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Chat Reel: Jamaal Tinsley

Former cyclone ready to take on NBA's best point guards

Jamaal Tinsley led Iowa State to an Elite Eight berth his junior year. Brian Bahr/Allsport

CNNSI Host: Welcome to today's NBA Draft chat with Jamaal Tinsley. Welcome, Jamaal, and thanks for joining us.
Jamaal Tinsley : Thanks for having me!

From Marty3:: Hello, Jamaal. Which NBA teams have you worked out with, and which ones have expressed the most interest in drafting you?
Jamaal Tinsley : I've worked out for Boston, Indiana, Orlando and Vancouver. Right now it is up in the air between Boston, Indiana and Orlando. Those three have shown a lot of interest.

From Amit Kapur in Oakbrook, Ill.: Has Marcus Fizer provided you with any guidance or advice, leading up to the draft and playing in the NBA?
Jamaal Tinsley : Not really, me being older I just know how the game is as a business aspect.

From Faez in Toronto, Ont.: Hello, Tin man. Without a doubt, you are a true pass-first point guard. Do you see yourself as being more of a distributor in the NBA, or do you feel that you should also be able to score points. like Stephon Marbury and Gary Payton?
Jamaal Tinsley : Like you said, I think about passing first. I like to get my teammates involved -- get them in good spots to score. That's a true point guard, and I feel that I am a true point guard.

From Dewaun Lockhart in Lathrop, Calif.: Jamaal, have you and Omar Cook ever played each other? You are both from New York and both play at Rucker Park. Has Mel Mel "The Abuser" ever faced Omar "The User"? If so what happened?
Jamaal Tinsley : I won't say about that, but we worked out in Orlando against each other. It was a good workout, but right now we're just both working hard and trying to get drafted.

From c-newb: Jamaal, do you feel that your two years at Iowa State have prepared you for the rigors of the NBA?
Jamaal Tinsley : Yes, I think so. That's why I didn't come out after my junior year. I think it helped me a bunch by staying around my senior year.

From Hector Cruz in Los Angeles, Calif.: In my opinion, an All-Star point guard needs to be able to hit the 3 ball at will. What would you say is a point guard's most deadly offensive weapon?
Jamaal Tinsley : I would say distributing the ball to the right person at the right time, like to the big man, and when they double, you have to be able to hit the open jumper. You also have to be a leader on the court. You have to be like the general on the floor.

From Eddy in Chicago: Jamaal, what is your opinion on the NBA moving to a zone defense?
Jamaal Tinsley : It doesn't make a difference. I played against it in college. When the ball goes down low, everyone is going to collapse. So when the ball comes back out, I'll have to hit the open jumpers. I'll find out.

From Chad in Breda, Iowa: Hey, Jamaal, thank for the memories. My favorite one is of you dribbling between Nolan Johnson's legs during the 2000 Big 12 tournament. I've always wanted to know if he said anything to you after the game, and, more important, did Larry Eustachy ever get after you for it? It looked like he was trying pretty hard not to laugh. Good luck, man, we're gonna miss you next year, but we'll be following your career and cheering for you.
Jamaal Tinsley : Nolan is a friend of mine, and when I saw him in New York, all my friends were laughing and he said, "You didn't have to do that to me on national TV." Coach didn't say anything to me because it worked. He gave me space like that as long as it worked, and it did.

From Jesse Fender in Hahira, Ga.: How did you learn how to do all those nasty ball-handling tricks?
Jamaal Tinsley : Just being outside all the time when I was younger. I first started playing when I was 6 years old. That was just me trying stuff in the park. Then I would try things during games, and I just kept working on it.

From Eric in Santa Clara, Calif.: Hey, Jamaal, what are the skills that you think you can bring to a team immediately for next season, and what aspects of your game do you hope to improve?
Jamaal Tinsley : I think I bring a lot of toughness and leadership. I can create for myself and my teammates. I probably need to work on my jump shot more.

From Jason Skinner in Birmingham, Ala.: Which NBA point guard do you most look forward to going head-to-head against?
Jamaal Tinsley : All of them. They're all there. I'm just trying to work hard, get better and be the best I can be.

From Jim in Des Moines, Iowa: How big an impact has Larry Eustachy had over the past two years in getting you prepared for the challenges of NBA?
Jamaal Tinsley : It was good for me to play under a coach like that because he is very demanding. I think the NBA coaches are going to be like that -- demanding. He helped me out a whole lot. He's very hard-nosed.

From raptorsmanian: Who is your favorite point guard in the league?
Jamaal Tinsley : Rod Strickland and Isiah Thomas -- those two are my favorites. My game is a lot like Rod's. Isiah just created off the dribble, and I like to do that, too.

From rahmiel:: Jamaal, do you feel that going to junior college helped you as a person and ball player or maybe hindered your improvement as a ball player?
Jamaal Tinsley : That was the route I had to take. It helped me in a way, and in a way it didn't. There was a lot of freedom. It's not structured like a university. You can try a lot of things that you couldn't at a university. I would just say that is was a lot of fun.

From Izzi in Boston, Mass.: Hi, Jamaal, thank you for all you did for Iowa State these past two years; you will never be forgotten. I would love for you to come and play for the Celtics in Boston. How did your workout go, and would you like to play for Boston?
Jamaal Tinsley : The workout went real well. I would love to play in Boston. Right now, I can't control that, so I'm just trying to play real hard every day and hopefully someone will pick me up.

From Matthew in Cedar Falls, Iowa: How well prepared do you feel you are for the rigors of the NBA physically and mentally?
Jamaal Tinsley : I think I'm ready. Like I said my coach -- coach Eustachy -- put me through a lot in college, so I think I'm ready.

CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have today with Jamaal Tinsley. Jamaal, thanks for joining us and good luck in the draft.
Jamaal Tinsley : Thanks for having me.

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