Utah concludes pre-draft workouts

[RonnieBrewer (Reverse Layup)]

Utah concludes pre-draft workouts
Thursday, June 28, 2007 12:08 PM CDT
Chuck Nunn/Jazz Session

The Utah Jazz finished up their pre-draft workouts Wednesday, getting a look
at Ukrainian center Kyrylo Fesenko, guards Gabe Pruitt, Taurean Green, Jared
Jordan and Tre Kelley, and swingman Marcus Williams.

Of the six players who worked out, my favorite is Fesenko. The legit
seven-footer has trimmed down from around 270 pounds to 235 pounds, which
should increase his mobility without sacrificing his strength.

The young center also has a bit of a rep as a post player who loves to bang
inside. In fact, he rarely looks to score away from the basket, always
looking to pass from the wing or the high post. That can be a good thing in
that he tends to stay inside himself and what he can do, but he also would
benefit by developing his game away from the basket.

But no one can argue with his shooting percentage from the floor. In Ukrainian
SuperLeague play, Fesenko shot 54.8 percent from the floor. In six games
during the FIBA EuroCup Challenge, he shot 60 percent.

He loves to dunk, and he can do it easily from close to the basket. He's
also a good rebounder, although he tends to rely a lot on his size and
strength more than getting good position.

But unlike a lot of European bigs, Fesenko is an able shotblocker, almost to
a fault. He tends to go for the block every time, which sometimes leave him
out of position on defense. But all of that can be developed with good
coaching.

Taking into account his upside and the likelihood that players like Morris
Almond and Marco Belinelli will be gone at No. 25, Fesenko is my new choice
for Utah in my mock draft
( http://draftexpress.com/mymock.php?mid=677&detail=2 ). 

Of course, depending on who is available at No. 25, and at No. 55 in the
second round, there really is no sure way to know who Utah will pick.
Fesenko, Almond and Belinelli are all players Utah has watched so far this
summer. But outside the lottery, you have a large number of players who are
pretty close together as far as their talent.

So what's the strategy heading into tonight?

"We've got some interviews to do, and we'll put some finishing touches on
things," Jazz vice president of basketball operations Kevin O’Connor said.
"We're all procrastinators at nature, and until we have to make the decision,
we don't make the decision. I think we've gotten pretty close on where we
want to be. We want to interview some of these kids and go from there."

To that end, point guards Pruitt and Green each have a legitimate shot at
being that pick at No. 25. Pruitt, the 6-4, 170-pound point guard out of USC,
had a solid season for the Trojans as a junior. He averaged 12.5 points per
game and 4.4 assists per game.

Pruitt considers himself a combo guard and feels like he could have an impact
in the NBA as a dependable backup.

"I could bring a little versatility in the point guard/shooting guard
position, play both the positions well and bring a little more leadership
with the guys," he said after the workout.

Green also sees himself as a possible backup for Utah's Deron Williams, and
with back-to-back NCAA titles on his resume, he makes a good point.

"I feel that I would come in and be a good backup for Deron," Green said.
"He's a very good point guard, and I'd just do whatever it takes."

His averages of 3.6 assists and 13.3 points per game are also solid. His 44.4
percent shooting from the floor and 40.6 percent from the 3-point arc are
even more impressive.

Projected second-rounder Jordan, at 6-2 and 187 pounds, has been knocked for
his lack of athleticism. But as the NCAA's assist leader for two straight
seasons, he's drawn a fair amount of attention from NBA teams, as Utah was
the 13th team to invite him for a workout.

While his 3-point shooting wasn't as strong as some other players, he still
shot well from inside the arc, posting a 42.5 shooting percentage and
averaging 17.2 points per game for Marist.

But it's his ability to distribute the ball that is most likely to help him
get drafted, possibly at No. 55 for Utah. And the chance to play for Jerry
Sloan and back up Williams would be just fine with him.

"They've got a great point guard right now, to learn behind him," Jordan
said. "And coach Sloan has had great point guards in the past. So I think
I could come here and learn a lot. I like getting people the ball ─ that's
just what I like to do."

And as for Sloan, what is he looking for in tonight's selections?

"We want somebody that can play," Sloan said. "Obviously we hope it's a
good person, otherwise we probably won't take them."

And as for the issue of who gets the final say when Utah's turns come around,
Sloan expressed a lot of faith in O’Connor and scouting director Walt Perrin
and the views they bring to the war room.

"I'm not looking for the final say," Sloan said. "We've always tried to work
it out together. You've got to realize that these guys have seen these guys
play for four years in some cases, and I've watched them on film."

So all the watching and all the waiting and all the workouts and all the
interviews come to a head tonight at the 2007 NBA Draft, or as I like to call
it, Christmas in June. Look for draft stories and my breakdown of who Utah
picks in Friday's South Idaho Press.


Contact South Idaho Press sports editor Chuck Nunn at
[e-mail] or blog this column at www.southidahopress.com. 

http://www.southidahopress.com/articles/2007/06/28/sports/local/jazzsess.txt 

--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) 
◆ From: 219.135.156.245
→ RonnieBrewer:除了 Kyrylo Fesenko , 大部份 Actus 都提過了
推 CarlosBoozer:每次都以為是Canseco
→ sam369:^^
→ deronwilliam:可以選度攬較嗎  感覺比較好用 外線@@?
推 kreen:XD
推 yellowboy:
→ kreen: