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urso53 · 05-17-2006, 03:25 PM

Here are four guys the jazz have brought in today for workouts.

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Collins is actually the highest rated of the four players who auditioned for the Jazz Tuesday, according to most Internet mock drafts, which have him going in the 10-14 range in the June 28 NBA Draft. The Jazz have the 14th pick, unless their tiny odds in the lottery pay off in a much more advantageous spot, and at least one mock draft has the Jazz selecting Collins.

      The other three players in Salt Lake Tuesday — Michigan State's Maurice Ager, Arizona's Hassan Adams and Cincinnati's James White — are projected for the late first round (Ager) or the second round (Adams, White). The Jazz have two second-round choices.

      Collins can play either guard spot, but free-throw shooting is a weakness (59.6 percent as a senior, though he averaged 16.9 points and 4.0 assists a game), and Jazz senior VP of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor said that's one thing Tuesday's workout was designed to evaluate in Collins' case. "We try and gear our workout to what does he do well and what does he not do well and take a little bit of a look at some of that."

Hassan Adams

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Adams, the kind of player who can get to the basket, which O'Connor said Utah needs, as well as a strong defender, said his calling card for the NBA is, "For one, just the humbleness, and the energy. Now in the NBA, a lot of teams like that energy and that passion. For me personally, it's a passion, the game with me. Just humbleness and the hunger and the energy. I know I can bring that."

Maurice Ager

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Ager, a strong shooter and another above-the-rim athlete, said he'd be comfortable with a coach like Jerry Sloan after playing for Tom Izzo. "Coach Sloan is tough, too — keep your shirt tucked, no headbands, things like that. I could really fit in with coaches like that because I've been around tough coaches all my life from high school on up."

      He learned quickly about Utah altitude. "I didn't know that before yesterday. I always thought it was just Denver that way," he said with a laugh, adding he acclimated quickly and can bring "scoring, energy, athleticism" if selected.

James White

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White said he's the most ready of them all for the NBA. "Oh, definitely. I've been in college five years. If anybody is ready out there, I think I am — probably the most experienced guy coming out," he said, laughing.

      He made Utah his fourth workout so far, having been to Houston once and Sacramento twice already, because Jazz head scout Troy Weaver is an old acquaintance. "(Weaver) started my AAU team, he alerted me to (Utah's) need and how I'd fit their mold.

      "I think I bring excitement, work ethic and just a lot of defense and a lot of willingness to learn and get better," he said.

It is obvious with this group that the jazz are looking at an athletic two. We have an injured 2 with Giricek that is a good shooter. Just very interesting to see how we lost a very good two in Raja Bell, and how well he is scoring in Pheonix. I also noticed that none of these four guys are freshman or sophmores they are mature college players.

**Krstic All Star** · 05-17-2006, 10:25 PM

The Bell loss hurts. What about Miles at the 2?

AK-47 · 05-17-2006, 10:44 PM

Miles needs another year or two. He is still young and needs more work and weight.

**Krstic All Star** · 05-17-2006, 10:56 PM

Eventually though, will he be a 2 or 3? He's 6'6 210, so if he adds a bit to his frame he could swing both - though he's a 2 right now. Might even make sense to pick up another 2/3 combo...

AK-47 · 05-18-2006, 03:28 AM

The thing is, he could still grow another inch or two because he is only 19. My dad said he grew like 4 inches after high school. So you never know. He needs to add maybe 30 pounds or so (muscle)and that would be enough

urso53 · 05-18-2006, 04:44 PM

I like C.J. he is that long shooting guard that is best as a shooter. Giricek is a less athletic shooting guard (bad defender) that can shoot. Larry kept saying that he wants to go eight or nine deep with the bench. If you have two shooters as the two, get an athletic slasher as a two. I say dump Giricek. I said it last year. Draft a slashing/aggressive/defending/energy guy at the two. With that the jazz can defend the perimeter better and provide matchup problems for other teams. Okur/Boozer can interchange at center and power forward. AK47 can do perimeter or just do what he does best and help defend. Harpring is a great utility hustle player.

AK-47 · 05-19-2006, 01:49 PM

The jazz could find a 2nd round pick in these workouts. It's practical. Isn't that how we discovered CJ?

Rednecksbasketball · 05-21-2006, 04:27 PM

I think the Jazz are just covering all their bases. shooting guard is the spot they need the most, but I think they'll bring in some other postions just for insurance. because you never know what free agentcy can bring you, and you never know when a great trade will pop up.

AK-47 · 05-21-2006, 08:22 PM

I'm against trades right now. The only way I would like to see a trade is if it didn't touch one of our 4 players.

**endora60** · 05-22-2006, 08:38 AM

Make it five--add Matt Harpring, whom I consider our first Must Do this summer--and I'll go with you on the trades thing.

Laurie

AK-47 · 05-22-2006, 01:12 PM

I'm talking about the roster we have now. We still need to resign harpring. No guarantees, even know it would be nice to see him back again for backup SF.

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