I caught up with Vern Goodridge recently to see how he was doing down in the NBA Developmental League with the Springfield Armor. Goodridge as you remember was with the Warriors this past summer and through training camp as he hustled to fulfill his life-long dream of being on an NBA roster.
Goodridge’s time with the Warriors was abruptly cut short when the team cut him in favor of Jeff Adrien, who has subsequently also been waived from the team. From the moment Vern came to Oakland everyone who saw him play raved about his athletic ability and knack for throwing down dunks left and right. Seeing him play live you can see he possesses all the tools required to be a successful big-man in the league- he can run the floor, play defense, block shots, hit the mid-range jumper and dunk on your head. What Goodridge needs most is experience and court-time which he’s receiving abundantly in Springfield. Check out the quick Q&A with Vern, below.
How’s the season going so far with Springfield?
It’s been great thus far. I’m really enjoying my time out here and it helps having great teammates like Scottie Reynolds, Jerry Smith and everyone else. I got a great coach in Dee Brown who makes it fun to come to the gym everyday and get to work on improving my game.
What’s Dee Brown like as a Coach?
He’s really cool, I like him a lot because he knows what he’s doing and played in the league so he knows what it takes to make it up there and have a career. Dee’s coaching philosophy is close to Coach Smart in that it’s about making reads in sets and being aggressive.
What specific areas of your game are you working on?
Everything! But definitely working on my jump shot, face-ups, always working on conditioning and running the floor.
You came to Golden State during the summer, how was that experience working with the guys before Camp had even started?
I was so psyched about it and my excitement was through the roof. I wanted to make sure I hit the ground running early in camp so it made sense to come out to Oakland early and get to work. We had 10-11 guys before camp started working out and getting better.
How was your relationship with Coach Smart?
Coach Smart is a great dude. He started working with me from the day I got to Golden State and was always encouraging me. Working with me on defense and telling me to be early on screens and being in the right spot because like he said if I’m in the right spot he can’t yell at me. Offensively when I’m shooting jumpers- he’d tell me to take a big step and step into my shot.
Playing with Steph and Monta must’ve been a good learning experience, right?
Steph is my dude. We used to always go to Benihana’s and chill.
Playing with Steph and Monta all I had to do was play defense, block shots and run the floor and they’d find me. Both were always encouraging me and giving me positive reinforcement all the time. With Monta it was nothing but love everyday as he’d always give me little tips and push me to get better.
What was the initial reaction to being cut?
Coach Smart called me into the coaches room and he let me know I was being waived. I thanked him for the opportunity and tried to stay strong at that moment. Initial reaction was “damn” and it was definitely a down moment. The sting from getting cut was still with me but it motivated me.
Aside from Basketball, did you enjoy your time out in the Bay Area?
It was my first time out in the Bay Area and the love you get from the fans out there is something I’ve never experienced before. Just walking around people were like “yo, what’s up, you’re the dude that dunked at the :48 second clip on the highlights” they showed love. I didn’t have a bad day while I was out there.
Being from Brooklyn, the Bay is more diverse than Brooklyn, people from all walks of life out here. In Brooklyn, its diverse but people are in specific areas but in Oakland everyone just kicks it together. People walk around with a smile out in the Bay, even the Bums have a smile on their face. Nothing like NY.