DJ Steward: After my freshman year, I received my first offer. Heading into the summer, I felt confident. Playing with Meanstreets, my game progressed during my sophomore summer. However, my performance slipped that summer, causing me to drop off in the rankings.

DS: I would say it definitely affected all of us in some way. No, I’ll admit it myself, I’m sure other guys will admit it, like it was tough. We had no fans playing in Cameron Arena, that’s our sanctuary and the fans, they get us going. The Cameron Crazies, get the players going. We didn’t have that. So guys are coming into our arena and they were feeling comfortable.

Second-year guys, like Matt Hurt, I think were affected because he played in front of the Cameron Crazies the year before. But yeah, it was definitely tough. And no, there were no whispers of Coach K leaving or anything.

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DS: What I would say is it’s mostly all mental, seeing the stuff in the media when I was much younger used to get to me. I’ve grown to the point where it’s like, you can’t pay attention to what they’re saying. Regardless, there are players in the NBA of the same size, getting the job done as well. It’s just what Bobby Jackson and the other coaches were telling me. I’m just watching the film, watching the game now, seeing where I can pick my spots, score, give players more of the ball, and play better defense because that was a knock on me as well – my defense.

I’m just figuring out where I can play good defense and put myself in the best position to be successful by using my speed and quickness. That’s pretty much it.

DS: I did go to the G League University, and I’ve been around a lot of veterans. I would say throughout my G League career watching and practicing with Quinn Cook, Sheldon Mac, Trey Burke. So, whenever I was around those veterans, I made sure I was picking their brains and everything I saw. Seeing how they work out, how they are on the court, how they pick their spots, and everything.

I just made sure that I was learning as much as I possibly could because they were in that position where they were in the NBA and were trying to find their way back into the NBA because I’m a guy just trying to that’s trying to make it to the NBA.

They had the blueprint, but they know what it takes to be in the league.

DS: Yeah, for sure. It definitely was tough, adjusting to my game and everything, but the best thing I would say is that the players are versatile. They can do a lot of different things and bring a lot to the team. They’re not just scorers; they can get players involved, play defense, be good teammates, and make sure that everybody’s good.

What I would say in Stockton was like really good learning years for me, coming off the bench, really focusing on scoring and then heading into the summer for Vancouver, and I had the ball in my hands, I was pretty much able to pretty much play point guard, make those mistakes and be able to get back on defense and stay in the game and that helped me as well.

Just being with the Philadelphia 76ers, I had a lot of confidence. I was training in Sacramento with my trainer and joined the Sixers for Summer League. I had the ultimate confidence because I had the ball in my hands. I knew what to do with the ball in my hands.

I knew how to make the right reads every time I was coming up the court and just playing with poise, and that’s what it took for me was playing with poise, not forcing anything.

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

DS: Yeah, this is one of the best organizations in the league. How can you turn down the Boston Celtics? One of the best organizations, you got Jayson Tatum, [and] you got Amile Jefferson coming in.

Amile was with Duke and Boston has a lot of good guys, and they pretty much had a plan for me to come in, and just develop my game. I liked what I heard, and, of course, I had other offers from other teams like the Wizards, Nets, and some other teams.

Just after Summer League, Boston pretty much wanted me, I was like, “ah, this seems like the best position for me.” And now, being in Maine, I don’t want to say, I love Maine, but I’m locked in. There isn’t much to do here. I’m locked into my craft and everything, so just being out here has helped me a lot.

DS: I would say my positive energy. I always bring positive energy to the gym every single day, and you’re always going to see me smile and be a great teammate. But now, when it comes to basketball, my shooting ability, my ability to score the ball, and all three levels are being able to be a playmaker and pretty much run an offense as a point guard. My defense has really improved, so I feel that I can bring a lot to the organization.

DS: Just slowing the game down a bit. I’m watching a film of myself from previous games and previous years, and watching guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Jalen Brunson. There are just a lot of guys who play at their own pace.

That pretty much has helped me. I’m just seeing myself in that position, like seeing if this guy pulls over when I come out of pick-and-roll. I now know to hit the corner with a quick pass. If that guy doesn’t pull over, then I’m doing a lot more reads. So, I’m just seeing pretty much how the defense rotates and not being focused on the guy that’s in front of me guarding me. I’m reading the defense that’s behind. That has helped me a lot.

DS: Yeah, for sure. It’s crazy, like the same guys you went to [night] camps and stayed in the dorms with like the NBPA, Nike Academy, and the all the other different camps.  I am now seeing those same guys in the NBA, and then in the G, which is dope to see, and this goes to show how much talent there is. A lot of the young guys around my age, they’re developing in a G league just like I am. And being in the G League, like you end up seeing guys that you looked up to, it’s dope.

DS: There are a lot of ups and downs throughout the season, throughout a G League season, because, at some point, you can be playing well. Then there will be things you can’t control, which are your minutes, your touches, and everything. However, it is about making sure that every day, you’re a professional, no matter what, showing up and staying locked in, working hard, being a good teammate, smiling, and enjoying the process. It’s taken me a couple of years to get the game down and pat. I really see where I have developed as far as the pick-and-roll game.

So, I would say there are a lot of ups and downs, and the mental part is very important. Mental health is very important to me. Just like staying locked into your family, keeping your friends close, and making sure that you’re doing things outside of basketball to keep yourself sane. Because when you are playing basketball all the time, you can get tired, and there are times when you travel and everything. It can be mentally tough.

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DS: Yeah, for sure, because college basketball is, I would say, very, very different from the NBA. In college, there isn’t that much space and everything. I feel like the paint is kind of jammed up. People are sitting at home, defensive three seconds isn’t there. So, the point averages for a lot of players go down.

In the G league, you’re literally playing like the NBA-style at an even faster pace because guys are playing fast, and then everyone’s trying to make it to the next level, so everyone’s hungry, and it can be tough at times. I feel like my development in the G League has been good for me, just having the opportunity to showcase my game in an NBA-style.

DS: I don’t really look at it as far as that because the NBA game and the college game are very different. It’s hard to really compare the two. However, I do look at games, and think to myself, ‘Wow, if I was out there in college right now, I could probably be dominating, going crazy, and doing a lot of stuff.’

DS: Yeah, for sure. That’s one of the biggest things because the spacing is crazy. And everyone in the NBA can score, everyone can shoot three. You have to be that more locked in defensively. And the length in the NBA is crazy.

There’s a lot of space, but the length as far as players’ arms, wingspan and their height makes it really difficult sometimes to make the correct reads or to get deflections on passes and stuff.

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DS: As far as that goes, I am ahead because I already know the NBA game. I know what coaches want from me. I know what they like about my game, and pretty much so, I feel like I am ahead, and I will be ahead at that point with guys around my age because I’ve been involved in the G League and the NBA, and I’ve been around guys who play in the NBA. I’ve been a sponge, and I’ve learned a lot. So, I feel like I will get this.

DS: Yeah, I watch a lot of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson. I watched some Luka Doncic, just for pace, and a little Kyrie Irving.

I like Shai’s pace and his ability to bump defenders and use angles. I also like Luka Doncic, his footwork, his pace, his rise out of the pick-and-roll, and Jaylen Brown.

Jalen Brunson for his footwork in the paint, playing off of it, using his ball fake, getting to the free-throw line, and being able to draw fouls. And then Lou Williams‘s scoring ability – his scoring ability is crazy – comes off the bench, he is a scorer at all three levels, and he is immediately a spark plug. And then Kyrie just handles it, making the right reads, being aggressive, scoring, and getting his teammates involved.

DS: I say yeah. Just like being in practice, going against Trey Burke and Cook, they don’t see you when they’re shooting. You can be right there, contesting anything, and they hit shots right in your face, but your contests don’t matter.

It was tough guarding them in practice, trying to see who else, there’s a lot of guys throughout the year.

Oh shoot, Elfrid Payton, like I watched Elfrid Payton [growing up] with the hairstyle, so just seeing him balling out there. I was like, “Dang, this really him?”

And Payton is playing great in the G, and being able to play against him and see him, I was like, “man, that’s crazy.”

And then another guy was Hamidou Diallo, like him and his dunks and stuff, just playing against him a couple of times was wild.

DS: I don’t want to lose. Do you feel me? I used to be a hothead when it came to losing, but I’ve grown. If I lose, all right, but I’m trying to win. No matter what, no matter what the stakes are, no matter who’s in front of me, I don’t care. I feel like I can bring a winning mentality to a team because I play the right way as well. I’m not playing for stats. When I go out there, I’m going out there to play the right way and make sure I’m doing the right things to put the team in the best position to win.

DS: I have heard that throughout my entire career and especially in the pros. They’re like, “Ah, he’s a seal.”

And I take that seriously. It’s like, “nah, I got to go out there. So, I’m not a seal.” I’m not letting guys back me down; get straight-line drives. They will have to work for the paint if they’re try going to the paint. And then if they get there they might get fouled really hard, so I’m making sure that I improve on it, continue to improve on the defensive end, and use my quickness, muscle, and hands to get deflections and everything.

DS: I would say stay the course, stay locked in no matter what, and just grind. Stay in the gym because you never know when your opportunity is going to come, and keep the right people around you. Like I said, my family is very important to me. My mom, dad, little brother, and friends, Kendall and Barry, have all been like my backbone. I’ve been able to fall back on them and be uplifted when feeling down or not feeling right.

DS: I would say it’s cliché, but you hear it constantly. You control what you can control. That’s something that I focus on by making sure that I can control what I control. If minutes aren’t there, like I’m not getting a lot of minutes, or if I’m not getting touches, I [gotta] act just like when I do get the minutes and when I do get touches, you have to show that you’re worthy of more. And then just make sure to be a sponge as well.