By JOSH NEWMAN
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Sir’Dominic Pointer finished his St. John’s career with a flourish, winning the Haggerty Award and helping the Johnnies to their first NCAA Tournament since 2011.
Little did Pointer know that former head coach Steve Lavin would follow him out the door.
“I didn’t think it was gonna happen, but it did,” Pointer said after he worked out for the Nets on Monday morning at PNY Center. “I wish Chris Mullin the best of luck. Coach Lav, he’s a good dude. He’ll find another head-coaching job somewhere else or he’ll go to TV. Whatever he does, he’s a smart guy and he’ll be alright.”
Pointer’s comments come less than three months after Lavin and the school mutually agreed to part ways after five up-and-down seasons.
“He did a lot for me, just being there for me,” Pointer said. “When I needed something, he was there for me. When I needed someone to talk to, you could always text him. He hit you with long text messages and cheer you up. Coach Lavin was a big influence on my life. He’s there whenever you need him.”
With his college career in the rear-view mirror, Pointer is now looking to prove to he has the chops to make it in the NBA. Monday at the Nets was Pointer’s eighth workout with the NBA Draft looming on June 25. He said he still has workouts slated with the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers before the draft.
A 6-foot-6 guard with a 6-foot-8 wing span, Pointer was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in March, so that facet of his game is not being called into question. His shooting, however, has been a point of emphasis.
Pointer’s shooting numbers as a collegian were poor. As a senior, he shot a career-high 52.4 percent on a career-high 334 shot attempts, but was just 2-for-25 from 3-point range. In four years, the Detroit native shot just 22-for-110 (20 percent) from deep.
If Pointer hopes to make his mark at the next level, he will need to find a way to improve his perimeter game.
“I don’t know if he needs to get a 3-point shot, but he needs to make an open shot,” Nets Director of Player Personnel Gregg Polinsky said. “I think making an 18-20-footer for him is fine. What you don’t want to do, and what you saw a little bit at times during the playoffs, is when a team senses they can’t shoot, it’s 4-on-5.
“You don’t want that guy to be a liability. You want him to figure out a way to make an open shot, or you’re running enough motion that he’ll be able to find a way to get in and slash at the rim.”
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