Catching Up with Aleks Maric

On Tuesday, June 24, former Husker center Aleks Maric talked with Huskers.com about his workouts with NBA teams leading up to the NBA Draft on June 26. Maric was back in Lincoln following a handful of workouts for NBA teams, including the champion Boston Celtics. Maric said he did the best he could do and now hopes that one of the 30 NBA teams will offer him a shot at an NBA career. Here is a look at what Aleks had to say:<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Aleks, thanks again for joining us. Where have you been and what have you been up to since we last caught up with you?

I was in <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Las Vegas for six weeks preparing for the pre-draft camp. From there I left to go to Orlando for the pre-draft camp for a week. I’ve now done all my workouts; I finished my last one on Sunday. Now I’m just anxiously waiting for any news.

 

It sounds like you’ve been busy. How many times would you estimate you’ve been on a plane in the past month?

I don’t even want to know. I’ve been on planes, some flights have been cancelled, I’ve been late, weather has been bad and there have been bumpy rides. But it’s all part of the journey. You’ve got to enjoy it.

 

Do you get worn out from all the traveling and working out?

Not really. I’ve traveled a lot in the summertime on the (Australian) national team, going around the world. I’m thankful because I’ve got good experience with it. It’s part of the process. You’ve got to be mentally tough, because if you make it to the league, it’s 82 games and half of those games are on the road.

 

What teams have you worked out with?

Boston, Indiana, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans and a couple others.

 

How did workouts for different NBA teams differ?

It all depends on the style of play. The workout for San Antonio is a lot of half-court drills. The workout for New Orleans is more full-court, it’s up-tempo. So it just depends on the style of game they play.

 

Was there any workout in particular that you enjoyed the most?

They’ve all been fun. Every single one has been different, so I enjoyed that. The three I liked most were probably Boston, Indiana and New Orleans just because Boston was in the NBA finals, Indiana because Coach (Jim) O’Brien, the head coach, ran that workout and so did Byron Scott at New Orleans. I found that beneficial.

 

Are the workouts private or with other players?

All of them are with other players.

 

Who are some big-name players you have worked out with?

Ty Lawson, D.J. Augustine, Sasha Kaun, Ryan Anderson from Cal and many others.

 

What do scouts and coaches look for at  a workout?

Intensity, your work ethic, your skills and your body language, definitely.

 

Do the teams interview you as well?

Yes, you do an interview everywhere you go.

 

What kind of questions do they ask?

They just ask for your background; where you’re from, what you do in your off-time, things like that.

 

What has your agent, Andrew Vye, been telling you about your draft status in the past couple weeks?

He said he’s been hearing some good stuff. I told him not to tell me anything, though, just to keep me focused.

 

What does your schedule look like for draft day?

I’ll be in Lincoln. I’m going to play golf if it’s good weather. I’m going to stay away from T.V.

 

Are you going to watch the draft?

No, I don’t want any gray hairs.

 

If you don’t get drafted, which is always a possibility for most players, what are your plans?

Just to keep pursuing my goal of playing professionally, either here or overseas.

 

Do you believe there are some advantages to being a free agent and picking a situation that’s right for you?

Yeah, there are. You can pick a situation that’s beneficial and the team that really wants you can approach you.

 

Finally, it’s down to Germany, Turkey, Spain and Russia in the European Championship soccer tournament. Have you had any time to watch?

I definitely have! Spain all the way, baby. I picked them from the beginning. Cinderella-storyTurkey is about to go down.

 

Check back at Huskers.com in the week after the June 26 NBA Draft as Aleks Maric will again update Husker fans on his future plans.