Former Miami point guard Guillermo Diaz is working on a weekly draft diary exclusively for Rivals.com. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound native of Puerto Rico was one of the first players to enter the draft and sign with an agent. Considered one of the most athletic players in the draft, Diaz averaged 17.2 points a game as a junior this past season. In his fourth entry below, he discusses his latest workout with the Boston Celtics, what NBA team wants to see him next and offers his take on the NBA Finals.
I just drove back to Tampa, Fla., from Miami this morning. I came back home hoping to go to Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, but couldn't get a ticket. I ended up watching it on TV with my old teammate Denny Clemente (rising sophomore at Miami).
I was in Boston on Friday for a workout with the Celtics. It was very competitive and a lot like the previous workouts I've had.
Ronnie Brewer (former Arkansas guard), Donnie McGrath (former Providence guard) and David Noel (former UNC forward) were all there.
I felt like it was a good workout overall. I thought everybody played good. Obviously there is a lot of doubt because of my height, so I really try to show my toughness and competitiveness.
One play that stuck out was an alley-oop I threw to Noel. We got a steal and got out on the break and I threw it up there. The way he dunked it he made it look too easy.
Brewer was real good. He was very long, real athletic and shot the ball really well, too.
From Monday through Thursday I was working out hard in Tampa. I continue to work a lot on the pick-and-roll, and also have started to focus on one-on-one situations. I'm developing moves that I can count on to beat people. That's what little guards do most of the time in the NBA and how they make plays.
Watching the Heat win on Sunday night was fun. Of course being from Miami, I like the Heat, but I really just enjoy watching NBA games when I get a chance. A lot of people are surprised the Heat have come back and won three in a row, but I knew they were going to start winning once they got a chance to play in their house. Going back to Dallas will be much tougher, but they only need one more win.
By the Numbers
The career stats of Guillermo Diaz at Miami:
Year
PPG
RPG
APG
2003-04
11.8
2.9
2.2
2004-05
18.6
4.3
2.6
2005-06
17.2
2.9
2.9
Total
15.9
3.4
2.6
I'm training today and tomorrow and then I head to Seattle for a workout later in the week. I'm trying to stay away from TV and computers. I don't want to hear about all the hype and news out there surrounding the draft. That's just a chance to put my eyes in the wrong places. I want to stay focused on the things I can control and don't want my head to get big or do anything that could lead me to lose my confidence.
Now that the draft is less than two weeks away I have to admit I'm getting a little nervous. I'm so close to fulfilling my dream of playing in the NBA. It feels like it's right here. I think the toughest part will be actually watching the draft. I'm sure waiting for my name to be called will be nerve wracking.
var CurrentYear = 2013;
