Rooks’ desire to get better is paying off
Sean Rooks has one of the more difficult jobs in the NBA. As Philadelphia’s assistant coach for player development, Rooks is tasked with helping twentysomethings improve while the losses mount.
The 76ers have lost 44 of their 52 games this season. To keep his father positive, Kameron Rooks often tells Sean in their postgame phone conversations not to worry because “you can get the next one.”
The support goes both ways. A month ago, when Kameron’s production was lagging for Cal, Sean reminded his 7- foot son that his time was coming.
“Now he says he likes seeing what I’ve been doing,” Kameron Rooks said Tuesday.
In each of the Bears’ past four games, Rooks has broken or tied his career high in rebounding. The redshirt sophomore from San Marcos ( San Diego County) anchors an interi- or defense that leads the nation in opponent two point shooting percentage. In Saturday’s 76- 61 win over Stanford, Rooks had his first double- double ( 11 points, 12 rebounds).
“Kam has a presence,” Cal head coach Cuonzo Martin said. “Once he truly realizes how good he can become, he’ll be a special talent.”
Rooks redshirted last season with a torn left ACL. By the time the trainer cleared him to practice last February, he had ballooned to 288 pounds — 30 over his preferred playing weight.
A strict diet and conditioning program put Rooks in enviable territory: By the start of preseason practices in October, coaches were asking him to gain weight. Rooks passed 7- foot- 1 Kingsley Okoroh on the depth chart and, six games into the season, cracked the starting lineup.
Given the Bears’ bevy of scorers, Rooks was asked to protect the rim and deny low- post feeds. He and Okoroh nagged Colorado forward Josh Scott into a 4- for- 16 outing from the floor Jan. 1. Two days later, Rooks helped make sure Utah’s Jakob Poeltl didn’t find much of a rhythm.
Then Rooks’ defense stopped balancing out his limited offensive production. In losses at Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford last month, he totaled just 30 minutes. Rooks pored over video of his fouls in hopes of staying on the court longer.
“A lot of guys talk about being a good ballplayer, but Kam really wants to be good,” Martin said. “He puts the time into it, so now you’re starting to see the results of it.”
Though fouls remain a concern, Rooks is learning how to maximize his playing time. He totaled 26 rebounds over recent games against Arizona, Utah and Colorado despite twice fouling out.
In Saturday’s rout of the Cardinal, Rooks delivered his most complete performance. He used a flurry of hook shots to score a careerhigh 11 points on 4- for- 5 shooting. Unwilling to challenge Rooks or Ivan Rabb around the rim, Stanford settled for illadvised jumpers.
Rooks will try to exploit an Oregon frontcourt Thursday that boasts no one taller than 6- foot- 10. Of course, he’ll hardly need to score in double figures to please Sean.
“His dad talks to him just about competing, playing hard, working hard,” Martin said. “It’s not one of those deals where you need to get as many shots as you can.”