NBL Rookie Harry Froling talks about his NBA Dream

From nbl.com.au :

Reigning NBL Rookie of the Year Harry Froling is currently completing a hectic schedule of pre-draft workouts.

Having worked out with the Utah Jazz last month and Sacramento Kings yesterday, Froling will put his skills on display for the Washington Wizards on Thursday and Philadelphia 76ers on Friday (Australian times).

He will then look to impress a bunch of NBA executives at his Pro Day in Miami and is contemplating adding another couple of teams to his already-busy schedule.

Following his workout with the Kings, Froling spoke with Liam Santamaria about the pre-draft process, what he’s shown so far and how it feels to be chasing his NBA dream.

How’d your workout with the Kings go?

It was good. I didn’t kill Utah but I did really well today. I won the one-on-one drill and my team won all the three-on-threes so I had a really good session.

They said they really liked me and I killed it so have been really happy with today especially these guys having a couple of late picks, so it’s really good.

What did you show Sacramento in terms of your skill set?

I think I just translated a lot of what they’ve seen of me doing in the NBL.

In the three-on-three I hit the open shot, I hit a couple of contested threes. In the one-on-one stuff I blew by a couple of guys who are definitely a lot more athletic than me, so I think a lot of people were caught by surprise with that. I also finished around the rim well.

Teams want to see if it’s for real or not. They’ve been looking at it on film and I think I showed a lot of the stuff I did in games from last season where I really played well, like against Sydney and New Zealand. I pretty much did all that stuff in front of these guys so that was really good for me.

What feedback have you been getting from the teams you’ve worked out with so far?

It’s just showing that I can knock down the shot.

Conditioning is another big thing as well but I‘ve already dropped four percent body fat since I’ve been in Miami. So I’m definitely working on that and will get better with all that.  That’s just the biggest thing and it’s just been exciting for me.

What has your training program in Miami involved?

Weights every day, athletic training every day and then on court with Ronnie (Taylor) for a couple of hours every day. We also play pick up some nights.

It is really just working out every day for a week straight and then we have Sunday off. A lot of that is really just individual stuff and a little bit of pick up.

It’s just been really good being at the facility and being in there every day.

On social media today you called yourself ‘a kid chasing dream.’ I know that’s not just a throwaway line… is that what it feels like for you right now?

Yeah definitely, this what I’ve dreamt about.

I come over here and I’m working out with guys who are guaranteed to be drafted and I am doing better than some of them and I am competing with them. It is just another reality check, especially after playing those guys in the NBL who were NBA guys. It just shows you that you can do it.

I am just excited. Whether I get drafted or go undrafted or (play in the) Summer League, whatever it is, I’m just excited to get out here and show teams that I can help them.

I think I can play in the NBA in the next year or two and I can definitely help a team with my skill set. It’s just about showing them.

Hopefully someone takes a chance on me.

What’s your mindset heading into your upcoming workouts with the Wizards and 76ers before your Pro Day?

My confidence is building.

I’ve done two workouts now and am coming off the back of a really good Sacramento workout before I fly to Washington. Hopefully I can just keep building now that I am starting to get used to the drills and the workouts. Just get better and perform better for each team.

I’m just enjoying it and loving the process right now.

Having played against the Jazz last pre-season, battled against guys like Andrew Bogut and Shawn Long in the NBL and now completed pre-draft workouts out with a couple of teams, do you feel like you can play at the NBA level?

Definitely.

I didn’t play that much in the Utah game –I was a rookie coming in so I only played the last couple of minutes – but I played well throughout the year against Bogues and Long. Coming out here now it is just in the back of my mind that I’m starting to realise I can do it.

I have got to get my body in better shape.  That’s what I’ve been working on this off-season and I think I’ve got a lot better.

Whether I do end up over here this year or back in the NBL, I am just trying to show these guys that I’m getting better each year. Everyone thinks I’m skilled now but I have got better and I’m going to keep getting better.

I’m excited for the NBL or I’m excited for the NBA. I am focused on the NBA right now but if I end up in the NBL I think I could take another step this year and really have a much bigger impact.

Teams are going to decide what they want and I am just enjoying the process. I believe in myself one hundred percent.

I think I’m going to be in the NBA in the next year or two for sure, one way or another.

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