It's important to know the kind of person that you're drafting.
Drafting a new player is a delicate process for any team, especially a team with an upper echelon pick.
Team's have to assess a number of factors, first and foremost being a player's actual abilities and assessing if they fit a positional need that the roster has at that point in time or if they profile to be the kind of player that can hold up in the future and have the longevity to be a part of the team for a long time.
Those kind of traits, the ones related to talent and physical fitness, are often assessed through a mix of film study and observing players in person, either at the NBA Draft Combine or in personal workouts with the team.
From left, Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr., forward Yaxel Lendeborg, center Aday Mara, guard Elliot Cadeau and guard L.J. Cason watch the final seconds of the game against Howard from the bench at the NCAA tournament in the first round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesGetting to Know A Player
But there's another aspect of the draft process that doesn't have anything to do with a player's talents or attributes, but it has everything to do with who they are as a person, a friend, a family member and a teammate.
For most draft prospects, they don't consider how much importance teams put on their actual character and the process to reveal that part of themselves can catch a lot of players off guard, as Michigan sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. found out when he interviewed with the Golden State Warriors.
Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) and guard Nimari Burnett (4) celebrate after their win against the UConn Huskies in the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament between the and the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images"My interview was like an interrogation pretty much," Johnson Jr. said (via Kenzo Fukuda). "They're asking questions. They ask about your background. So, I'm just making sure I'm being as honest as possible... It's definitely fun... But yeah, that's pretty much how it is. They're trying to get a feel for who you are as a person."
Character and personality is something that matters nearly as much as what a player can do on the court, especially for a player trying to get a start in the league. What can be found out in an interview or by asking family, friends and former teammates can reveal exactly what kind of person a player is and what a team is getting into.
Finding A Fit
Are they a good teammate? Do they party? Will they work hard or blow off optional sessions? These are all predictions that a team has to make and account for when making a draft pick. These rookies are investments in a team's future and they need to be sure that that the person they're getting matches the talent they're intrigued by.
Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) and Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) celebrate after defeating the Connecticut Huskies in the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn ImagesAn interview is one of the best ways for a team to assess the kind of person they're looking to sign before any traits, positive or otherwise, reveal themselves.
For the players, it can feel like an interrogation, but who someone is off the court or in the locker room is often just as important to a team as how high they're vertical or what their shooting percentage is.
