Jul. 19--TAYLORSVILLE -- Forty-five minutes before Kosta Koufos' professional debut Friday night, Utah Jazz vice president of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor leaned against a wall outside the gym at Salt Lake Community College and made a prediction.
Koufos might not dominate the weeklong Rocky Mountain Revue, O'Connor said, but the Jazz's first-round draft pick from Ohio State would not be outworked.
"Our coaches. .. are pretty happy with how hard he plays," O'Connor said. "Now, how well he plays tonight, that might be a different story. But he always seems willing to compete."
In the Jazz's first game of the Revue -- a lopsided 82-57 loss to San Antonio -- Koufos might have been willing. But he wasn't able to do much, thanks mostly to early foul trouble that limited him to four minutes of playing time in the first half and only 14 for the game.
"He got into foul trouble and he pouted a little bit," said Jazz assistant coach Tyrone Corbin. ". .. He wanted be out on the floor.
"He wanted to score. He wanted to get his points. But he's got to let the game come to him and know -- that if he gets in foul trouble -- he can't be out there."
Koufos, the Big Ten's fifth-leading scorer and rebounder last season, admitted he must work on his defense, "but that will come.. .. I just have to play smarter. The NBA game is a lot faster" than college.
Playing alongside second-year center Kyrylo Fesenko, Koufos started well. On the Jazz's second possession, he put the ball on the floor, drew a foul and made a pair of free throws.
Moments later, Koufos missed an 18-footer and committed his second foul. He went to the bench with 6:44 left in the first quarter and Utah trailing, 11-2.
Koufos' second trip onto the court lasted 32 seconds. He reentered the game with 5:20 left in the half and immediately picked up his third foul.
"It was my first NBA game with referees," Koufos said. " I just have to go to practice tomorrow and keep working on some things."
Koufos' best moments came early in the third quarter, when he grabbed three rebounds, blocked a shot and scored the first basket of his career.
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