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Ed. Note: Sorry about the title. I couldn’t resist. Feel free to leave further puns in the comments section.

Never have I met a man whose surname so properly captures his demeanor. Dionte Christmas is generous with his smile and his time. Christmas also possesses the two characteristics that I came to find most endearing in the players I met during the Combine: He is mature and appreciative. In some sense they are two sides of the same coin. During his 4 years at Temple he developed his maturity and that has allowed him to recognize that, as a currently projected late second-rounder, he is by no means assured a spot on an NBA roster.

Despite draft projections he received a bit more attention than the other players expected to go in the late 50s, by-products of his charming personality and on-court heroics in college (several reporters, including myself, brought up the Temple-Tennessee upset from earlier this season). Those attracted me to Christmas but, more importantly, I wanted to discuss the private workout he had conducted with the Spurs.

Christmas said the workout went well and that he liked the coaching staff (although a relatively generic response, a number of players did specifically bring up how much they liked the coaches when discussing their workouts with the Spurs). I asked about his game: Is their a current or former player who he is trying to emulate? Are there any common misconceptions about his abilities?

He had a confident answer for the latter question: “Defense. I think I’ve developed my game on the defensive end.” I haven’t sufficiently scrutinized enough tape of Christmas to form my own conclusions, but with a wingspan almost 5 inches longer than his height (6′ 9″ vs. 6′ 4.25″) the physical tools are certainly there.

He identified Rip Hamilton as the player whom he fashions his game after, which is appropriate, as I would have made the same comparison. His main strength is his jump shooting, which is most effective when he is curling off screens and releasing quickly after he catches.

Like most of the high volume jump-shooters at the Combine, I asked Christmas how he had been adjusting to the NBA 3-point line (in college, 57% of his shot attempts came from beyond the arc). He had a very unique response.

“I’m becoming more of a mid-range shooter.”

Nearly every wing I spoke with insisted he had NBA range but Christmas said he wanted to continue shooting from the distance at which he is most comfortable, just beyond 20 feet. I asked whether he had been doing anything to diversify his mid-range game: “Definitely. Working on taking one dribble and shoot. Two dribbles and shoot.” I had heard concerns about his ability to do exactly that. I can’t testify as to whether or not he is improving, but he seems capable of honestly assessing his own abilities.

I saw him later that day in the hotel lobby, just as I was leaving. I asked him where he was headed next. He said he was sticking around Chicago for a few more interviews and then had to make his way to the Bay Area for a workout with Golden State. I wished him well and got one last look at that big-toothed grin.