Rick Barnes discusses upcoming basketball season

Rick Barnes discusses upcoming basketball season.

On Keon Johnson, Jaden Springer and Victor Bailey Jr.:

“All three of those guys give us versatility. They can play multiple positions. All three of those guys have the ability to be a lock down defender. It’s three guys that can play off the dribble and create shots for themselves and also for their teammates. I think VJ, from a conditioning standpoint and obviously being in college as long as he has been and sitting out a year, he’s ahead of those guys. The other two guys have got to get themselves in shape. That’s where this summer we weren’t able to get them in really the kind of shape and conditioning that we want to have them in. I’m not talking just physically. I’m talking the mental side of it and learning how to continue to play when you’re tired, how to concentrate, think and carry yourself when you’re tired. We haven’t had a chance to do that the way we’d really like to. That’s why these next couple of weeks will be really important to the them. From a talented standpoint, all three of those guys are talented. They give us versatility. We need that. We haven’t been as versatile as I think we can be this year.

On E.J. Anosike:

“Man, you’re talking about a guy that is a worker (and) very serious. He is going to do what he does. He can really rebound the ball because he really wants to rebound the ball. He’s worked very, very hard on his three-point shot. As you can imagine, he’s really good around the rim. He’s a worker. He’s one of those guys that goes to the gym, and after you spend time working with him he’s going to go back and work on it and keep up with it. He’s very serious. He, along with Yves and John, Olivier—who has had a great summer—and Uros, who didn’t get back as early as he’d like to. Those four post guys have all had great summers.”