Exclusive Update: Checking in with Austin Daye
by Max Mandel on Nov 19, 2009 7:15 AM PST
21 comments
Although much was made of his brief career at Gonzaga, few can challenge the fact that Austin Daye was one of, if not the most, talented players in the Mark Few era. After being selected 15th overall by the Detroit Pistons this past year, Daye has at times struggled for minutes. However, he played a key role in the huge Pistons comeback tonight in Portland, and although they could not pull out the win, this was arguably Daye's finest performance in the NBA. After the loss, I was able to catch up with Austin and talk about how he is adjusting to the NBA, and also how he felt about the performance on Tuesday night against Michigan St.
Slipper Still Fits: Can you talk about what has been the biggest adjustment for you in the transition from playing at Gonzaga to playing in the NBA?
Slipper Still Fits: After playing mostly at the "4" spot at Gonzaga, you are now playing primarily on the perimeter with Detroit. Which position are you more comfortable with and do you prefer?Austin Daye: It's probably been the difference in the mental approach. Like, for me coming off the bench, it's much different then starting at Gonzaga. But the mental approach is one of the biggest, being mentally ready to play whenever the coach calls on you. I think that is one of the toughest parts. Also, just being ready to play basketball everyday, because it is an everyday job. Some people think that's its just fun to play basketball and get paid a lot of money, but there is a whole different side to it.
Austin Daye: Ya of course. I played the "3" in summer league. I'm a "3". I could play the "4", which Coach Few asked me to do, and I have no problems with that. My natural ability, and he knew in high school when he recruited me, is as a "3". He thought I'd be at more of an advantage playing the "4", which paid off, because I'm here now after my second year. So kudos to him and thank you. I think I am more comfortable playing the "3" then in the post, but I can do both.
Slipper Still Fits: How much attention do you still pay to the Gonzaga program? Were you able to catch any of the Michigan St. game?
Austin Daye: I was set on going to the game, but we had come down here and play LA, so that kind of ruined it for me. Hopefully I will be able to make it up for a game or see them somewhere. I'm always going to support the Zags and I'm always going to support Coach Few. I want them to do good things and I know that program right now is on the rise. Even though they are young, they are going to be a really good team.
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Daye would have been a hell of a player on this year's squad
Not to play what if’s but right now the one clear thing that the 2010 Zags lack is a 1 on 1 face to the basket scorer.
Bouldin and Gray are great college players but they weren’t quite able to break though Michigan state’s ball pressure. Daye’s ability to create mismatches and sink midrange jumpers would have been a huge asset for this year’s team.
Granted now this team has a completely different complexion based primarily on hustle and some grit in the paint.
Not to totally overhype it
But this would be the best team in the country with Austin Daye here. The frontline of Daye, Harris, Sacre would be literally unstoppable.
Plus Few could have either of these starting lineups
PG- Meech
SG- Bouldin
SF- Daye
PF- Harris
C- Sacre
or
PG- Bouldin
SG- Gray
SF- Daye
PF- Harris
C- Sacre
Final 4 or bust
It hurts to see that written down!
Probably could have staggered the 2009 recruiting class even more by redshirting Olynyk. I still wonder what Few would have done if Daye was here. Would he have kept him at the four and put Elias on the bench? Through the years he has been very loyal to his veteran players but with a kid like Elias that is a pure power forward, I’m not sure how he couldn’t start him. Steven off the bench would be great too and would supply that extra scorer that we need so badly off the pine.
I know this is all hypothetical dreaming but it is always fun/painful to think what might have been.
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I totally disagree
I wish Austin nothing but the best in the NBA
That said, Daye was never a true Zag. He seldom played with intensity. Seemed like he was always looking ahead to the next level.
The difference between the ‘attitude’ or ‘chemistry’ on this team and last years team is like Knight and Daye.
Last year we had great talent and were disappointed when they didn’t play to their potential. Austin gave us flashes of his potential but never let it all hang out.
This year we have a hard nosed team that mightily strives to achieve its potential. I don’t think we will be disappointed, in this regard, very often.
mjc
mjc
by quidveritas on Nov 19, 2009 11:25 AM PST up reply actions
ZB
I wonder how he would’ve fit in instead of KO T the 3, lol,? It wouldn’t have mattered to me WHO came off the bench!
Great work EDZ
I always loved the way Austin carried himself in interviews and this particular one is no different. Obviously he has a lot of respect for the program and Coach Few. I really think he can be an All-Star in 3-4 years. He’s got so much skill that he’s one of those guys that will have a solid career in the league.
As for how much I wish he was on this year’s team? Well I think we’d be a top 10 team. Easily. If you consider the fact that this year, Mark Few could’ve played Austin like Duke is now playing Kyle Singler, on the outside. He’d have more freedom at the mid-range level, would match up on small forwards that aren’t as physically imposing, and could create his own shot at will. Austin, Elias, and Rob would put together one of the largest and most skilled front lines in the nation.
With that being said…I’m happy with what we have on this team!
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Nice quote from Motown String Music
Austin Daye is a guy I can get used to playing 20 minutes a night. His long arms on defense are a major perk and his shooting stroke is about as pure as they come. He played a great game, I thought.
You can see the post here
Austin started slow but lately it has been clear that he is getting more and more comfortable and once he gets consistent minutes, he should really be a nice player off the bench this year for the Pistons.
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To be honest
I was disappointed in Daye on many occasions. He was hyped as a great player, but many times “mediocre” players like Micah Downs shined brighter. Daye had a temper problem, whining about fouls, that distracted from his accomplishments.
Maybe my expectations were too high. I hope he has a great career with Detroit, though. He has done well for himself.
Tom117
"Mediocre?"
Lets not forget that Micah was even more hyped out of high school than Austin was. Micah was a “Burger Boy”, there were talks he was going to declare out of high school. Daye had a temper problem like A-Mo had a temper problem, I can live with that. Daye was a very good Zag and, much like many players in the Mark Few era, were not used as they should have been, rather as they needed to be. Daye could get his shot whenever he wanted, and he was the best player on the floor nearly every time he suited up. I miss Austin and, as said above, this would be a potential final 4 team, as we would have someone that can step up and hit a shot at the end of the game, and plays well against top-notch opponents.
by GoZags09 on Nov 19, 2009 12:52 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
...
How can you compare Daye’s attitude to Morrison’s when Adam probably had a higher scoring average than Austin’s high game score? Daye was a crybaby, whereas Mo was just really emotional. Daye was a good Zag? More of a cancer but whatever you wanna call it… It’s not that he wasn’t used as he should’ve been, he was just too weak to be used effectively inside, not to mention he is a mess whenever he tries to drive. Best player on the floor nearly everytime he suited up? Wrong. However, he didn’t drop off against top-notch opponents, i’ll give you that.
I don't agree with you much
But I will agree with you on this one all the way.
I’ll just say you sometimes have to distinguish between the ‘best player’ and the ‘player who plays the best’.
mjc
mjc
Sad
This whole conversation really bums me out.
EDZ did a hell of a job getting an interview with Gonzaga’s newest representative in the NBA and it turns into calling him a “cancer” and not being a “true Zag”. I consider myself a very loyal Gonzaga basketball fan and I’ve still yet to understand what a true Zag means. No one would ever say that Austin didn’t give his all every game for the good of the team. He didn’t jack a crazy amount of shots up to increase his scoring output, he didn’t showboat and talk trash to the other team, and from all indications, he was an outstanding teammate and has represented Gonzaga in a great way since he left.
I understand that a lot of Gonzaga fans have an axe to grind with Austin because they expected him to be the next star but it is just time to get over it and wish him well in the NBA. Lord knows that Gonzaga needs a solid representative in the NBA. We’ve got Ronny but he’s trapped in Golden State. As far as his attitude, I never really viewed him as a crybaby. Different guys share emotion in different ways. Adam cried on the court, Ronny was as demonstrative as any Zag, and Pendo bitched about every foul call that came his way. For some reason, Daye was put under the microscope. Obviously, Ronny and Adam’s contributions will be more fond to Zag fans but don’t forget that Austin was an integral part of a Sweet 16 achieving team. And if it hadn’t been for one of the best teams in the past 10 years of college basketball, I’m confident it would have been an Elite 8 team.
Lastly, Austin Daye was played out of position at Gonzaga and there is NO argument there. He told you it, Mark Few would tell you it, and the rest of the team would tell you it. He was played at the four because of Rob’s injury and the lack of any other legit big man on the roster. Much like Olynyk, he was a guard in high school until hitting a huge growth spurt and his strengths as a player were always on the perimeter. He’s an outstanding ball handler for a big man and has a great ability to drive the lane for a mid-range shot. I’ll always remember the Arizona loss last year as Austin’s best game because he was able to do some of those things and he was really the only guy that showed up for that game. I hope he is given the opportunity to showcase some of those skills because I think it will make him a lot of money and he’ll bring a team versatility that few others can match.
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by Zach Bell on Nov 19, 2009 10:10 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Maybe I missed something
I thought this was a place to express opinions. Not a love fest.
Read the posts. I’m not the only one that feels this way.
I’m not saying I don’t like Austin Daye. I’m not saying I wish him ill. I’m saying — this year — I think the team is better off without him. We are going to score 80 to 85ppg and it looks like our defense is going to be pretty stingy. No body is standing around waiting for someone else to do something. The players appear to be engaged in the game and hustling. Yeah they are making mistakes — especially on defense but one would be hard pressed to question the effort on the floor.
I will absolutely say Austin DID NOT give his all every game. If you watched his performances during the tournament and compare these to the conference games it is very very obvious that his entire game changed. I think he did his very best during the tournament — no question. But . . . there were those other 20 odd games . . . especially the Memphis game when he flat quit early in the second half.
His antics on the court can only be described as immature. You see this kind of behavior at AAU games and less commonly in high school. You are entitled to your opinion but most folks lack your rose colored glasses.
Do you see any of that going on this year? How about that tipped ball call the refs blew. If there was ever a call to upset about that was it. Our guys called it to the ref’s attention and when he wouldn’t budge, they forgot about it and played ball. No whining, no faces, no pouting, just get back on D and play hard. That is what Zagball is all about.
mjc
by quidveritas on Nov 20, 2009 12:17 AM PST up reply actions
I understand what you're saying
Like I said, I realize Austin’s entire persona and legacy at Gonzaga will be heavily debated and will probably cause a number of late night bar arguments and in this instance blog discussions.
I’ll do admit that I have rose colored glass when it comes to Austin. Mainly because I want to see him succeed in the NBA, not only for himself, but for Gonzaga’s sake of having a decent NBA reputation .I criticized Austin often last year. I thought that he and Josh Heytvelt formed the softest front line in the history of Gonzaga basketball, which is something I’ll always blame Rob Sacre for (KIDDING). Honestly, I think that the talent level was so high last year that people didn’t really see that all of the pieces to the puzzle didn’t exactly fit to where this team could be in the final four or cut down the nets. That being said, I’ll take my sweet sixteen, pop my rose colored glasses on, and be a enormous Pistons fan.
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I had a great
career in the Army, even though I was transfered eight times in a 10 year period. We had a saying in the Army concerning being tossed from pillar to post and that was “you have to bloom where you’re planted”. The correlation here is that I, too, have heard Daye say that he was a “3” playing as a “4”, but his position and rotation was not his decision to make. You have to bloom where you are planted. Sometimes you have to succeed even though you find yourself in a bad assignment., or one not to your liking. You do it for your team mates.
To publicy announce that he was poorly coached is a slap in the face to Gonzazga basketball.
Tom117
Great comment and I agree
If he would have publicly announced that it wouldn’t have been good but Austin has been nothing but gracious in talking about his experience here and Coach Few’s impact on him. I think it’s fantastic that he played the four even though his skills may have translated better in other areas. He did it for the team where as many other guys transfer out if a coach doesn’t change the world for them.
Good point Tom. I’m glad I never heard Austin complain where he was being played. I had never really even thought about that aspect of his time here.
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Tom117
I missed the publicly announced comments that he was poorly coached. Where can I read that? Thanks. Also, the quotes from Austin above suggested “Kudos” to Coach Few for moving him to the 4 instead of his natural 3 and suggested that that move helped spur his NBA career. At least, that’s how I read that. I really would like to read up on the public comments he made though so I can judge for myself.
Austin has never said anything about being poorly coached
I believe that is what Tom is inferring from his comments about playing out of position. You must keep in mind that whenever Austin is brought up, people tend to get angry
Final 4 or bust
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