Jun. 25--Whether it was a return to altitude or a case of allergies, the toll from a dozen draft workouts or the orange juice he had for breakfast, Brigham Young center Trent Plaisted struggled through things Tuesday as he auditioned for the Jazz.
Plaisted became sick during his one-on-one workout against Arkansas center Steven Hill but was able to finish the workout after a short break. "Once I got that out of me, I was good to go again," Plaisted said.
As much as his decision not to return to Provo for his senior season has been debated, Plaisted said he had no regrets. He expects to be drafted between the end of the first round and the top half of the second round.
"You'd be foolish not to think about probably the worst case scenario," Plaisted said, "but at the same time, you try to be optimistic about your chances. I feel pretty good about my position right now in the draft and we'll see what happens Thursday."
Fourteen of the 30 second-round picks in last year's draft signed guaranteed contracts for at least one season.
Every first-round pick is eligible for a minimum two-year guaranteed contract, according to NBA rules.
The Jazz would consider Plaisted with their two second-round picks, but not their No. 23 pick in the first round.
Walt Perrin, the Jazz's vice president of player personnel, said Plaisted's strengths came in having a nice hook shot and running the floor.
But Perrin said Plaisted struggled with his conditioning and listed a host of areas in which he could improve.
"He needs to improve his total game," Perrin said. "He needs to improve on being able to step out and shoot a 12- to 15-foot jump shot. He needs to improve on getting stronger. He needs to improve on playing better defense on the post. There's a lot of things that he needs to improve on, like most players in this draft."
Tuesday's workout was Plaisted's last before the draft, which he planned to watch at home. He said he would be "honored" to be chosen by the Jazz and had received nothing but encouragement from BYU coach Dave Rose about his decision to turn pro.
"He said, 'You know, Trent, it's your decision, it's your career, you do what you've got to do and we'll back you up 100 percent either way,' " Plaisted said.
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