Voice of the Nets with Chris Carrino (Presented by Ticketmaster)Jalen Wilson enters his second NBA season on a high following his MVP performance at this year's Summer League. He talks with Carrino about his growth in the league, what he learned in his time at Kansas and how he's adjusting to New York City.
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H jailing. Great to see you man, Good to see you.
Appreciate you sitting down with us. You come in. You know, last time we did this, you were just drafted second round pick, and now you come in after a year under your belt Summer League MVP. Somehow that only translated to second team All Summer League. That's all right whenever you're just as long as you're on one of those teams. You got that trophy. Let's start there. Summer League. Uh, your level of comfort with that competition as supposed as opposed to maybe a year ago when you played there.
Yeah, No, definitely. I think year one verse year two of Summer League was very different as far as my mindset approach. I think the first year, everyone's nervous, like I'm a rookie. I've never played in any NBA type of type of game, and it's kind of just like, let's get into this, let's figure out what this is, and uh, you know this this past summer, I just came in with full confidence knowing that one you know, I've been here, I've played in Summer League before. I got a second team my rookie year. So I just wanted to come in and be aggressive and everything that I do and be an example to two newer guys that we had, and also get better with Noah Deris. You know, that's that's the draft class I came in with. And you know, we've all had our different paths, but we all have the same mindset and what we want, and that's to get better. And I feel like we went out there got better. Obviously didn't win it, but there's still a lot of good things that came from some of the league.
You know, you you had a level of confidence coming into the league, I think. I mean you when you come from Kansas, that's that's a that's a professional level for sure, right, I mean you played in in final fours. I mean you you've done everything there is to do in the college game. You were a little older than a lot of the rookies that came in, so I would imagine there was a confidence level for you coming in. I always say people were surprised, but I think people were impressed last year with your level of maturity when you came in the game, how skilled you were. But I'm assuming it wasn't a surprise to you.
Yeah, got your opportunity last year. Yeah, I think a lot of people, especially if you only watch me play my senior year in college, like I'm just a guy that volume shoots and all I really can do is score, and you know it is what it is. But if you go back and watch when we won the championship, I was I was the fourth option on our team and did the little things, played hard for us to win and I averaged a double double that and that marchmad Is when we when we won. And but the perception was like, just if I'm not shooting shots, then you don't know what you're gonna get out of me.
But it's what you what you needed to do with that team.
That's what I need to do with that team. And it's like the totality of my game is not necessarily like scoring, Like, yes, I will score, and we need to score. But I'm a guy I'm literally fine with like winning it and whatever it takes to win. And that's what I learned at Kansas. That's just how I was raised to play basketball. I've never been one to be satisfied with anything else. I don't think co self ever allowed us to even think to be cool with losing. And that's just something that I'm always going to have a part of my game, and like I said, people may have thought other things about me coming in, and now it was my job to you know, proven and like Noah, I'm here to maximize my full potential and everything that can be.
You know, when you're at Kansas, just like you said, you don't you're never going to be comfortable with losing. You lose a handful of games. Sometimes star players come into the NBA they've lost a handful of games in their college career. Is that a big adjustment in the NBA where even the best teams lose thirty games? Yeah, yeah, right, not that you want to get used to it, but there does come a time where you got to like turn the page.
Yeah no. In college, yeah, I mean, you go, we played thirty thirty five games. You lose two or three of those games, and those are still like the world's end and you just lost two games in the season, but you're also not playing the best basketball players in the entire world. You get to the NBA, you do realize that there are just some days that there's going to be some team that's hot and this is there's nothing you can do. Uh, And that's normal in the NBA. I mean, that's that's a part of what it is. No one's gone eighty two and oh I don't assume that will ever happen because of the talent is so so so well spread around the league. It's definite an adjustment when you're when you're losing a lot coming from a school like Kansas, But you also understand that one, this is now the NBA, like I said, and two it's just just a part of growing, a part of a process. If you look at Oklahoma City three four years ago, they were losing a lot and now they're one seeds. So you just see the progress and see that it's a process to everything.
You have a maturity level that I think is it goes with the fact that you weren't a nineteen year old rookie and you play the Kansas What kind of a leadership role can you take with this group? I mean, we know this net team is young, trying to figure out what they have going forward. Do you feel like you're in a position now to sort of take a leadership role with this group even though you're only in your second league, second year in the league.
I would always want to I always want to be a leader no matter where I am in life. I feel like obviously, like if you look at like those Miami teams, like eudonnis Housen was a leader and he didn't put in the like he's not scoring thirty thirty five a game, but he's well respected. And no matter where you are, and that's where I am, Like, no matter where I am, I always want to be respected. I always want to be a leader. I always want to be able to teach someone and also be able to receive it and then go to somebody else and ask them questions. And I see that with the same team. You know, I am only in my second year, but like you said, I am older than most of the guys that came in with me and who are coming in this year. And I feel like being twenty three years old, some of the guys are twenty years old, I can't help them with some things. This is as far as life. I find the NBA is so much bigger than just playing basketball because there's so many things mentally you have to do with family, friends, all stuff like that. And I feel like I have a good grasp of different things and if I can help them.
I will My radio partner and I always talk on the broadcast capper. We you know, we were like when we see you come in the game last year. He's a former coach, and he'd say, you know, he's the kind of guy that coaches sleep better when you know you've got you out there. What's the best coaching influence? What would like the like, let's say, Bill self, what were the things that we can see in you that were maybe developed by some good coaches that you.
Had in your career. No, yeah, coach Coach Soff hit it on the head. You saw so many talented guys. You look at Christian Brown for Denver, a guy that was a first round pick for the first two years of his career. As long as myself, I mean, we looked at as guys that you just go in there and bring energy going there and learn how to help that guy get better. And that's how I was just always brought about at Kansas is you know, being a young guy, you want to play, you gotta make you gotta make oh try better. You've gotta for the years before you got to go make Frank Mason better. You've got to go, like help those guys and I feel like that's a direct correlation to the NBA. You got to come in and you know, my rookie year, I'm not coming in and thinking, oh, Michel or being needs to make me better. No, I need to come in here and help them.
Guys, how can you make that even a betteran you're thinking I can.
Exactly like, how can I help them get better? Because at the end of the day, he knows more about this game than me. He's there's there's vests out here, It's played nine ten years of my team, So it would be foolish for me to come out and try to assume that I know more or play like I know more. But instead, I feel like for younger guys, especially wanting to get the respect of them, not only them, but the coaches, because you need both. You don't have the respect of your team will ever work, but having both the coaches and the players respect. I feel like it's the biggest thing I was taught is just earning that.
You know when you got your opportunities last year, it's it's it's it's intermittent, right like, you don't really you didn't really know when you were going to get a chance to play you end up starting some games when you were like because when guys kind of get those kind of opportunities, I guess the natural thing is, hey, let me go out there and score. Let me go out there and somehow put some some points on the board, so people notice me because I don't know when I'm going to get this opportunity.
Again.
That doesn't seem to be you or your game. So what was your approach when you went in there. I guess it goes back to impressing the coaches and your teammates.
Yeah. I would always say, like the biggest and the best thing that I always heard like co Sel say, and it was a compliment. I took u as a comment is I never wanted to be known as all he can score, he can like it was I play hard and I have a good feel of the game. I feel like having a feel of the game is like one of the best comments you because there's so many good scores in the NBA. But having a guy like I know he's gonna go in there and not jack up shots, but he's gonna find the right play. It's something that you can't just just take advantage of. And and that's something I always want to hang my od onwn is. I'm always gonna play the right way no matter what's going on and playing well.
And you made a high percentage of threes. Is that a strength for you?
What I mean? You feel comfortable for sure? This is a shooters shooters league. You got to be able to shoot or just be able to jump over everybody, and that jumping overbody isn't my game, but playing hard and knocking down shots and playing the right way can be.
I always think that shooting percentage is not just your ability to shoot the ball, but it's also your ability to know what's the right shot. Yeah, you know, I think that when you when you're a stickler for making the right shot, the ball goes in more. Sometimes. You've been very consistent from college careers, NBA Summer league, this summer, the off season. What was it that you went in the mindset of I got to get better at just wanted to.
Be able to get better at making shots at all all around, no matter what pass it was, no matter what if you know there's there's those three seconds left on the shot clock, all those things add up greades, right, Yeah, Yeah, you never know, and you'll get it, and you know, that's just like part of being a young guy. You don't know when you'll play, You don't know when the shot will come, but you got to be ready. And those are just things I want to work on again this year, is being ready for any type of shot and any type of environment that I'm in.
Are you anticipating a big role with this team this year?
I definitely want to. I'm definitely gunning for that. I feel like I set the tone with some of lead that I'm coming in to to take advantage of every opportunity that I have. And you know what young kid in the NBA wouldn't want this opportunity.
That's Jordi Fernandez kind of said that there is no hierarchy here right now. You know, you came in with a team that was in a transition, didn't really now it's all a bunch of young guys just earning everything you got, right. Your impression of you know, as we tape this, you're getting ready for your first training camp with Jordi Fernandez, but you guys have had a chance to be around him and stuff. What was your impression of him as a coach.
A very serious coach about what he wants about, what he wants out of us every single day, high expectation and a guy that wants to get better. First day, guy here talking about one percent better every single day, no matter if it's mentally, physically, emotionally, whatever, it is just finding a way to get better in some aspect of your game, of your life. And I took that to heart. You know, I feel like there's some days that you may not want to be in the gym, you may not want to do this, but you got to find a way to get better because that's what all the grades do. You know, not everybody wants. Everybody wants to say they want to be here, but the work is what's the artist.
And he's proving himself too. I mean it's an opportunity for him. You know a lot of like the similar players. How about you personally, your your adjustment to post college living in Brooklyn?
Yeah, what was that experience like for your first fun? It's been fun. And I came as a kid from Texas not understanding New York how it worked at all, not honestly not liking it. And when I was in high school because every AU tournament was just chaotic. But now that I've gotten here to be in summer, it's so much more relaxed. I know my way around some places. I just I'm just falling in love of being here.
Man.
It's such a such a cool city, such a good environment, and I find myself when I go home, like during the summer. Man, I want to get back to New York.
You're in a hurry now.
I want to, Like, this is too too chill for me, Like, I gotta get going.
You still have the reptiles.
I don't didn't bring anything. She's still she's still in Kansas right now. She's still a loves she she should be should be well healthy. This is uh what is it? A bearded dragon beard drag? Yeah, yeah, she's big who takes care of her. I got a guy in Kansas. My gout, Craig. Shout out to Craig. He's always helped me out with everything I needed in Kansas. So she's still.
Yeah, it's probably not good to have one of those leaving apartment in.
Brook floors up. It's it's a lot to take care into that.
So, I mean, we're looking forward to seeing you take it to another level here.
Uh.
It was really when I think one of the more pleasureful things of last season, which was a kind of a tough year, right. I mean, it couldn't have been easy for you to see your fellow Kansas Jayhawk and Jock Vaughn, you know, be replaced by Kevin Ollie. So you in your first year you had so you come from a program with such stability and build self there for so many years. I guess you had mixed feelings. I guess that was a kind of a weird kind of time for you, right when you say, just like I said, it's just learning, learning and understanding.
How tough the NBA is. For one, Uh, you don't really get the aspect of understanding how many guys and not only players but coaches want to be in the NBA. Everybody in the world wants to be in.
The broadcasters everybody broadcast everybody, everybody wants to be here.
Everybody's gunning for where you are. And college you kind of like, yeah, there's a lot of people in the draft this year, but once you get here, you realize it's the whole world wants to be here. It puts a different mindset to to think about. I think that was just a learning process for me and still still learning that.
All right, well, good luck this year, Jae.
I appreciate it, and I appreciate to sit down with you. H
