Utah Jazz mulling Fes' future

Though he continues to toil with the Jazz's NBA Development League affiliate Utah Flash, big man Kyrylo Fesenko isn't out of mind with the Jazz brass.

Asked if the verdict still remains out on Fesenko — the Jazz must decide shortly before the upcoming June NBA Draft whether to exercise their third-year contract option on the 2007 second-round pick — coach Jerry Sloan suggested it was.

"He has the ability to play. It's just what he does with that ability," Sloan said late last week. "You know, you can talk and work with him, (but) he has to be the guy that comes out and does the work every day and gets in great shape so he can do those things.

"But there's no question he has skills to play."

The Jazz have yet to determine for certain if they feel another season in their system will enable Fesenko to finally figure out what it takes to maximize those skills, or if they're willing to simply let their investment move on.

The Jazz had considered alternating Flash assignments for Fesenko and rookie big man Kosta Koufos this season, incidentally, but, Sloan said last Thursday, "We're kind of holding off on that right now."

Koufos, however, hasn't appeared in a Jazz game since Feb. 17, and the club doesn't want him to go too much longer without him playing somewhere sometime soon.

Utah shooting guard Morris Almond also is currently assigned to the Orem-based Flash, but with the Jazz already having declined to pick up his contract option for next season, his current stint in the D-League is all about trying to impress scouts from other NBA teams.

If Koufos were to be assigned to the Flash before their season ends, either Fesenko or Almond would have to be recalled by the Jazz, as no more than two players from the same NBA team can be assigned to the minors at the same time.

Almond has a team-high 24.4 points-per-game scoring average in six games for the Flash this season, including a game-high 26 in Friday night's 103-91 win over Erie on Saturday night and a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left in last Wednesday's victory over Reno.

The Flash's all-time leading scorer, his 1,000th point for the franchise came during Friday's game.

Fesenko is averaging 12.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over 14 games and two stints this season with the Flash. That includes 11.8 points and 7.0 boards during his current six-game assignment, and double-doubles in his last two outings.