NBA Draft Blog Interview With Courtney Fortson
By Ed Isaacson
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with Courtney Fortson, the point guard from Arkansas, about his time at Arkansas, the pre-draft process and overcoming negative conceptions about him. Below, find out what Courtney had to say on these and other topics, as well as a brief scouting report on Courtney:
On why he chose to leave Arkansas after 2 years….
“I looked at my numbers compared to other point guards and felt mine were as good. Plus, I was dealing with the issues with my image, so I figured I would try my luck with the draft.”
On the feedback he has gotten from NBA teams, and what they were surprised about his game…
“I have worked out for Houston and I was in Minnesota for the multi-team workout. The feedback has been good. The teams have had a lot of good things to say about my game. They have been surprised at how well I shoot the ball from the outside. The teams weren’t expecting that from me. I need to work on my long-range, 3 point shot though. It’s not where I want it to be.”
On his goals as a NBA player…
“To win a championship, be a great teammate. And to succeed with what I am doing.”
On alternate routes to the NBA…
“If I don’t get drafted, I would want to go play in Europe. The experience playing overseas would be great and competition is top-notch.”
On what he would like to say to the people reading this…
“The main thing is I am not a bad person. I handled my suspension (at the beginning of the year) and going through that has made me mentally strong. Now I look forward to the next step in my career and showing everybody what I can do.”
I want to thank Courtney and his agent Charles Briscoe from BP Sports Management for giving me some time during this hectic period and I wish Courtney all the best in the upcoming draft. Here now is my preliminary scouting report on Courtney.
The Case For…Courtney Fortson
The Good – Fortson has great speed and has the ability to penetrate from all angles on the floor. He works well with post players, running the pick and roll well, as well as delivering quality entry passes to the post. He has decent range on his jump shot, and can consistently hit out to 18 feet. Defensively, Fortson can be a terror and seems like he would have been at home with the old Nolan Richardson “40 Minutes of Hell” Razorback teams. He has quick hands and has very good lateral movement.
The Not-So-Good – Fortson’s shot selection could use some improvement, especially on off of penetration where he can get a bit wild. Also, he needs to improve running pro-style offenses. He is so quick that sometimes he tries to take advantage of his defender before a play has fully run through. Defensively, he has a tendency to gamble, which can leave him out of position.
The Verdict – Fortson definitely has the skills to perform at the NBA level, though he needs to work on becoming less of a scorer and more of a facilitator of the offense. With many teams keeping 3 point guards on their roster now, an impressive summer league performance may be enough to get him a roster spot.