Patrick Mills Interview

[HMFFL]

What do you do better than all those guys you just mentioned?

For me being a point guard and as a captain of my team, I've always though my leadership is one of my big strengths.

What are you hearing about where you might be taken and who has expressed interest in you?

Late first round, around 20 to 30. I think that's realistic... late first round. The goal for me is to be picked in the 1st round.

What have you worked on most from last year to this year, and right now as you prepare for the draft?

In a general sense, one aspect has been my leadership skills - running a team in the half court and full court situations. Game management. I've worked also on developing my shot in the past couple years. And a big one in preparation for the draft has been learning all about on-ball screens defensively. That's big in the NBA... the pick and roll.

Many scouts say that in order to make it in the NBA, you have to have at least one skill that's transferable to the next level that can make you successful. What would that be for you?

Decision making in the paint... I like to get to the rim, but there are times when you get there and you don't have the option to finish, where you have to retreat or work off two feat, there are many options... so I've been watching a lot of Tony Parker, Aaron Brooks and Chris Paul... watching what they do in those situations. Because that's my main skill for sure, getting into the paint.

Which player do you compare yourself to now?

Tony Parker is someone I've had a close eye on for a while. My game is similar to his game, the way he uses his speed, pick and rolls, his decision making in the paint... leadership.

What's the biggest difference between the level of play in college and the level of play in international competition?

Physically there's definitely a difference. There are a lot of athletic guys in the college level now, but at the international level there are guys who are very smart who know how to use their strength and their body to their advantage on the court.

How does your game change in those levels, respectively?

In college, I'm the captain and the team leader, just naturally as the point guard. But my role internationally was different. My role in international play is more of a backup role. So I was supposed to come in for 10/15 mins, bring a lot of energy. push the ball full court on offense and ride the PG full court on defense. So internationally, I had a sense of urgency to go all out, you know?

For the people who didn't see the Olympics, that was really my coming out party. I was coming off the bench and then ended up as the top scorer for my team in the Olympics. That's what makes me believe I'm ready for the next level. I played against Ricky Rubio and against the Argentinean guards and American guards, and I played well. And I didn't do a lot of losing at St. Mary's. We had a great record and I focused a lot on understanding how to win. So I'm definitely ready.

Link

[HoopsGuru25]

I keep hearing the Parker comparison but it just doesn't make sense to me. Parker goes to the basket more than any other pg in basketball while over half of Mills' shots are threes and doesn't really draw that many fouls. He must have a pretty low basketball IQ if he can't utilize his great quickness vs mid major competition. He actually plays more similar to Tyronn Lue at this point of his career.

[Jamaaliver]

Patty Mills looks like a keeper. i predict he'll be the sleeper in this draft.

Tony Parker is definitely the right comparison. He's gonna be a helluva PG in this league.

Unless the Hawks draft him. In which case Woody will effectively ruin his carer like every single guard he drafts.

[evildallas]

I keep hearing the Parker comparison but it just doesn't make sense to me. Parker goes to the basket more than any other pg in basketball while over half of Mills' shots are threes and doesn't really draw that many fouls. He must have a pretty low basketball IQ if he can't utilize his great quickness vs mid major competition. He actually plays more similar to Tyronn Lue at this point of his career.

I didn't get a chance to see him play that much in college, but in International competition he penetrated at will against the competition including the US. He wasn't hoisting outside shots.

[HMFFL]

Youtube Interview

[HoopsGuru25]

I keep hearing the Parker comparison but it just doesn't make sense to me. Parker goes to the basket more than any other pg in basketball while over half of Mills' shots are threes and doesn't really draw that many fouls. He must have a pretty low basketball IQ if he can't utilize his great quickness vs mid major competition. He actually plays more similar to Tyronn Lue at this point of his career.

I didn't get a chance to see him play that much in college, but in International competition he penetrated at will against the competition including the US. He wasn't hoisting outside shots.

I know he is capable of doing it...but how many really athletic point guard prospects shoot over 7 3s a game in college? That(and his low assist numbers)leads me to believe he has a low basketball IQ and won't be able to contribute much early on.

[niffoc4]

I watched the last 6 minutes of one of his games on Youtube, and while in the pros he's a pg prospect, they seemed to be playing him as an off guard. Getting him open off of screens and such. That might explain some of the 3's, but that did bother me watching this game. In the end his final 3 was the game winner, but he had gone like 3/12 on 3's in the game.

[raleigh]

"Leadership," that great nebulous term, is something that Flynn, Lawson, Maynor, Collison, and Douglas have had used about them.

[BAMABIRD]

He had to take alot of shots in college, who else on that team was going to score.

[HMFFL]

Australian Patrick Mills was absolutely the star of the evening’s all-star game, posting an impressive 30 point performance on 8/18 shooting from the field and 12/13 from the line. Mills handled the ball on a string all game long, showing terrific quickness keeping his man off balance, and making an absolute living in the mid-range area with his deadly pull-up jumper. His ability to utilize strong hesitation moves makes him extremely difficult to stay in front of, and he did a good job not settling for tough shots from beyond the arc today, getting to the line repeatedly. He clearly thrives in up-tempo settings such as the one seen in today’s all-star game, which came in stark contrast to his morning performance, where he seemed to over-dribble somewhat while trying to create in the half-court.

NBA teams we spoke to still expressed some doubt regarding his point guard skills, which is something he could still stand to work on. He posted 3 assists compared with 4 turnovers in the evening game, seeming to be hunting shots quite a bit, and didn’t look all that comfortable getting others involved. Scouts generally were impressed by the quickness and shot-creating ability he showed, and he also did a better job defensively today as well. Link

[HMFFL]

19 Atlanta Hawks Patty Mills SLAMonline Mock Draft:

[evildallas]

19 Atlanta Hawks Patty Mills SLAMonline Mock Draft:

Not a bad write-up. If you haven't clicked on it, it is about more than just the draft pick talking about some off-season decisions and it actually discussing several possible picks before deciding on Patty. The part on Toney Douglas is interesting. If we could get a high second or lower first I wouldn't mind giving him a shot as combo guard of the bench.

[HMFFL]

Like Dallas said be sure to click on Patty Mills for more information. I completely forgot to mention that, thank you.

Also I think Douglas would be a very solid pick and he would probably be happy with it considering his brother plays for the Falcons. Harry can save Tony some rent money.

[td00]

Gotta revamp our backcourt this year as this looks like the talent is...............

Ellington
Lawson
Who can argue with either and their success in college?

Intriguing Toney Douglas but he won't last long enough in the 2nd round.
I would like to know more about Dozier and Taj Gibson as well. We need some inside presence to help AL and Smoove.

[evildallas]

Success in college may not transfer into the pros and I think your list is a bit short.

For instance, what's the difference between Marcus Thornton and Wayne Ellington outside of UNC visibility? They were both designated outside shooters. Marcus might be a better prospect in fact. For that matter a lot of mocks have Gerald Henderson dropping. Maybe it was their roles in their respective systems but I saw more out of Henderson than I did Ellington. Although saying that, I would have to get a feel for whether Henderson is working on developing his off-hand. Without that he's too easy to defend. I love Duke, but I'm never blind to the shortcomings of their players.

I like Lawson, but I'm a little concerned with his injury history. Is he a better prospect than Maynor or Mills though? I'm not so sure. I mean he's fast offensively, but I saw him get destroyed by fast guards on the other teams (Rice, Teague). I wouldn't shy away from Lawson if available, but if both he and Maynor are available then I would prefer Maynor.

The UNC players may turn into good pros, but don't sleep on other players at the same positions just because you didn't get to see them play often.

Gibson's length will probably have him off the boards by the time we pick in the 2nd. Not sure about Dozier. He isn't projected on all mocks. Personally, I'm more interested in Jon Brockman, Jeff Adrien, or Aminu from Tech as 2nd round bigs. Also, Chris Johnson from LSU shows length and shot blocking potential although he is way too thin. Not sure he could bulk up any and retain his explosiveness. Still would be a guy I would look at maybe with an undrafted free agent offer. Not sure we'll do much in that area given no summer league involvement this year.

[HoopsGuru25]

I don't want Ellington.

Mills is somewhat intriguing but my gut feeling tells me he won't be that good in the NBA. His low ft attempts,assist numbers,and overall fg percentage scare the crap out of me. He compares himself to Tony Parker but I'm afraid he will be a smaller version of Boobie Gibson who was extremely similar in college.

Lawson would be ideal at 19. He was the number 5 consensus recruit and the number one overall point guard coming out of highschool so we don't have to worry about the "late bloomer" tag. He took his team from the elite 8,to the final 4,and then to a national championship in 3 years at North Carolina. He made huge strides as a shooter(although I don't think he has NBA range yet like some despite his %)and as a passer which shows a good work ethic. I wish he played in a more half court oriented offense and that he didn't shoot with such a low release but his credentials make him a no brainier pick at 19.

[evildallas]

You've finally got to me with your arguments concerning FTAs and Assists. I'm now in the camp of either Eric Maynor or Ty Lawson (Jonny Flynn should be long gone when we draft). I suspect that both of them may be gone as well. I'm not fond of Teague (Wake Forest and he both faded in an embarrassing fashion) and Collison (good D, but weak offensively) don't do it for me. If Maynor and Lawson are gone I'm going to turn my eyes to a value pick at BPA. That could be Gerald Henderson, Austin Daye, Earl Clark, BJ Mullens, or even Gani Lawal. I'm not fond of Wayne Ellington either because I don't like his all-around game. Marcus Thornton would be better, but I would hope that at least one of the previous list is still around instead. The one player that I am steadfastly against is Tyler Hansbrough. I think we can get equivalent pro contributions from a number of players with our pick at #49 and spending the #19 on him would be horrible value for the pick.

[HoopsGuru25]

The one thing I will say about Mills is that(although I haven't seen either)he seems to really stand out when going against better competition(team USA and the reebok camp in Italy)which makes me think that maybe he is one of those players that is just more suited for the NBA than the NCAA.

[raleigh]

He put up 22/6 @ Oregon, but it took him 18 shots to do it.
Took him 14 shots to score 18 @ Gonzaga, and only had one assist.
When he played @ Gonzaga again later in the year, he shot 2-16 with three TO's and only 1 ast.

Last year, he put up 37 pts on only 20 shots vs. Oregon. And 5 asts. A great game.
But he struggled @ Texas, 12 pts on 12 shots and 5 to's.
A good game vs. Gonzaga, 23 pts on 15 shots. 20 pts. on 15 shots @ Gonzaga.
@Miami, he put up 24 pts...but took 21 shots to get there.

Personally, I don't think he's ready.

[evildallas]

Looking at the Slam interactive mock, if it got to Chicago at 16 with Lawson, Maynor, and Mills still on the board then I would hope we'd explore the cost of moving from 19 to 16 to get our choice rather than whomever is left. If Chicago is left with Sam Young being the likely choice I doubt he would go to either Minnesota or Philly. If the cost is too high or none of those guys float the brain trust's boat then of course the trade idea would be waived off.