James, Matthews enjoying workout process
Even after Dominic James and Wesley Matthews have completed their eligibility, graduated from MU and moved out of their campus digs they still can't seem to go more than a few days without seeing each other.
Not long after the two worked out at the Cousins Center on Wednesday afternoon for the Milwaukee Bucks, James illustrated for a large group of assembled media members just how close the two have managed to remain.
And all without planning.
"It's kind of funny -- even in Houston, I got off the plane, and I was on my way to get my luggage and our driver was waiting on us," James said of an earlier multi-team workout he and Matthews both attended. "He said, 'We've been waiting on you. I've got another guy in the car -- do you know Wes Matthews?' I laughed and said, 'Not only is he my teammate, he's my roommate, too.'
"Then we moved out of our apartment yesterday and then I'm coming down this morning to get ready for this workout, I come from the 12th floor to the eighth floor, and the door opens up and there's Wes. I didn't even say anything to him. We were both on the elevator, playing. He's definitely one of my best friends, and this is something that we'll remember forever.
"Going through workouts together, playing in college and then to the pros -- that's why basketball's such a great game. You develop into so much more than teammates. You're real friends."
While the Bucks are undoubtedly more familiar with James, Matthews (and Jerel McNeal) than virtually any other collegiate player just because of proximity, they nonetheless ran them through the usual assortment of shooting and ball-handling drills, as well as a series of 3-on-3 games.
James teamed with UAB's Robert Vaden and Missouri's DeMarre Carroll, while Matthews teamed with LSU's Tasmin Mitchell and Loyola-Chicago's Josh Mayo.
By the time all was said and done, Matthews was left wishing he'd done better.
"Out of the four (workouts so far), I'd probably say it was my worst one," Matthews said. "I didn't shoot the ball well. Lost too many games of 3-on-3 to Dominic. I hate doing that. I could have been better."
James, meanwhile, seemed satisfied with how he fared.
"It was good. I had a great time," he said. "Obviously it was a little bit different – I didn’t expect to be in the same workout group as my teammate, but we brought a lot of different things to the table that they might not have seen from the other guys, as far as intensity and being vocal.
"It was great to be out there with him. We weren’t on the same team; we were competing against each other, so we just realized that there’s no ‘friends’ when it comes to NBA workouts."
When informed Matthews grudgingly had paid respect to him for his performance in the 3-on-3 games, James smiled.
"That’s why I’ve got a lot of respect for Wes – he always tells the truth," he said. "But he competed. It was Wes that actually picked his team up and got them going, and he ended up getting them a couple wins. But he did a great job working out, and he was definitely one of the harder workers."
So far, Matthews has worked out out for Portland and Washington, and took part in the aforementioned workout in Houston that was attended by not only the Rockets but also Memphis, Minnesota, Miami, Boston and San Antonio.
He leaves Thursday for a workout in Detroit, which is where McNeal worked out on Wednesday.
James' schedule has been a little lighter thus far; Milwaukee was his first single-team workout. His situation is a bit different than Matthews' in that he's still recovering from surgery to repair a broken left foot that sidelined him in late February.
"I'm about 75-80 percent," he said. "And a lot of it is mental, just trusting it and knowing that I’m capable of doing the things that I could once do. It’s just a matter of coming out here and competing and playing hard. Once I come out here, I kind of forget about it.
"I can still jump. I’m still working on the lateral, and trying to strengthen it back up. It’s just a matter of pushing off on it. It hurts a little bit when I do defensive slides, but I felt like I defended well today, and that’s one of the things I definitely take pride in, the defensive mentality."
James was asked if he felt teams would be able to fairly judge him while he's not 100 percent, and what he's telling teams about his mind set and his recovery.
"Like I always tell them, I’ve never missed a game in my collegiate career, and I tried not to miss any games even when I was hurt," he said. "I tried to come back. That’s the type of player and person that I am – I persevere through any adversity that I may face. I’m back at it, and I felt I worked out pretty well, so hopefully it works out in my favor."
Specifically with a young daughter for whom he has to provide, James is well aware of how lucky he is to be in the position he is at this point.
"It’d definitely be a dream come true," he said of potentially playing in the NBA. "There’s so many doubters out there, but I’ve gotten beyond that. I’m not worried about proving anybody wrong; I’m just worried about proving God right. I’m praying about it every day, that my dream does come true.
"I’m just worried about the things I can control, and the main thing is coming out here and working hard every single day and playing the game I want to play."
Matthews, who continues to shuttle back and forth between Milwaukee and Washington, D.C., where his agent is based, said he feels good about the feedback he's received thus far. But because being drafted still is far from a certainty, he's had plenty of anxious days and is likely to have plenty more leading up to June 25.
"It’s tough," he said. "Some days you feel great, on top of the world, and then the next day some uncertainty creeps into your head. But I’m confident in the fact that my name will be called. Praying every day, working every day, doing everything I can. I just hate the fact that it isn’t 100 percent in my hands. But all I can do is take care of what I can, and that’s what I’m doing every day."
McNeal, meanwhile, is expected to work out for the Bucks on Friday. The team doesn't announce its list of invitees until the morning of the workouts.
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