The Chronicle's Daniel Carp went 1-on-1 with former Duke forward Ryan Kelly, who hopes to hear his name called at Thursday's NBA draft. The pair discussed Kelly's Duke career and his NBA future. Check out the full story on The Chronicle's main site.
Daniel Carp: Immediately following the season, you had surgery on your right foot, the same injury that kept you out of action for nearly two months. How is your recovery process going?
Ryan Kelly: It was always meant to be a 12-week recovery, so I’m pretty close to the point where I can get back on the court running and all that. I spent a lot of my time focusing on hip and core work, spending my time in the pool and getting ready to do some jogging and running in the pool.
DC: I don't know if people truly understood how much that injury was bothering you on a daily basis. What was it like to try to play through it once you came back?
RK: It was a tough thing to overcome. I broke it in January. I had a big decision to make about whether or not to have surgery immediately or elect to try and come back to play. I went to a couple of doctors and came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t hurt it anymore by playing. So I got to go back out and play but it was all based on how I could tolerate pain.
DC: And to come back from an injury like that with a 36-point performance against Miami. Coach K said that was the greatest performance he'd ever seen in Cameron Indoor Stadium. How did it feel to be out there that night?
RK: It was a pretty amazing experience. I’m not so far removed from it, but I know that it was a special moment in my career and I’m very blessed to have been in that situation. I practiced 20 minutes the day before. That was the first time I had really practiced at all. Coach and I came to the agreement that I wanted to play and he said we would go for it. I knew I had nothing to lose, and everything went well. That’s the way the game of basketball works sometime. You get the ball in the hoop, you get some confidence and it keeps going in, and it was certainly one of those nights.
DC: But I'm sure you would never come close to trading that experience for the national championship you won during your freshman year, would you?
RK: That was something you can never take away from me and my teammates from my freshman year. At the same time, that was a motivational thing for me throughout my entire career, because I won a national championship, I have a ring but I never got a chance to play in that game. I always had a goal to put my team back in that situation and that was something I wasn’t able to do, but not many people can even say that they have one.
DC: How difficult has it been going through this draft process without being able to work out for NBA teams?
RK: Obviously I can’t go out to a workout, and that’s unbelievably frustrating for me,” Kelly said. “I wish I was out there working out and showing what I can do, but bottom line is I can’t. I have what I have, and have to give what I can give.
DC: You and your agent have been speaking to NBA teams and gaging their interest. Do you believe you'll be selected in the NBA draft?
RK: [My agent and I] believe I’m going to be drafted in the second round,” Kelly said. “Where exactly, we don’t know. There have been teams throughout the second round who have shown significant interest.
DC: Which NBA teams have shown the most interest in you?
RK: I spoke to a bunch out at the NBA Combine in Chicago. Since then I've visited with quite a few. I've seen the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks among others.
DC: Aside from your abilities on the floor, what do you believe is the most that you can bring to an NBA franchise?
RK: They know that the guys that are problems really create issues in a locker room. I think throughout my Duke career I’ve shown that I’m a leader. I’m the type of person that is going to be great in the locker room, that’s a hard worker, that is going to be in a gym, putting in the time and putting in the hours. I think there’s a lot of teams that need someone like that.
DC: If by chance you don't get drafted, have you put any thought into looking into opportunities in Europe or trying to play your way onto a roster in Summer League or the D-League?
RK: My agent and I believe that I’m an NBA player. Whatever that route is to get to the NBA, I’m going to take. There are players that don’t get drafted that end up playing in the NBA, and we believe that I could be one of them. I want to stay here and I want to stay here because I’ll have the opportunity to stay here.
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