is sort of like a utility infielder for a basketball team. I hope he has a long, healthy career.
LUCKY INDEED!!!!!!!!
Good Luck to a young man who deserves some breaks. The Magic is “lucky”!!!!
I think the best thing that ever happened to Liggins was getting benched all those games by Cal. He came back with a willingness to play that role Larry was talking about. Not everyone is a first option shooter on a team. And defensive players can make a big name for themselves if they work at it like Liggins does. I think of rebounders who made it big like Dennis Rodman and defenders like Bill Russell. People forget he was mostly a defensive player. He had teammates who could shoot the lights out. Russell only scored just over 14,000 points but he changed the game defensively. It was tenacious defense and shot blocking that made him the real star of the Celtics dynasty and now every sports fan knows his name. 14,000 points gave him an average of about 15 ppg but considering the level of his fame that’s nothing. His nemesis, Wilt, averaged 30 ppg for comparison from the same era. And Chamberlain could have averaged a lot more but they actually wanted him to tone down his scoring if you can believe that.
Liggins has the skills to be an effective NBA player. I don’t doubt that a bit. He’s strong, fast and has a motor that won’t quit. Plus he can shoot an open jump shot which makes him a perfect defensive player (meaning he won’t be a liability on offense – he will have to be guarded).
Liggins is one of my favorite players from the Wildcats. The guy played UK style basketball IMO. Sure I have about 500 favorite Cats but not every player makes the grade.
Great post King