CK: How has your summer been going? What is it that you are working on?
IT: Everything, man. I want to come back a more complete player. I feel I can be one of the best guards in the NBA and I’m going to put in the work to do that. There’s nothing specific that I’m really working on, I just want to get better at all aspects
CK: We keep hearing all the press, but what is it you’re thinking about as you go into free agency? Is it Kings? Is it the best fit for you? Where is it you want to be?
IT: Whatever’s best for myself and my family. That’s all I can look forward to right there, because I’ve never been a part of nothing like that and I just have to do what’s best for myself. At the end of the day, I just want to be wanted. I just want to be wanted for being 5-9. I want to be wanted for being, like I said, a score-first point guard. I want to be wanted. If they want me here (in Sacramento), I want to be here.
CK: Do you think you did enough this season to prove you are a starting NBA point guard?
IT: I mean, the numbers speak for themselves. She don’t think I’m a starting NBA point guard (Thomas pointed to a reporter nearby), but it’s fine. But I just got to keep proving people wrong and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to use that as motivation to keep proving to people that I am a starting point guard in this league.
This is no way sounds like a guy who'll take on a role as a 6th man and in no way sounds like a guy who thinks he's anything other than an elite, score first PG. Unfortunately for the little guy, that's not what this team needs. This whole "having to prove people wrong" mindset, which we often saw manifest itself in many games where he put his 1v1 PG matchup above team play really hurts in a team setting, especially one where Boogie and Rudy are reliant on him feeding them the rock. It's great to a certain extent he has this confidence, every pro player needs that across sports, but, how it fits in the team concept is also very important and how IT views himself as a player does not fit with what we need at the PG position.