NBA Draft 2015: Utah Jazz worked out 101 players, obviously looking beyond three draft picks

First of all, shoutout to Andy B. Larsen (the B stands for Big shot I know what a PDF file is), for helping me out with the data for this year's workouts. It was pretty obvious that I have been in and out of the country a few times over the last two months and wasn't following all of the Utah Jazz news as it happened. That also explains why we had so few posts the last 6 weeks. ANYWAY, the Utah Jazz worked out 101 players since the end of the season and the NBA Draft. (This doesn't include the 26 guys they brought in for free agent mini-camp, btw) The 101 mark is the highest ever, surpassing last seasons' epic 91 players worked out (89 different players, two guys worked out twice). So, the team doesn't have 101 draft picks this season though. They don't even have five. But it's part of the strategy to get most data on every player possible. And you do that by having a great scouting staff, and a front office that's willing to go out there and schedule these trips, visits, interviews, and workouts.

The Jazz worked out some of these guys back at the NBA Draft combine week as well, and liked them well enough to bring them to Utah for another look. I wouldn't be surprised to see a player drafted by the Jazz tonight be someone they've seen multiple times. But even more than that, I wouldn't be surprised to see three or four players invited to summer league, training camp with the team, or training camp with the Idaho Stampede. Maybe not immediately this season, but down the line. Utah has been cultivating a very large list (binders and binders) of players. One example is Jack Cooley, who did two predraft workouts for the Jazz in 2013, then attended a free agent mini-camp in 2014, got a training camp invite, didn't make the team, made the Idaho Stampede, and because of injuries and trades, eventually got called up to the big leagues. He's not the only one who had a similar route to the NBA through the Jazz. And he's not the only guy who'll end up making it that way.

So did the Jazz work out any Jack Cooley's this May and June? Or did they just work out the next player they'll use a lotto pick on? (Jazz players who were lotto picks that the team worked out before: Gordon Hayward, Alec Burks, Enes Kanter (Europe private)).

The vast majority of these guys will never make the NBA. Some would bounce around in different leagues, a lucky few will play pro ball in America, and maybe get invited to training camp, summer league, free agent mini camps, or toil in the NBA DL. It's not pointless to do so, as we learned from the example of Cooley, Murray, and others, you can make the NBA. You have to work hard. And if a franchise is keeping track of you, there's always hope.

Of course, you can be a Jazzman without having to had a predraft workout with them. Just ask Dante Exum, Trey Burke, Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, and others. But most of these guys aren't threats to make it in the first 14 picks of the NBA Draft.

I applaud the Jazz for being so very thorough with their scouting. It allows them to make educated moves and personnel decisions. That's why they are always a threat in the lotto, the late first round, the second round, and in snatching up undrafted players. I don't know if any of these guys will play for the Jazz. But I do know that if they were good enough to catch the attention of the team that I love that their careers will be worth following.

I wish the all the best, and hope their hoop dreams come true tonight. For those who aren't so lucky, know that the path to the NBA doesn't stop if you aren't drafted. Keep at it. Keep working. And you'll get there, just like Jack did.