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SALT LAKE CITY — The biggest news of the day was the workout of former BYU Cougar Brandon Davies for the Utah Jazz, but he wasn't the biggest name, and not even close to the biggest player at pre-draft workouts.
The Jazz worked out two groups of six players as they inch closer to the draft. Over the past few weeks the point guards had been the talk of the town. The position that is perceived to be the team's greatest need wasn't as much of a focus, but could have been hidden behind the giants that were there.
Brandon Davies is 6-9 and was the fifth tallest player at the camp. The tallest was the giant French player Rudy Gobert. He is 7-2 and has a wingspan of 7-9. His standing reach is 9-7. Soak that in for a second. Gobert is five inches from the rim with his feet on the ground.
"I'm a defensive player, I like to block shots and get rebounds," Gobert said. "I protect the paint and play with energy. That is what I can bring my first year. After my first with experience with work I'm getting better with my shot and my post game."
The thing that surprised me also today was he shot the ball extremely well from about the 15-foot area. Which we don't get to see much as he's over in France. It was very important for us and I think it was intriguing for us.
–Jazz V.P. of Player Personnel Walt Perrins on Rudy Gobert
He will definitely have to add some strength. He is only 238 lbs and clearly has room to grow. He is the type of player that could vault up draft boards just from the "what if" factor. If he can put on the added weight needed and get a decent shot he could be an elite center.
He surprised Walt Perrins with his workout with his offensive game.
"The thing that surprised me also today was he shot the ball extremely well from about the 15-foot area," Perrins said. "Which we don't get to see much as he's over in France. It was very important for us and I think it was intriguing for us."
Along with Gobert the Jazz had two other big men that will probably be in play for the Jazz with their 21st pick in Kelly Olynyk from Gonzaga and Gorgui Dieng from Lousville.
Olynyk should be pretty well known in these parts having played against Davies and BYU for the past few years. He is a long body who will be a stretch-four in the pros to make big players guard him and he knows that will be his bread and butter.
"I'm trying to extend my range to the NBA three, because it is such an asset to have other big guys have to guard you and have to be respected, so that's a huge facet of the game that I'm trying to implement," Olynyk said.
He said he isn't the most athletic player in the draft which is true, but he can become that complement to Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter that while one is on the bench he can let the other bang down low and keep the paint open for them.
"I think shooting period is very important," Perrins said. "If you watch the playoffs, the way San Antonio shot the ball the other night from the three, it really opens up the inside for a player like Tim Duncan. The stretch-four and even anyone who can knock down threes is going to open up insides for your low-post players."
Dieng was the center for the National Champions and his draft stock has been up and down since the season ended. At one point he was a mid-lottery pick, then lottery and now he is sliding into the area of 15-25. He has pedigree of a champion that the Jazz are looking for and can bring the style of a winner to the Jazz.
"Just play hard, when you play for coach [Pitino] you got to be tough he is one that is going to always ask more of you," Dieng said.
Along with other players Dieng had a trouble with the altitude, but talked about how he couldn't think about quitting and just pushing through.
Some non-big men of note at the workout included BYU's arch-villain Matthew Dellavedova from St. Mary's who could be in play as a backup point guard with the Jazz's second-round pick. He has played at a high level, not only in college, but with the Australian Olympic team.
If the Jazz chose Olynyk, Davies and Dellavedova there would be some fans that have to get over their feelings somewhere in the state, whether they are BYU or Utah fans.
A point guard of note is Isaiah Canaan from Murray State. He probably would have had to really wow the Jazz to be in the discussion. He is expected to be a fringe-first round pick, so the Jazz would probably have to use their 21st pick, but he could be in play even as a potential player that slides in the draft.
The other players that participated were Jamaal Franklin of San Diego St., Tony Snell of New Mexico, Grant Jerret from Arizona, Erick Green of Virginia Tech, Kwame Vaughn of Cal St. Fullerton and Arsalan Kazemi from Oregon.
