Kennedy Winston will workout for Spurs

Fighting for a Spot

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=7&p=2&c=418688

By Tom Canterbury 1420-AM The Tusk
Date: Aug 3, 2005

Two-time All SEC performer Kennedy Winston sat at Wings in Mobile the night of the NBA draft and watched as unproven high schoolers and foreign players went off the board. When the last name was called, and Winston still was not taken, the obvious question was “why?”

Kennedy Winston joined Chris Stewart in the Morning Tuesday to discuss not being drafted and what lies ahead.

“Some teams said that my agent was not acting properly,” Winston said. “Also, I didn’t take the physical at the Chicago pre-draft camp. No one can point out one single thing.”

Winston did about the only thing he could at that point. He fired his agent, Lou Fabiano, and hired Mo Williams’ agent Mark Barterstien of Chicago. He then joined the Memphis Grizzlies’ summer league team.

The summer league experience was a good one for Winston. He helped lead his team to a 6-1 record and is now fielding offers from up to 15 NBA teams to attend their preseason camps in October.

“My agent tells me the three teams most interested in me are Seattle, Phoenix and San Antonio,” Winston told Stewart. In fact, Winston will work out for the World Champion Spurs next Wednesday.

This whole ordeal has not seemed to shake Winston’s confidence. He is not just concerned with making a team, he’s also looking for where he might get the most playing time. Teams are telling him he will be a two guard in the league, and he does possess an ability that many in the NBA are lacking. He can make a mid-range jumper.

The problem for Winston is that his case is not unique. You don’t even have to venture outside the SEC to find players who were good-to-great college players with NBA ability, but who were not drafted.

There are only so many NBA roster spots available for rookies and Winston will not only be fighting with those players who were drafted in the second round but also those undrafted players like Anthony Roberson, Matt Walsh, and Kelenna Azubuike (just to mention some of the SEC guys) for those spots.

When someone leaves college eligibility on the table to chase his NBA dream and then is not drafted, it doesn’t take a genius to say that he made a mistake.

“I want to make something good come out of this,” Winston told Stewart. Knowing Winston’s work ethic and what he’s already been through as a member of the Crimson Tide, I’m sure he will.

I’m also sure that all Alabama fans will be rooting Winston on, all the while trying not to think about just how good this year’s Tide team would have been had he decided to play his senior year.

Click on the link for more info on him.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...v=st&type=lgns

Draft Express write-up on Kennedy Winston
link

Sounds good. He might be worth a look...

can look but dont touch

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Streakyshooter08

Sounds good. He might be worth a look...

---

He can't play for us...his 77% FT % is too good. hehehe
Oh, no. Wait. I forgot. Our new shooting coach will alleviate those woes so yes, bring the "smoker" (Winston) on. <wink>

Winston was going to be a first round pick before he suddenly vanished from everyone's radar. His old agent tried some trick to get Winston drafted high (hiding him and hoping teams think another team is going to draft him to drive up his stock), but it blew up in that agent's face.

If the Spurs can sign him, that'd be a borderline first round talent signed on the cheap. Actually even a little bit better because they already got to see him play in summer league.

I gave this idea a :tu

The Spurs don't have to sign him to anything other than a non-guaranteed deal for the minimum, which of course means that he will replace DBrown.

If Im Pop, I send Robert Horry to recruit him to bring him in.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

The Spurs don't have to sign him to anything other than a non-guaranteed deal for the minimum, which of course means that he will replace DBrown.

---

If that's the case I think I would rather have Maurice Evans.

From the description his weakness is defense, more focus and effort than native ability. If the Spurs are interested and he's smart he'd hook up with them because no other team will develop his defensive skills, make him a more complete and valued player than SA.

This guy wouldn't replace Devin. He'd be a developmental player at the end of the bench or IR. He may not be smart enough to realize at this point a spot like that on the Spurs might be in his best long term interest.

The Spurs are going to go with whoever will play for nothing. Spurs fans shouldn't complain, that's what they expect of free agents...

My bet, Spurs will spend right up to the luxury tax level, not beyond and who they spend it on will not get long term contracts. They might hold a little in reserve to fit needs going into the trade deadline.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by picnroll

My bet, Spurs will spend right up to the luxury tax level, not beyond and who they spend it on will not get long term contracts. They might hold a little in reserve to fit needs going into the trade deadline.

---

I don't understand the Lux tax level -- does that mean that Spurs can pay up to around $61 Mil THEN have to pay lux tax? or is the Lux tax anything over the sal cap?

Please explain to us non-capologists :) -- thanks.

Quote:

---

does that mean that Spurs can pay up to around $61 Mil THEN have to pay lux tax?

---

Yes, dollar for dollar over the tax threshold.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

Fighting for a Spot

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=7&p=2&c=418688

“My agent tells me the three teams most interested in me are Seattle, Phoenix and San Antonio,” Winston told Stewart. In fact, Winston will work out for the World Champion Spurs next Wednesday.

---

Did Winston actually workout for the Spurs yesterday along with any other players? If so, how does he look?

How good is he?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

The Spurs are going to go with whoever will play for nothing. Spurs fans shouldn't complain, that's what they expect of free agents...

---

Hey it worked with Stephen Jackson and Devin Brown in their first stints with the Spurs. They were cheap, hungry, and able to grow as players.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Solid D

Hey it worked with Stephen Jackson and Devin Brown in their first stints with the Spurs. They were cheap, hungry, and able to grow as players.

---

This guy will definitely be hungry and cheap since he was suppose to be a 1st rounder and went undrafted.

Quote:

---

Hey it worked with Stephen Jackson and Devin Brown in their first stints with the Spurs. They were cheap, hungry, and able to grow as players.

---

DOnt you know its horrible though for an owner to break even or make money nowadays??

heaven for fuckin bid.

I'd like to see Justin Hamilton get an invite also

I watched Kennedy many a time and he has first round skills. Why he wasnt drafted is beyond me. He is a 3 point shooting SF, with ball-handling skills.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rescueone

I'd like to see Justin Hamilton get an invite also

---

He sucked in summer league.

Last year's profile:

http://www.rolltide.com/Mens%20Basketball/4987.asp

http://www.rolltide.com/images/18055.jpg

Kennedy Winston

Position: Forward
Class: Junior
Hometown: Prichard, Alabama
Height / Weight: 6-6 / 230
Experience: 2VL
High School: Mobile Blount

2003-2004 (Sophomore):
2004-05 John Wooden Preseason All-America
1st Team All-SEC (Coaches’ vote)
2nd Team All-SEC, AP
All-Phoenix Regional (NCAA tournament)
2nd Team, All-District 6, NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches)
SEC Player of the Week for February 24-March 1 (27 points vs. Auburn/22 vs. Ole Miss), giving him back-to-back honors and making him the 1st player in UA history to win it three times in one season and only the 2nd ever to do it three times in his UA career; he was the 1st to win it three times in one season in the league since 2000
Co-SEC Player of the Week for February 16-23, 2004 (31 points and 11 rebounds at No. 4 Mississippi State; 17 points and 6 rebounds vs. Vanderbilt)
SEC Player of the Week for December 22, 2004 (27 points vs. Oregon; 20 points vs. Chattanooga) and had the game-winning shot vs. Oregon
1st UA player to be named SEC Player of the Week three times in same season
Scored 20 or more points in 12 games
Led UA in scoring, averaging 17.1 points
Averaged 5.5 rebounds
Averaged 19 points in four NCAA tournament games on UA’s 1st NCAA Elite 8 team
Scored 21 points against then No. 1 ranked Stanford in NCAA 2nd round
Scored 21 points against eventual NCAA champions Connecticut in Elite 8 and 19 points against defending national champions Syracuse in NCAA Sweet 16
Had double-double of 31 points and 11 rebounds AT then top 5 ranked Mississippi State to lead Bama’s 77-73 upset road win
31 points was his career high in game at Mississippi State
Big scoring games included 31 at MSU, 27 vs. Oregon and at Auburn, 25 vs. Arkansas and Florida, 24 vs. Louisiana Tech, 23 vs. LSU, 22 vs. Ole Miss, 21 vs. Stanford and UConn, and 20 at South Carolina and vs. Chattanooga
Started in all 33 games

2002-2003 (Freshman):
A starter in 10 games, including the final nine games of the season
Averaged 11.1 points and 4.7 rebounds
SEC All-Freshman Team
Scored 20 points against Ole Miss and 22 against South Carolina in back-to-back games
Collected first collegiate careerdouble double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Auburn
A finalist for the 2003 USA Junior World Championships team, he dropped out of the tryouts in order to spend his time working out with his Tide teammates. Alabama faced a major rebuilding season (replacing four starters). The team practiced in July and travelled to Nassau in August. Those extra practices and five games were invaluable to Winston and his UA teammates heading into the 2004 season.

Prep Highlights:
2002 Mr. Basketball in the State of Alabama
2002 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star but did not play in game as he was enrolled in summer school at UA
2002 Birmingham News State Player of the Year
Averaged 33.2 points and 11.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 2.7 blocks & 2.4 steals his senior year (2002)
2002 Final Four MVP
2001 and 2002 southwest regional MVP
Blount advanced to 2001 and 2002 state Class 5A Final Four, winning title in 2001 and making it to the championship game in 2002
Scored more than 2,000 career points at Blount

Personal information:
A human environmental sciences major at Alabama
Parents are Jessica Stovall and Kennedy Winston
Born July 29, 1984

It looks as though he got his share of minutes in the Pro Summer League with Memphis and performed average by just analyzing the box scores. It did not look like he was overly impressive with his shooting or rebounding but then again this is summer league and it is difficult to gauge how he could perform with a team like the Spurs.

Hmm. Look at that incipient double chin. 6'6" and 230 as a guard. Do we see a guy with a possible overweight problem here? :elephant