Rookie Report: Training Camp Edition

Justin Holiday

via sportspressnw.com Drew Sellers, Sportspress Northwest

Previous Week Stats: n/a

The Skinny

Justin Holiday, shooting guard, played his college ball at the University of Washington from 2007-2011. At Washington Justin Holiday was voted to the PAC 12 All-Defensive Team in 2010. During his college career Holiday averaged 5.32 PPG, 3.65 RPG, 1.54 APG, 0.76 SPG, and 0.50 BPG in 19.6 MPG. During those 4 years he averaged 44% from the field and 35% from three.

Justin went undrafted in the 2011 NBA Draft but was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers to a training camp roster spot. He was waived by the Cavaliers 10 days later then picked up by the Portland Trailblazers. Two weeks later he was waived by the Portland Trailblazers. No one picked up his contract. On Halloween of last year he was signed by the Idaho Stampede. During his stint with the stampede he was All D-League 3rd Team and All-Defensive 2nd Team. He averaged 17.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.51 APG, 2.43 SPG, and 1.17 BPG in 34.7 MPG. He then was picked up for the remainder of the 2012-2013 season by the Philadelphia 76ers on April 1st (not a joke). He was released 12 days later.

Next Level

In the D-League, Justin Holiday was a defensive monster. While many will be quick to see his points per game increase the real gem with Justin will always be his defense. As a shooting guard he had a block percentage of 2.6% and steal percentage of 3.44%. Every 29 possessions out of 100 he will have a steal and every 38 possessions he will have a block. This man is a guard, not a small forward. His potential lies in being a Tony Allen type player.

Training Camp Challenge

Earn a roster spot. Justin Holiday's strength lies in his defense. It is no surprise that the Jazz lack strong perimeter defenders. If Justin Holiday can show a knack for defending the perimeter at an above league average level he has a chance to earn a coveted roster spot. His competition will be Scott Machado. While Scott Machado has the inside track on a roster spot because the Utah Jazz point guard depth chart looks like this, the real way to earn a roster spot is by showing the ability to defend. Dennis Lindsey said he wants players who show the "ability to build a defensive foundation ... and guys who are really committed." If Justin wants coveted contract for the 2013 season and a roster spot the spot is his if he can defend better than Scott Machado.

Scott Machado

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Previous Week Stats: n/a

The Skinny

Scott Machado is a Brazilian-American born point guard who hails from Queens, New York. He attended St. Mary's High School and had a pretty good teammate there. You might have heard of him. Scott Machado then attended Iona College from 2008-2012. In his freshman year he led the Iona Gailes in points and set a freshman record for assists. In his four years at Iona he averaged 12.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.54 APG, 1.45 SPG, and 0.21 BPG in 31.4 MPG. He shot 43% from the field and 34% from 3.

During Machado's 4 year tenure he was named to All-MAAC First Team (2011, 2012), All-MAAC Second Team (2010), MAAC All-Tournament Team (2011, 2012), College Insider.com All-Tournament Team (2011), Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament Team (2012), and MAAC All-Rookie Team (2009). He was named MAAC Rookie of the Year (2009), MAAC Player of the year (2012), and received the NIT/Haggerty Award (2012). If those accolades were not enough he was also named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and the John Wooden award.

Machado then went surprisingly undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft. Scott was signed by the Houston Rockets and was soon after assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He was then called up and then relegated back to and from the Vipers twice before being released on January 7, 2013. He was out of the league for 3 months before being signed in April by the Golden State Warriors. They assigned him to the Santa Cruz Warriors for the remainder of the season. In July, the Warriors cut ties with Scott Machado. During his D-League stints Machado averaged 11.83 PPG, 2.19 RPG, 4.89 APG, 1.44 SPG, and 0.36 BPG in 24.4 MPG. While in D-League he shot 38% from the field and 33% from 3. While in the D-League Scott Machado was named to the All-Rookie 1st Team.

Next Level

Scott Machado in his freshman year had an assist percentage of 44% all while having a usage rate of 25%. What is even more phenomenal is by his senior year he had an assist percentage of 43% while having a usage rate of 19%. Scott was making faster reads and decisions. He allowed the offense to flow at a more efficient level and, at the same time, was still finding the open man for the assist. He also averaged 4 more points a game while being used less in the offense. Efficiency.

Training Camp Challenge

Earn a roster spot and beat out John Lucas III for the backup PG position. The point guard depth chart is still to be determined heading into training camp. The Utah Jazz front office had made it clear that they want a competition to occur for the starting point guard position. The same can be said for the backup point guard situation. The backup point guard battle could get muddied with Alec Burks going to Spokane to work on his point guard skills. Not only will Scott Machado be fighting for that coveted backup point guard position against Lucas III, he will be competing against Alec Burks and, possibly, Ian Clark as well.

As I said with Justin Holiday, in order for Scott Machado to earn a roster spot and compete for the backup PG position he will have to show that he is not only a floor general on the offensive side of the ball but on the defensive side as well. If he can show he can defend NBA-caliber point guards he will earn a spot on this roster. He has the accolades as proof that he can be an exceptional ball distributor, but he will have to prove he can do more than get assists to stick with the Utah Jazz for the remainder of the 2013-2014 season.

Ian Clark

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Previous Week Stats: n/a

The Skinny

Ian Clark, combo guard, is a Memphis, Tennessee native. Clark averaged 23 PPG, 5 APG, and 5 RPG in high school. He chose to attend Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. While at Belmont University he averaged 14 PPG, 2 RPG, 2 APG, 1 SPG, and 0.2 BPG while averaging 28.7 MPG. While known as a combo guard he was most known for his shooting prowess. While at Belmont he averaged 48.5% from the field while shooting 43% from three. His senior year at Belmont he averaged an insane 46% from three.

While at Belmont University Ian Clark was voted to First Team All-Atlantic Sun (2011,2012), Second Team All-Atlantic Sun (2010), Atlantic Sun All-Tournament Team (2011, 2012), All-OVC 1st Team (2013), OVC All-Tournament Team (2013), and Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament Team. He was chosen as the Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Year (2012), Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year (2010), OVC Defensive Player of the Year (2013), and OVC Player of the Year (2013).

Ian Clark went undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft. He was signed by the Miami Heat to their Summer League roster in Orlando. He averaged 16 PPG, 2 RPG, 2 APG, 2 SPG, and 0 BPG in 28 MPG. Clark made a good impression in the Orlando Summer League, so much so that he was signed by the Golden State Warriors to their Summer League roster in Las Vegas. Clark went on to averaged 12.4 PPG, 1.86 RPG, 1.4 APG, and 1.1 SPG in 21 MPG. Overall, Clark shot 47.8% from the field in both summer leagues and 48.5% from beyond the arc. Culminating in a memorable game in Las Vegas where he scored 33 points in the first ever Las Vegas Championship game in a win against the Phoenix Suns. On July 29, 2013, Ian Clark signed a 2 year contract with the Utah Jazz.

Next Level

Making this feat even more impressive, he was the number one option on his team and he averaged 6.7 threes a game. Ian Clark is a shooting machine and an efficient one at that. His True Shooting Percentage in college was 63%. His senior year it was 69%! He nearly had a true shooting percentage of 70%! To put this in perspective, Kevin Durant last year had the 7th best true shooting percentage since 1990 with 65%. Ian Clark had an effective field goal percentage of 60% for his college career. In his senior year, he averaged an eFG% of 67%. Kyle Korver had the highest eFG% of any wing player who played more than 2000 minutes last year and his was 61%.

Training Camp Challenge

Become a consistent part of the rotation. Similar to Scott Machado, Ian Clark has something the Utah Jazz need. While Machado fills a point guard need, Ian Clark fills a different need: three point shooting. Last year the Utah Jazz were one of the worst outside shooting teams in the NBA. If Utah is going to reverse that trend Ian Clark has to be part of it. With Kanter and Favors moving on from the frontcourt of the future to the frontcourt of the present, the Utah Jazz will be desWhile Clark's shooting ability will be what gets him into games this season his defense will ultimately keep him on the floor. Clark will have to show he can bring that same defender of the year intensity to the NBA, but the difficulty level will be raised to the nth degree. This isn't the Atlantic Sun League or the OVC. This is the NBA. He will have to bring his defensive game up a couple of notches all while proving he can be a knock down shooter in this league.

Rudy Gobert

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Previous Week Stats: n/a

The Skinny

Rudy Gobert, center, was born in Saint-Quentin, France. Throughout the NBA Draft Combine process he was known as a physical freak of nature. At 7'1 and recording a standing reach of 9'7 he received his fair amount of attention. Rudy Gobert did not grow up playing basketball. Basketball was a later addition to his life in his teen years. He was soon targeted by local teams because of his height. Coaches then went to work teaching Gobert how to use his special physical tools to his advantage.

Rudy Gobert was signed by Cholet Basket at age 19. In his 2 years with Cholet Basket he averaged 8.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 0.37 APG, 0.67 SPG, and 1.7 BPG in 21.4 MPG. He shot 72.5% from the field. During his time with Cholet Basket he was selected as French LNB Pro A - Best Shot Blocker and as an All Star Reserve.

Rudy Gobert was selected by the Denver Nuggets #27 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft then traded on draft day to the Utah Jazz. In the Orlando Summer League, he made a quick impression with his imposing defense. During that week he averaged 5.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.2 SPG, and 2.4 BPG in 21.2 MPG.

During the Summer Rudy Gobert had minor surgery on his foot to remove an ingrown toe nail. His agent has assured the Utah Jazz that Rudy would be good to go for Day 1 of Training Camp. Gobert was unable to train with Karl Malone in the offseason due to visa problems and his surgery.

Next Level

Rudy Gobert's shot blocking skills are out of this world. In Summer League his PER 36 numbers would bring his blocks up to 4.1 blocks per game. Likewise his PER 36 with Cholet would bring him to 2.85 blocks per game. In fact in his two season with Cholet he had block percentages of 8.41% and 7.63%. Compare those with the best shot blockers of the NBA and he comes out smelling like a rose. Larry Sanders had a block percentage of 7.6%. Ibaka? 7.4%. Hibbert? 6.7%. Derrick Favors? 5.7%.

Training Camp Challenge

Jump Andris Biedrins on the depth chart. Rudy Gobert has the toughest training camp challenge. Rudy Gobert is not only competing against Biedrins everyday in camp, he is competing against Ty Corbin's past preference for veteran players. Gobert will have to show he can avoid foul trouble, stay his ground against bigger opponents, and is less of an offensive liability than Biedrins. In no world should Rudy Gobert lose a camp battle against Andris Biedrins. This is the same Biedrins who had Festus Ezeli leapfrog him on the depth chart. For reference, Festus Ezeli was the 30th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Jeremy Tyler even got some burn to avoid Andris Biedrins making it on to the court. If Rudy Gobert can play at a Festus Ezeli level or higher in training camp he should be the backup center. But, BUT, this is a Tyrone Corbin coached team.

Trey Burke

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Previous Week Stats: n/a

The Skinny

Trey Burke, point guard, hails from Columbus, Ohio. By the age of 5, Trey Burke's youth league had to make a rule change to prevent Burke from stealing the ball on almost every possession. At age 9, Trey Burke's father made him do everything with his left hand, writing, brushing his teeth, and eating, in order to build his dexterity. In 4th grade he would become good friends with Jared Sullinger. Together with Jared Sullinger, Trey Burke's high school team was dominant becoming the best high school team in the country. In high school he was Ohio Mr. Basketball and a PARADE magazine All-American Second Team. He was rated the 15th best point guard coming out of high school by ESPN.com and 26th best by Rivals.com.

Trey Burke initially verbally committed to Penn State but recanted and signed with Michigan. At Michigan Trey Burke led the Michigan Wolverines to the NCAA Championship game in just his sophomore year. During his time at Michigan he averaged 16.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 0.5 BPG in 35.6 MPG. Burke shot 45% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc. While at Michigan Trey Burke won the John R. Wooden Award, Naishmith College Player of the Year, Bob Cousy Award, NABC Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. He attended the LeBron James Skills Academy, Deron Williams Skills Academy, and CP3 Elite Guard Camp.

Trey Burke was selected #9 by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2013 NBA Draft. He was then traded to the Utah Jazz for the #14, Shabazz Muhammad, and #21, Gorgui Dieng picks in the 2013 NBA Draft. During the Orlando Summer League, Trey Burke notoriously struggled. He averaged 8.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.3 SPG, and 0.0 BPG in 26.8 MPG. He shot 24% from the field and 5% from three.

Trey Burke has spent time at P3 in Santa Barbara over the summer and has already trained with John Stockton to further improve his point guard skills.

Next Level

Trey Burke gets a lot of credit for his scoring ability and playmaking abilities, but an overlooked facet of his game is his pickpocketing skills. His steal percentage his senior year was 2.79%. When comparing that with the rest of the league Trey Burke compares very favorable. His 2.79% steal percentage would be good for 12th in the league when comparing him to other players with at least 1,000 minutes or more. As a reference point, Mo Williams had a steal percentage of 1.7%. That's just a hair better than Al Jefferson, 1.6. If he can be a thief like that on a game by game basis then he can add a nice dimension to the Jazz's defense in 2013-2014.

Training Camp Challenge

Seize the starting point guard position and get on the same page as Derrick Favors. Trey Burke must show and prove from day 1 that he is unequivocally the best point guard on the roster. Not by a small margin, but by a wide margin. His competition is John Lucas III, Ian Clark, and Scott Machado. He must show he is the man. As Trey goes so do the Utah Jazz. The faster Trey Burke learns the intricacies of the flex offense and how to ready defenses through the lens of the flex the better the Jazz will be. His progression will allow Derrick Favors to blossom and develop and a high rate. Trey Burke has the potential to be a devastating pick and roll point guard. Derrick Favors is a devastating pick and roll power Forward who has spent all summer working with the greatest pick and roll power forward of all time, Karl Malone. These two must think as one by the end of the season or an already difficult season will get a lot harder.

Pretty Pink Princess Backpack Threat Level

Elevated. The rookies will be receiving their backpacks anytime between media day and the first preseason game.