Fesenko out sick before NBDL camp

SEATTLE — Because of illness, Jazz rookie center Kyrylo Fesenko did not travel with the team to Seattle for Friday night's game against the Sonics.

It may have been his last chance to be with the club for a while, too.

All indications Friday pointed toward the Jazz assigning Fesenko, as expected, to the Utah Flash in time for the start of the NBA Development League affiliate's training camp today.

The Jazz are permitted to send rookies and second-year players to their Orem farm team up to three times during the season, each for an indeterminate length of time.

It's uncertain how long Fesenko, a second-round selection in last June's NBA Draft, will spend with the Flash during his first stay. But it's likely he'll at least go through all of training camp with the expansion D-League team, including three straight days of two-a-day sessions beginning Sunday.

Fesenko still hasn't made his NBA debut, and was inactive for the Jazz's first five games of the season.

The 7-foot-2 Ukrainian has battled stomach issues on and off since coming to Utah from his native Ukraine, but Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor suggested Friday that there appears to be no major medical concerns.

Fellow Jazz rookie Morris Almond, meanwhile, may see some time with the Flash this season too. There are no apparent plans, however, to send the first-rounder down right away.

Almond didn't dress Friday, marking the fifth times in six games this season he's been inactive.

MUCH TALENT: For now, he's a shooting guard. But what is Seattle rookie Kevin Durant really?

Coach Jerry Sloan, whose Jazz faced the draft's No. 2 overall selection for the first time in the regular season Friday, has a hunch he's much more than a mere one-dimensional player.

Sloan called the 19-year-old "a very, very talented guy."

"Obviously he's very young," he said. "And you've got a lot of growing pains, I'm sure, with him. But it looks like he has tremendous upside, as much as anybody you'll see, for as big as he is. Might even grow a little bit more."

As for position, Sloan didn't want to pin down one for the 6-foot-9 University of Texas product.