[外電] West showing scoring potential in camp

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原文出自 nola.com http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1097648977263270.xml West showing scoring potential in camp Second-year Hornet has improved skills Wednesday, October 13, 2004 By Jimmy Smith Staff writer Looking for the most eye-opening moment of the Hornets' week-long training camp? Here's a nomination: second-year forward David West, doing a cross-over dribble, stopping and arching a 15-foot jump shot. It's a scene that has played itself out repeatedly in eight practices, catching the attention of Coach Byron Scott. "I thought watching him last year, he was a pretty good-looking rookie," Scott said. "I thought he did some real good things. I see the same things now that I saw last year, but better. He's doing them with more confidence. "The one thing I didn't see last year was that he could put the ball on the floor as well as he can. He's an excellent passer, so there are two things that I see now that impress me. I really like what I see. He's going to be a great player." West gets to show off his newly minted, multidimensional side today, as the Hornets open the exhibition season against the Dallas Mavericks (7 p.m. at New Orleans Arena), the first game in the Scott era and the first of West's sophomore season in the NBA. A reluctant shooter as a rookie last season, West often passed up open shots and passed to veteran teammates. But West, a graceful, 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, grew weary of being hounded by Darrell Armstrong and P.J. Brown to shoot if the opportunity presented itself. So, during the summer, West said he concentrated on perfecting his ball-handling skills. "It's something to just get my shot off," said West, the 17th player selected in the first round a year ago. "A lot of times, I'll be guarded by a guy who's 6-10 or 6-11. And they can't deal with somebody making a quick move like that. So it's just something I've been working on to help me get into my shot a little better. "I just cross over and shoot. Especially within the offense, anytime I get a chance to get that ball on the wing, I'm going to give it a whirl." West played in 71 games with the Hornets as a rookie, averaging 3.8 points and 4.2 rebounds. As the season went on, it was evident his confidence swelled and his performance steadily improved. "That, I think, was just learning," West said. "Being around these guys, learning the ins and outs and how things go. The one thing P.J. told me when the year was over was to bring something new this year. You've got to add something to your game every year to make yourself more valuable. "This year I'm just looking forward to helping and taking some of the pressure off the other guys and helping this team win games." Brown has worked daily against West in practice. He's watched the youngster progress markedly and blossom into a more self-assured player. "I think his confidence is better," Brown said. "Having a year under his belt has really improved his confidence a lot. He's like the rest of us, trying to learn the system. But I think he's grasping the system pretty quickly, and he's applying it to the game. "He's really playing hard, and he's asserting himself. I keep telling him I want him to become a go-to player. That's what I envision for him. And I want him to envision that for himself, for one day to be a No. 1 option. Not just to be a role player, a defender, a rebounder. Be a guy who can be depended upon on a nightly basis to put some points on the board." Scott wants that, too. "I'm telling him to shoot the ball when he has a shot," Scott said. "He has a very good touch from 17, 18 feet. And I'm telling him to look for that shot on a consistent basis. And if he knocks it down on a consistent basis, it makes him a much more dangerous basketball player." West is aware that more will be expected from him now that he is no longer the least-experienced member of the team. It is a role, he said, he is ready to assume. "I know that Darrell was on me all last year to shoot the ball," West said. "When the open shots are there, you've got to take them, because it opens the floor up and gives us another threat. "When my shot's there, I'm going to take it." . . . . . . . Jimmy Smith can be reached at jsmith@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3814. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 140.117.190.7