This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A talented forward who scouts think needs to play a little harder.
A shooter out of Michigan State with the stamp of coach Tom Izzo.
A do-it-all combination forward out of New Mexico State.
That sums up the latest batch of prospects brought in by the Utah Jazz on Wednesday morning. Shawn Long, Bryn Forbes and Pascal Siakam won't generate buzz on any first-round NBA draft boards. But all are solid second-round prospects. Each have talents that intrigue scouts, and all are considered guys who have an NBA type of skill.
Take Forbes, for example. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard spent two years at Cleveland State, transferred to Michigan State and played a few years with the Spartans. Considering the success of Izzo recruits in the NBA, Forbes has generated strong interest throughout the league. Wednesday was his seventh workout, and he has a bushel of future workouts on the horizon.
"We had a player here who is similar to Bryn," Jazz VP of player personnel Walt Perrin said. "His name is Ian Clark, and he's currently playing well with the Golden State Warriors. Bryn can probably create his shot a bit better than Clark could at the same point. But even if Bryn is small for a shooting guard, I think coaches will make a place for people that they like."
Long, a 6-foot-11 power forward, was a linchpin in Louisiana-Lafayette's success the last few years. His point guard from those teams, Elfrid Payton, just wrapped up his second season with the Orlando Magic.
Athletic, a good shooter and rebounder, Long is considered very talented by the NBA's decision-makers. His results on Wednesday were uneven. He showed his ability to run the floor and block shots. But Perrin said the altitude in Utah clearly affected him, and Long didn't shoot the ball as well as he would've liked.
"It's a blessing to be going through this experience," Long said. "I think it's helping me get better and better as a player. It's great to be going against good competition. I thought I had a good workout today. I worked out in Los Angeles [with the Lakers] yesterday. So the process is a blessing. It's a humbling experience."
Siakam may be one of the more underrated prospects in the draft, as we are now under a month until draft night.
He played at New Mexico State, out of the spotlight. But by accounts, he was the best player in Utah's workout on Wednesday. He's skilled and athletic. He can make shots and make plays off the dribble. Siakam is projected as a power forward who can slide to small forward. He's a guy who could amount to a second-round steal.
Wednesday's workout also featured Trevor Cooney out of Syracuse, one of the best shooters in the country over his college career; Kenny Gaines, an athletic guard out of Georgia; Max Landis, who averaged 19 points a night for Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Twitter: @tjonessltrib