This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Artem Klimenko has a lot to work on — starting with his English.But while the 7-foot Russian need a translator to get through his interviews Thursday in Salt Lake City, the center is still a "very intriguing" prospect for the Utah Jazz, who own the 23rd and 35th picks in this month's draft."He moves well. Shot the ball extremely well from 18-20 feet. A guy you kind of look at and see what he may be in a couple years," said Jazz VP of Player Personnel Walt Perrin.Klimenko can run the floor well for a big man, has decent touch around the rim and could be a pick-and-pop center.But at 242 pounds, he's got to get stronger."The thing you find out about a lot of European guys is they don't believe in the weight training program that we do here in the United States," Perrin said. "So most of them are a little bit behind strength-wise."Perrin added, "Whether you stash him or not, that's a question you have to answer later. But he is an intriguing player for the future."— Aaron Falk