Kings GM: Omri Casspi really stood out

Sacramento Kings General Manager Geoff Petrie, known for picking new talent in NBA, says he has had eye on Casspi for some time. After picking him in first-round draft, Petrie says in interview with Ynet, 'He was best player available for needs we had to fill'

Amir Bogen פורסם: 05.07.09, 21:27

Geoff Petrie knows a thing or two about basketball – one of them being how to manage. As a Princeton University graduate, he surely was infused with wisdom from the two worlds – sports and management – on the prestigious New Jersey campus, home of legendary coaches Pete Carril and David Blatt.

As a young man in the 70s, it was his skills on the court that gained him fame. He was rookie of the year in 1971 when he debuted in a Portland Trailblazers uniform. Five years later, he was forced to retire because of knee injury with two All-Star games already under his belt.

Since retiring, Petrie has focused his efforts on the management side of the sport. After building the Trailblazers team from his position in the front office, Petrie was appointed general manager of the Sacramento Kings, where he transformed the perennial weaklings from California's capital into a force to be reckoned with, garnering no less than nine playoff appearances in the last 15 years.

Omri Casspi in his Kings jersey (Photo: Rocky Widner, Sacramento Kings)

From his spot at the top of the professional pyramid in ARCO Arena (twice named NBA Manager of the Year in 1999 and 2001), Petrie managed all aspects of the team, from hiring coaches, making trades, signing free agents, to making draft picks. Throughout his career, he has been credited with picking some real talent.

In a special interview with Ynet, Geoff Petrie expresses similar hopes for Omri Casspi, whom he picked from this year's draft.

Casspi. Watched since 2007 (Photo: Rocky Widner, Sacramento Kings)

"The first time I saw him play was in the Hoops Summit game in Memphis about two or three years ago. He was playing against Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves), Michael Beasly (Miami Heat), Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and a number of other players in the NBA now. He really stood out and was able to get things done in that game. He also never stopped playing even though the game got a little out of control, score-wise. That was our first exposure and we have continued to watch him since then," said Petrie.

What did you find in Casspi that made him a first-round draft pick?

"We thought that he was the best player available for the needs we had to fill. We have seen him play now for a couple of years, going back to the Hoops Summit game in Memphis. We saw him at the European championships and the workouts he did here in Sacramento, but also at Golden State and New Jersey. We knew that we needed to work on our small forward spot, which he should be able to play. He is still young and has a lot of room for growth. When he was available for the 23rd pick we were really happy."

Evans, Casspi, and Brockman being presented (Photo: Rocky Widner, Sacramento Kings)

In your opinion are there areas in which he needs to improve for the upcoming season?

I think that all young players need to continue to keep working on their game. His shooting has already improved. I think his shooting could improve some more. He will need to get stronger overall. Some of that will happen just by maturing and some of it will happen in the weight room. I don’t have any doubts. That was his commitment to the game - that whatever he needs to improve on, he will do it by working on it.

Is there any possibility of Casspi staying another year with Maccabi Tel Aviv before joining the Kings?

We drafted him so that he could come over and play and start to contribute. It is challenging times in every business right now, but he is a player that we feel can help us improve and win games. We are looking forward to having him over here.

You might be aware of the interest and excitement Casspi and the Kings are stirring in Israel. Did it affect the pick in any way?

We picked Omri because we believed he was the best available player for us at that pick. We are really excited about the amount of enthusiasm that there is in Israel and knowing that there is a heritage there and the success of basketball and Maccabi over the years. Hopefully Omri's participation in the NBA and the success that he can have will help to add to that.

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