NBA PM: Unraveling Jeremy Tyler
There are supposedly around 300 hours of footage for the yet-to-be-released Jeremy Tyler documentary—a film that aims to encapsulate everything from his verbal commitment to Louisville, his decision to forgo his senior year of high school, and, ultimately, his nearly ruinous stint with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Haifa. But despite all the work that has gone into “My Life: Chasing the Dream,” the subject told reporters at the Nets practice facility on Wednesday that the project is on hold.
Tyler, who was in New Jersey for a group workout in preparation of the June 23rd NBA Draft, didn’t give a specific reason as to why, but it might have to do Cavelight Films needing more production capital. Of course, even if the project was sufficiently funded, Tyler’s story can’t be accurately told because it’s far from finished.
Most basketball fans know about his troubles in Israel. Tyler arrived as a 17-year-old with an exciting blend of athleticism, post maneuvers and defensive skill, but left five weeks early as a disappointed 18-year-old riddled with uncertainty. In his 10 brief appearances Tyler did little to distinguish himself as a player, and, after being denied the chance to dress for three consecutive games, he decided to go back home to San Diego.
What most fans don’t know is that Tyler didn’t just sit and wait to become draft eligible. He joined Tokyo Apache in Japan and averaged 9.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG and hit 51.1% of his field goals in 15.4 MPG. Most importantly, he played with former NBA players like Robert Swift and with a former NBA coach, Bob Hill, who also helped groom Tyler for the Draft.
Tyler says he doesn’t regret any of the decisions he’s made. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday he was candid, humble and eager to change the perception that he’s just another spoiled athlete. Because Tyler’s answers were both lengthy and revealing, I thought it best to simply let him tell his story in his own words. Here are some of the highlights of Jeremy Tyler’s interview with reporters at the Nets practice facility:
How did playing overseas affect your game?It’s definitely developed me as a player on and off the court with me being a professional. It definitely rose (sic) my maturity level. Now I’m just out here having fun, showing what I can do, being the best that I can be and just showing my stuff. Hopefully I catch some eyes and some interest.
What separates you from players who went to college?
Being overseas is definitely an advantage. I see it. I know it. There’s a lot of good guys in this draft and a lot of good guys throughout these teams. I aint gonna knock their game, they’re real good, but I feel like I view basketball in another way.
What was it like playing for Bob Hill, who also coached NBA big men like David Robinson?
Bob was definitely a major part of me being with that team. He was a major part of my success with that team. I mean, for him and all his knowledge, everything he knows—on and off the court stuff—it was just a blessing to be able to sit there and converse with him every single day. That was exactly what I did. I learned from him every day.
I came to San Antonio right after Tokyo and I went right back into working out with him. 70 percent of our workouts is (sic) mental. I mean, just how you conduct yourself on the court—always walking with your shirt tucked in, your pants tied up, your socks up high, stand up straight. I have a little issue here with posture. He’s been everything that I’ve always wanted. He’s been a great role model, great leader, father figure, coach.
Why did things go better in Japan last season as opposed to your stint in Israel?
There’s always a coaching difference in every country. Japan I adapted real well. Israel, it took a little longer. But it wasn’t expected for me to just come in and just go right away as if I’m 28. I was 17 going into that situation. Like any other 17-year-old, it’d be a little difficult, but I stuck. Everything that went wrong that year in Israel was fixed in Japan.
It was frustrating the first year (with Haifa). It was like, I’m killing in practice but I just got to realize… it’s really not all about scoring the buckets. There are certain ways you play defense and there are certain ways you can hard hedge on screens, you can show on screens, you can open up, you can down screen. All that stuff, I didn’t do that in high school.
Playing over there with coach Bob in Tokyo, he gave me a chance. I told him, I said, ‘I’m gonna come in, I don’t expect a starting position. I don’t expect 10 minutes a game, but you know what, if you give me the opportunity to earn it, then I’m gonna bust myself every day in practice.’ And that’s what I did. I ended up playing 16 to 18 minutes. It all worked out for me. He brought the best out of me. My teammates brought the best out.
It’s a team sport. It’s not individual. If the team’s working then you’re working. So that’s all I really wanted to do out there was kind of get in with the team because in Israel I really wasn’t into my teammates like that. I needed to get more into my teammates.
What’s your advice to players considering making the jump from high school to foreign professional leagues?
I couldn’t tell them it would be easy because then I’d be lying to them. I think everything is all personal. It’s all based on what you can handle, because I went over there by myself. I didn’t have my family over there. It was difficult, but I stuck it out.
Don’t do it because you think it’s the cool thing to do and you’re going to make money and all that stuff because that’s not the right mindset to go into. You’ve got to challenge yourself to be better and to know you can be the best where you are now, but when you get there, you’re not going to be the best.
Would you do anything differently?
I would do it the exact same way I did it. I feel like I wouldn’t be who I am now without doing that. I really appreciate everything that kind of took over out there.
I really didn’t expect anything (in Israel). I expected to get better and mature. And through all the bad days and all the great days, that’s exactly what I did. So, I mean, as far as my goal for that year, I felt like I reached a few of them on the basketball side.
What have you heard from teams as far as where you could be drafted?
I’m not sure. It’s still an early process. I was, like he said, I was a highly rated player coming out of high school. I just don’t think I took any step back. Eventually everything will come out. If I get drafted one or 45, I just want the honor of playing in the NBA and showing that I belong. Other stuff is fun. Traveling and being in different cities, you know, it’s real fun and I’m excited to be a part of this league.
What kind of power forward/center are you?
I really have like a versatile game. I can shoot the ball pretty well. I’ve got a nice series of outside moves. Pretty good variety of moves inside the paint. I mean, whatever’s needed, I just play basketball. Whatever’s needed at the time. If we need a quick two, the closest shot is always the easiest, highest-percentage shot.
I’ve always played real good defense. I always played off-the-ball defense really well. I always went out after defensive rebounds. Defense has never been a big issue with my game because I always have a strong presence on defense. As far as what I can bring to the NBA this upcoming year, it’s definitely a lot of intensity.
Jordan Williams Is Looking Svelte
Maryland center Jordan Williams also took part in Wednesday’s workout in New Jersey. The Connecticut native said he’s extended his jump shot to 17 feet in anticipation of a move to power forward, and he’s also worked hard to shed the extra body fat he carried with the Terrapins. Williams measured 6-9, 245 pounds at the Chicago pre-draft combine, which was the lowest he’s weighed in some time.
“I lost a lot of the weight,” he said. “I was down to 247 at some point, at the combine, and I built the weight back up to put it in the right spots. I was kind of more floppy. It wasn’t in good spots before, so I moved my weight around, so I still have the power and strength, but my body looks a little better.”
Williams averaged an impressive 16.9 PPG and 11.8 RPG while hitting 53.8% of his field goals in his final season at Maryland. The big question will be, can he make the jump to power forward?
“I’m going to play the four in the NBA,” he said. “In college I played the five. That’s what I played in high school. But I stepped my game out now. I can play the four; I can play the five. I’m just working on my jump shot, things like that.”
{AUTHOR_BOX}Is the Big East the Best Preparation for the NBA?
Pittsburgh guard Brad Wanamaker was asked by HOOPSWORLD if he feels the Big East is the best conference when it comes to preparing players for the NBA. Obviously, the Philadelphia native might be a little biased, but he did give some specific reasoning for his answer that might interest you:
“Yeah. I mean, the Big 12, you can make an argument for that too. But I see the Big East. The Big East, when you look at it, it’s physical. It translates to the NBA game as far as being physical. Guys always call their isolation and also there’s a lot of help defense. You see that a lot in the NBA, that’s the key now. A lot of teams help now—helping rotate, helping closing out—just all the little pieces in the Big East translate to the NBA.”
Will Trade Winds Blow Through the NBA Draft?
The imminent expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement has left every team in a state of flux. Beyond the NBA Draft, nobody can make any guess as to what basic rules free agency will be played by. We can’t predict the cap, exceptions or sign-and-trades.
But even with such uncertainty looming in July, Nets GM Billy King thinks several deals could go down on June 23rd. Things might be quiet until the draft, but King feels teams’ motivations might change as names start falling off the board.
“The hard thing is I think people would more likely want to trade, but I think people may not want to give up as much than what was traditionally given up,” King told reporters at the Nets facility on Wednesday. “So it will make it tougher to get trades done.
“I think you may see a lot more trades happen draft day because a player may not be there and they want to get rid of their picks,” he continued. “You’ve got to do a lot of work ahead of time to set those things up.”
That means some of those draft-day deals could be coming together right now.
NBA Chats: HOOPSWORLD fantasy expert Tommy Beer will give you his take at 8pm Eastern. Here are all the upcoming chats and all the chat wraps.
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