SALT LAKE CITY — The Jazz held another draft workout Saturday, and it was a good one. Colorado's Derrick White, Oklahoma State's Jawun Evans, Purdue's Caleb Swanigan, and France's Mathias Lessort headlined the show. Syracuse's Andrew White and Gonzaga's Jordan Matthews rounded out proceedings.

Swanigan comes back

Caleb Swanigan, Purdue's 6-foot-9 power forward and center, came back to Utah where he spent his life between the ages of five and 13. While he was here, he spent time in the homeless center across the street from the Gateway, bouncing between there and the basketball courts at Sorenson Multi-Cultural Center in Glendale.

That wasn't the only thing Swanigan has had to bounce back from. He's been nicknamed "Biggie" all of his life, and why not? Upon entering high school, he was 6-foot-2, and weighed 360 pounds.

But a new adopted family took him in in Indiana, and Swanigan started to get his body in the right shape and excel on the basketball court. He now proudly weighs 246 pounds, while having grown to 6-foot-9. And he uses his newfound bounce in a physically-imposing game: he averaged 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game last season in a fantastic season for Purdue.

He's not a great athlete, so he'll probably struggle to keep up with NBA fours. It's easier to imagine him as a center in the new NBA, using his strength to keep people off the boards.

And that rebounding: it's excellent. He was the second-best rebounder in NCAA last year. Rebounding is one of the things that consistently translates to the NBA level, and he has it. At least, I think he's a Reggie Evans type who will be able to hang his hat on that part of the game, even if it's as a bench big.

But stat models also love a couple of other things about his game. First, he became a nice passer out of the post this season, to the tune of three assists per game. That's nice for a big man. And secondly, that he shot the ball so well from 3-point range this year (45 percent on 2.5 attempts per game) and from the free throw line (78 percent) means that his shooting will probably translate to the pros.

If this were 15 years ago, I'm convinced he'd be a top-10 pick. As is, the defense and his focus on a back to the basket game make it possible that he doesn't find an NBA role. But his work ethic to get to this point works in his favor, and teams might believe that he can do more.

And people in Salt Lake City will be rooting for him. "It's very humbling," Swanigan said. "To come from places like this around the city, and having a chance like this with a pro team. This opportunity is a blessing."

Jawun Evans is small

Okay, that headline isn't quite fair to the Oklahoma State point guard, who was terrific in his sophomore season. He's one of the best point guards in the nation, thanks to his pick-and-roll expertise, and good shooting and playmaking skills.

But one thing is going to get in his way: he's small. He's 5-foot-10, and standing up close to him makes it clear that he doesn't really counter with incredible strength. He does counter with a 6-foot-5 wingspan, which is encouraging. Evans is a pest defensively, but certainly opponents can easily shoot over him.

Here's my biggest worry with Evans: the small players that have been able to succeed in the NBA have all been able to finish at the rim despite their size. The Celtics' Isaiah Thomas is a wizard around the rim. Spud Webb famously qualifies. Chris Paul is so brilliantly quick that he gets there and finishes with surprising efficiency.

Evans doesn't. He shot only 47 percent from within the paint last year, just not good enough for a top prospect. And as a result, I'm pretty skeptical about his NBA upside.

The return of Mathias Lessort

Mathias Lessort is a French power forward prospect that plays for Nanterre of the top French league last season scoring 10 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes per game against adult pro competition.

It was his also his second time in Utah. He worked out with Perrin and the Jazz last year, when he was evaluating his own draft stock. Since then, he's taken that feedback and used it to further his game.

"The way we work in the NBA and the way we work in France is totally different," Lessort said.

The combination of those two factors help explain why Lessort had an excellent workout Saturday, a step or two ahead of the competition on the court in Utah. He's athletic and can finish plays with dunks with the best of them in a great league.

But most importantly, he's very good defensively, good at sticking with players of all sizes and impacting pick and rolls and drives. And then he's a good rebounder too, especially on the offensive glass.

I really wish he could shoot at all, but he can't. If the Jazz could teach him that somehow, he's got incredible potential. But even without it, he has a pretty good base to work from as a defensive energy big that's putting up those kind of numbers at a young age in Europe.

Lessort doesn't know Rudy Gobert or Boris Diaw, but says he's inspired by their path. Especially that of Gobert.

"What Rudy is doing right now is just unbelievable. When he came from France, everybody was thinking that he would get killed here, because he was skinny. And in the end he killed it," Lessort said. "He's really doing good, and he's a good example for French guys."

Derrick White's path

Derrick White of Colorado is another player with a unique path to the NBA. He wasn't recruited, and found himself playing for a NAIA school, then a Division II school early in his college experience. He then excelled there, transferred to Colorado, and immediately became their best player in his senior season.

White just does a lot of things right. He's a good shooter, a good finisher at the rim, makes the right pass in the pick and roll, rebounds well for his size, picks up a good number of steals because of anticipation, and even blocked 1.4 shots per game despite standing just 6-foot-4.

The caveat: As I've written before, players who dominate college as seniors after iffy younger performances tend to struggle upon their transition to the NBA. And White will be 23 in July, one of the oldest prospects in the draft.

But I think there's some Malcolm Brogdon potential with White, in a four-year player who can bring role-player skills right away to the NBA. I don't think I'd draft him with my first pick at 24, but it's possible he's the best option at 30, and if he's around at 42 or 55, I'd be very interested.

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