D.C. Native Would Welcome Opportunity with Wizards
Thomas Robinson firmly believes that he is the best player in the June 28 NBA draft. The vast majority of NBA analysts feel that Anthony Davis, who played one year at Kentucky, will be the first overall pick. When Robinson heard that Davis showed up for his interview session last week sporting a T-shirt that read, "Check My Stats," Robinson chuckled to himself and offered a response.
"If you want to check the stats, then I'd be the number one pick, easily. If that's what you want to do," Robinson, a consensus first-team all-American from the University of Kansas, said. "I should get one of those shirts. Get a shirt that say, 'Numbers don't lie.'"
Robinson explained he developed his competitive side while battling in the District, where showing respect is acceptable as long as it's "not too much," he said. That attitude helped him go from being an unsung prospect, to a backup his first two years at Kansas, to now a probable top-five selection.
The Wizards need perimeter help. They could address this issue with many talented wing players available to them at the No. 3 spot. Players such as, Florida's Bradley Beal, Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes, however, the team has only two confirmed starters with John Wall and Nene. This gives Washington the ability to go in a few different directions.
When asked about playing in Washington, where he would be close with Jayla, his 9-year-old sister, Robinson said, "You're going to have distractions everywhere. This whole league is full of distractions. I'm not worried about that." Robinson and his sister lost their mother, Lisa, to a heart attack last year. "It would be great to go back home and to hold my city down. To be back where it all started would be great for my family. I wouldn't have to move my family around a lot."
Last season at Kansas, Robinson averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds and posted 27 double-doubles while leading the Jayhawks to the championship game. He's not sure where he'll end up, but the 6-foot-9 junior power forward said he will take note of the teams that overlook him.
"I'm going to feel offended," Robinson said. "I'm going to go after every team I step on the floor against. It's not going to be a specific team that I go out and try to kill. I'm trying to kill everybody."
