I was driving on Waterman today, on my way to meet friends for an after-work drink, when Maurice Evans called. I had been attempting to set up an interview with Evans, a guard for the NBA’s Orlando Magic, since last week. He called on an off day during the Magic’s Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, which the Magic trails 3-1 going into Tuesday night’s Game 5.
Evans, from Wichita Collegiate, has always been one of my favorites. He played to seasons at Wichita State before his relationship with Randy Smithson, then the Shockers’ coach, went south. Then Evans transferred to Texas, where he played before going on to the NBA. he has been with Minnesota, Sacramento, Detroit, the LA Lakers and Orlando during his career and has had his best season with the Magic, averaging 9.3 points per game.
Evans is a restricted free agent after this season and said he’ll entertain all offers, including those from Europe.
“I’d like to sign a long-term deal somewhere to finish my career,” he said. “I think I’ve definitely done some things this season to enhance my value.”
Evans moved into Orlando’s starting lineup midway through the season and has been there ever since. Not only does he contribute offensively, but he often draws the most difficult defensive assignment.
“I normally guard the other team’s shooting guard,” Evans said. “So, one night I might be on Kobe Bryant, the next night I might be on LeBron James or Tracy McGrady. Or I might draw somebody who isn’t quite as well known, like (Detroit’s) Richard Hamilton, who is a very tough guy to guard. There are no nights off, but that’s what makes it a lot of fun.”
Fun? Guarding players like Bryant and James is fun?
“Mentally, it’s a real challenge,” Evans said. “But you can’t back away from those opportunities.”
Evans said it has taken him a while to become the complete player he has become. He entered the NBA with the reputation as a scorer; his 22.6 points per game as a sophomore at Wichita State was one of the highest totals in the country that season.
He has never been a team’s first scoring option in the NBA, though, and has learned to accept his role. He is still capable, though, of having a big scoring night.
“I might score on a dunk, on a cut, on a three-pointer or on a one-dribble jump shot,” Evans said. “I think I have become a more complete player because I’m able to make things happen on the fly. I’m just as comfortable shooting the three as I am taking the ball to the basket.”
Evans will be 30 in November, so he is eager to see what happens during the offseason. With just a few years of earning power left in basketball, he’s looking for a multi-year deal that will pay him well.
That could mean, he said, going to Europe to finish his pro career. However, he’s hoping the Magic, or another NBA team, will step up and offer him a lucrative multi-year deal, something he hasn’t gotten yet during his vagabond NBA career.
When Evans, who played at Wichita Collegiate, called, I pulled my car over on a side street and jotted down notes on a blank sheet of paper I just happened to have in the car. I didn’t want to miss the interview.
He was polite and interesting to talk with. It’s always amazing to me to watch these native Wichitans, whom I have followed since they were in high school, grow up. It’s nice that Evans has gotten a chance to play in the NBA and, with Orlando, to become a mainstay.
Here’s hoping his career lasts a few years longer.
“I think I’m in the prime of my career,” Evans said. “I can still do everything I want to do and I’m healthy. I’m still going strong.”