Santa Cruz Warriors Media Day: Xavier Henry Seeks Another Chance
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — While on site for Santa Cruz Warriors Media Day at Kaiser Permanente Arena last Friday, Blue Man Hoop was able to catch up with Head Coach Casey Hill and ask him what the team has been working on in practice and whether there have been any standout players thus far in training camp.
“We run everything that Golden State runs, so we’re a heavy ball movement team,” Hill said. “It’s hard at first for guys to stand out because I’m on them for not moving the ball and doing too much one-on-one or individual stuff.
“But from that perspective, a couple guys have stood out: Darington Hobson has been really good in camp so far, Ronnie Brewer just bringing his veteran experience and just his approach to things has helped the younger guys. Anthony Vereen, who’s kind of an undersized 4/5 for us, has come in and really taken a leadership role this year that’s really helped drive camp forward. It’s been really good so far.”
The avenue for players to step up into leadership role, however, only opens up when the former leaders of the team choose to step down. As Coach Hill told Blue Man Hoop when talking about whether there was any added pressure to win another D-League title for the franchise, the rosters normally reset as the D-League is more focused to developing players and getting them NBA-ready rather than winning a championship. When asked about whether there was anything to be added to their system, Hill answered by reminding Blue Man Hoop of the constant roster fluctuations that occur within the D-League.
“I thought we were really really good defensively,” Hill said. “Aaron Craft was a big part of that, Ognjen Kuzmic was a big part of that, Mychel Thompson was a big part of that — those guys aren’t here. Dominique Sutton, Taylor Griffin…those guys are all gone. So it’s really difficult to add new things when you’re losing so many pieces.”
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Understandable. The aforementioned players were HUGE, influential pieces that led to the first D-League title in Santa Cruz Warriors history, in addition to many other guys who chose not to return for another season to pursue other opportunities. But in losing those players, Santa Cruz gained a plethora of new players, a group consisting of many young, undrafted players looking for a chance to play at the NBA level and a couple of NBA veterans hoping to prove they still got what it takes to excel.
One of those veteran additions was 6-foot-6 shooting guard, Xavier Henry. The 12th overall pick in the 2010 Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies and later a player for the Los Angeles Lakers and the team formerly known as the New Orleans Hornets, the 24-year-old has yet to find a home in the league.
Previously a training camp pickup by Golden State and currently with the Santa Cruz Warriors, he’s hoping to take advantage of the opportunity and put his past behind him. When asked if there was anything in particularly he had worked on in the offseason, Henry claimed it was his “health” that was taking up much of his attention. Many may recall him having a solid season with the Lakers, which was unfortunately followed by him being waived after rupturing his left achilles tendon in the 2014-15 season.
Xavier Henry talks with reporter at Santa Cruz Warriors Media Day
Now plagued by a minor case of strep throat, Henry is anxious to get back to playing the game he loves, and he feels like he can bring a lot to this team both on and off the court.
“I can bring a lot,” Henry said. “I can score the ball, I’m a good teammate, and I always look to make the next play.”
“Defensively, I’ve never met a challenge I didn’t wanna take. I’m always there, I’m always talking, I’m always loud…I can help bring the smarts defensively to help everybody else be a better defensive player for the team, not just for yourself.”
Blue Man Hoop also asked the NBA vet whether he would be asked to take a leadership role, and while he stated that Coach Hill knows he needs to focus on his health issues before practicing with the team (he’s been limited to rehabbing and individual workouts), he feels that a leadership role would only be natural for him.
“Sometimes it’s just natural when you realize how much you can help another player or just the rest of the team as a whole,” Henry said. “When you know a lot about the game, you can always pass on more things not just to better yourself, but to better the other guys as long as you have a team mentality.”
Just a great guy with a great philosophy; here’s hoping he finds his niche with this team.