Draft pick sets sights on Rookie of the Year award

The fourth overall selection in Tuesday's draft told reporters Friday he expects to win Rookie of the Year in his first season. "I expect to have Rookie of the Year, honestly," the player said during an introductory news conference. " He added that his confidence stems from daily preparation and repeated that he is aiming to become one of the league's all-time greats.

Draft night remarks On draft night the player referenced the franchise's history and said it was time for another player of that caliber to emerge. He reiterated the point Friday, noting that striving to be the greatest is a bold goal but one he intends to pursue rather than settling for average performance. "If I reach that goal, I do. If I don't, then at least I know I tried," he said.

Teammates and staff introduced The team also introduced its 15th overall selection at the same event. Both players sat with the vice president of basketball operations, who was hired in April and made the selections as part of the current rebuild. The fourth overall pick said the situation feels like a fresh start and that he plans to lead by example while working to restore the organization's standing.

"I'm really excited for the opportunity," he said.

comparisons The player missed the NCAA tournament after breaking his thumb in March, giving him a shorter body of work than the three players selected ahead of him. He said he has already faced those players and that the results speak for themselves when evaluating how his skills compare. "I played all of them," he said. "You know what happened when I played them, so it don't really matter."