BY PAUL A REID

Observer writer

POINT, Hanover — Samardo Samuels says while he has learned a lot in his first two seasons in the US National Basketball Association (NBA) he has to become more consistent on a day-to-day basis.

The 23-year-old, who will represent Jamaica at the Centrobasketball tournament in Puerto Rico next week, is optimistic about his future in the world’s best league but says there are a number of things he must do to continue to improve.

The former Muschett High player, who had two seasons at the University of Louisville before he was signed as an undrafted free agent, played in 54 of his team 66 games this season, scoring at a rate of 5.4 points a game and had an average 3.30 rebounds.

He started 10 games in 37 appearances in his first season and has described his stay in the NBA as: “If I could use one word to describe my career in he NBA so far, it would be ‘consistency’, in that I need to be more consistent day in and day out.”

He told the Jamaica Observer in an interview on Wednesday at the Grand Palladium hotel and spa where the Jamaican team stayed during the camp in the western end of the country that preparing for the final year of his initial three-year contract with the Cavaliers would take a lot of work.

“Before I came here I was working out with the team every day at the team facilities with the coaches and strength and conditioning guys,” he said.

Samuels, who had caught the eyes of scouts as he starred for the Chicago Bulls in their Summer Lesage team prior to the 2009 NBA draft said, “given the opportunity I can be a much more productive player as I can put what I have learned the last two years to good use”.

There was no doubt he said that he had fitted in among the top players, but said going up against a super star every night he stepped on the court could be an “overwhelming” experience.

“Every night you are going up against a guy who you have watched for a long time, for years. So that’s always overwhelming when you go up against say a (Boston Celtics power forward) Kevin Garnet, some one you grew up watching and you got to play the best defence against him and try to contain him; it is a lot to process and have the confidence to go out and do that but it is your job.”

After getting a lot more playing time on a Cavalier team that struggled all season and finished at the bottom of the Central Division, Samuels said he was sure he could get into the regular rotation. “We can’t predict the future but I am sure I am going to work hard this summer as much as possible to get in the best shape as possible and let the chips fall where they may,” he said.

As far as the NBA finals are concerned, Samuels said after watching game one on Tuesday, he would be hedging his bets with the Western Conference champions Oklahoma City Thunder over the Miami Heat.

“After seeing game one, I am pretty impressed with Oklahoma City at this point, they got everybody on the same page and have worked out their ‘go to guy’ and everbody is playing his role to the best of his abilities,” he concluded.

SAMUELS… it’s an overwhelming experience going up against the big names in the NBA