Jamir Watkins, at present ranked No. 59 on ESPN’s High 100, has established himself as one of many nation’s prime returning school gamers. After averaging 12.0 factors and seven.8 rebounds in his first season with Florida Sate after transferring from VCU, and Watkins was named All-ACC Honorable Point out.
Watkins is gearing up for his last season at FSU, the place he has emerged because the staff chief. Final season, he confirmed he was way more than a defender, he had 19 consecutive double-figure scoring video games, because the 6-foot-7 wing continues to show his versatility on each ends of the ground. After initially declaring for the NBA draft in April 2024 and coming into the switch portal in Might, Watkins determined to return to Florida State, as he seeks to enhance his recreation additional with one other season beneath Head Coach Leonard Hamilton.
The Trenton, NJ native lately sat down with HoopsHype to debate his determination to withdraw from the NBA draft, his growth as a participant, and his expectations for the upcoming season.
Jamir Watkins: It was good suggestions. Positively what I used to be anticipating to get. It was nearly me maturing and my reads on the court docket so far as ball screens and stuff, staying constant as a shooter and stuff like that. It was positively good suggestions, although.
JW: Simply me having a dialog with my household, my coach, and workers, individuals in my inside circle simply serving to me out. I simply felt as if me coming again one other 12 months would put me in a means higher place, with the ability to mature extra, so far as on and off the court docket in Boston. Taking pictures, being constant. Simply me taking one other 12 months out, going again into it, I really feel like I’ll have, I may need a bonus going again into it for subsequent 12 months.
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JW: I’ve at all times seen about Florida State and their type of play. I do know they’re massive on massive guards, they usually push their wings so far as being versatile. So me coming into it, I simply knew it could match me nicely, , their type of play and Coach Hamilton, the best way he likes to play. So me coming over, it was only a no-brainer for me.
JW: I might say passing, actually simply getting different guys going. I really feel just like the extra I get different guys going, it’s gonna come again to me.
JW: I feel I grasp my hat on simply taking part in protection, guarding the perfect man. However one thing that’s gonna stand out this 12 months, actually my rebounding – simply getting stops, racking up stops, ending it with a defensive rebound.
JW: Yeah, he was behind me with it. So me coming again was like a no brainer for me.
JW: Simply to get a really feel for it, have all choices open. With the 12 months that we had, I simply wished to maintain all my choices open, even when I considered coming again, which I did.
JW: I might say my dad and mom for certain. Simply seeing them work each day form of motivated me, and it acquired me to the place I’m in now. I might say my hometown as nicely, Trenton, simply the world we grew up in form of pushed me to be who I’m now, molding me into the person I’m as we speak.
JW: I might say defensively, guys like Herb Jones, Jaden McDaniels, simply the 3-and-D guys that are available, fill a job, guard the perfect guys, and grasp their hat on protection.
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JW: I might say final 12 months I did slightly bit, however now I actually don’t. It actually doesn’t matter as a result of I’ve seen guys that acquired drafted who had been nowhere on the boards or the place individuals had them in mock drafts. That form of stuff actually doesn’t matter; it will depend on the work you place in.
JW: Oh, I really feel like so long as I work exhausting and simply go as exhausting as I can, I may put myself in any place I wish to be in. So me simply taking part in my hardest, going on the market, giving it my all, ensuring my teammates know I acquired their again, I really feel like I could possibly be a first-rounder, possibly even get into the lottery.
JW: I might say taking pictures guard, small ahead, swingman, yeah.
JW: Yeah, I prefer it. Having the ability to rebound and push is all the things. That’s what I feel the NBA is transitioning to.
JW: I simply assume it will depend on how a lot work you place in. You may be no matter you wish to be. Me being a two-way man has been my journey. I was actually skinny, so being bodily didn’t work for me once I was youthful. Everybody was both stronger or smaller however may get beneath me, so I needed to learn to shoot. In highschool, I grew into my physique, acquired stronger, began taking delight in protection, and performed as an enormous man at instances. In school, I spotted everybody’s proficient and powerful, so I needed to discover my means. That’s once I began doing the soiled work, getting further possessions, diving on the ground for unfastened balls. That’s how I performed at VCU, and it molded me into the two-way participant I’m now.
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JW: I don’t actually have a professional comparability. I go away that to the Web and different individuals. I don’t examine myself to anybody.
JW: I wanna say Kobe, massive Kobe man. Michael Jordan, LeBron, KD is my favourite participant, and I’m going with Shaq to observe.
JW: My GOAT is KD. The way in which he play makes the sport look really easy, and it’s actually not. The way in which he makes it look is nowhere close to as straightforward as it’s. He’s so constant. He’s been doing the identical factor for therefore lengthy. Taking pictures threes earlier than it was the factor to do. Each elbow jumper, each dribble – it’s like he’s understanding through the recreation. It’s so easy but in addition so exact.
