Came across this quote while researching for a couple of different things. From a DraftExpress.com profile of O.J. Mayo's pre-draft workouts at Tim Grover's gym in Chicago.
Mike Procopio was helping organize Mayo's workout regimen and has worked with Dwyane Wade and Paul Pierce, among others. He's a Chris Wallace confidant who was apparently pushing for Wallace to pursue Mayo in the draft.
Quote:
“He pushes himself as much as any player I’ve seen” Mike Procopio noted. I’ve never seen a guy who is more focused than him. I feel bad for the guys who will have to work out against him. He reminds me of Clubber Lang [played by Mr. T] in Rocky 3 with the way he trained for that fight against Rocky. Rocky was in the disco having fun, and Clubber Lang was in some hole in the wall doing chin-ups. The guy is a nut when it comes to working out. You can see it in his eyes, he wants to be great. He’ll spend all day doing something until he gets it right. The kid cannot fail. He will not fail. He’s fearless. Some kids listen to the crowd around them, who tell them how good they are. They live on the hype. They live off the rankings of the scouting services around the country. He doesn’t. He wants to rip your heart out, serve it to you on a plate, and then do it again. The kid is a killer, he’s a total killer on the court. He’ll be a special player.”
Hi Chris. Yeah, I am not sure that DWade is the right comparison either. I just read all the stuff on DraftExpress.com about Mayo. He sees himself as a Deron Williams type of player, which feels closer to right. Of course, that would make him a PG.
I am hopeful that he and Conley can play alongside each other and make it work. But, we may discover a dozen games or so into the season that O.J. (and the whole team) is being held back by making him play the 2 guard. If that ends up being the case, then the next move would be to trade Conley for some interior help if possible. But I don't think they should look at trading Conley before the season starts. The Griz should wait to see how things actually play out in real NBA games, before looking at that trade.
In any case, I think Mayo's potential is extraordinary. And that article you referenced makes me think he has a real shot at reaching that potential. He sounds like he has a KG/MJ level work ethic. That always helps.