Utah Jazz assign center Rudy Gobert and guard Ian Clark to NBDL's Bakersfield Jam again

New year, same old Utah Jazz. Rookies Rudy Gobert and Ian Clark have been sent back to the NBA-DL's Bakersfield Jam for the second time in their first season. The team reports:

Jazz assigns @IanClark and @rudygobert15 to D-League’s @BakersfieldJam; both expected to play tonight. | Details: http://t.co/8q9oSwwt9n

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 4, 2014

And released this info on their page:

SALT LAKE CITY (January 4, 2014) – The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has assigned rookie guard Ian Clark and rookie center Rudy Gobert to its NBA Development League (D-League) affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam. Both are expected to be in uniform for the Jam’s game Saturday at the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

This will be the second assignment this season for both Clark and Gobert, who were previously assigned to Bakersfield from December 14-21. In three games (all starts) with the Jam, Clark averaged 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 35.1 minutes. Gobert also appeared in three games (all starts) and averaged 14.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.3 blocks while shooting .750 (15-20) from the field in 30.8 minutes.

A 6-3, 173-pound guard out of Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Clark was named 2013 NBA Summer League Championship Game Most Valuable Player and was signed by the Jazz as an undrafted rookie free agent on July 29. The 22-year-old has appeared in eight games as a reserve for the Jazz, averaging 2.8 points in 8.8 minutes.

Gobert, a 7-1, 245-pound center, was a 2013 first-round draft pick (27th overall) whose rights the Jazz acquired in a draft-night trade with Denver that sent the Nuggets the rights to the 46th overall pick and cash considerations. The 21-year-old native of Saint Quentin, France, has made 17 appearances for the Jazz in a reserve role, averaging 2.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.82 blocks in 10.7 minutes.

Clark and Gobert were the seventh and eighth different players in Jazz history to be assigned to the D-League. Other players on the current Jazz roster with D-League experience include Jeremy Evans, Diante Garrett, Mike Harris and John Lucas III.

Jazz fans can watch Clark and Gobert and all the Jam games on the NBA D-League YouTube channel and through a YouTube video player on NBA.com/dleague.

The Jazz last did this on December 14, 2013 (my post on it here). I'm still cool with the idea of them actually getting playing time, that's more important than watching guys like John Lucas III and others ahead of them on the depth chart. In Gobert's case it's just a no-win situation. He's already demonstrated that he's better than the NBA-DL by dominating it (my post on NBA-DL experience and performance for Utah Jazz players here). But the Jazz have demonstrated that they don't even have the minutes to spare to give to Enes Kanter.

Hope these guys stay positive and play well. Since they were both called up last time they played a grand total of zero minutes in the NBA.