<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Paul Millsap had a big smile on his face Tuesday morning as he walked across the basketball court in Taco Bell Arena. The former Louisiana Tech star wasn't smiling because he was back in an arena that he made his personal playground for three games of his college career. No, Millsap was excited to open his first NBA training camp with the Utah Jazz, the team that drafted him in the second round (47th overall) of June's draft. He left Tech after his junior season. "It's a good experience for me," the 6-foot-8 forward said. "It's exciting to be up here working out with these guys. Hopefully, it will pay off." Millsap is one of 18 players the Jazz brought to Boise for their training camp. The camp started Tuesday and concludes Saturday morning. The 18 players are competing for up to 15 roster spots. Millsap's goal, of course, is to make the Jazz's roster. And apparently, he's off to a good start. He drew rave reviews for his performance in the team's summer league, where he averaged 9.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in six games. He was named to the All-Rocky Mountain Revue team, impressing the team's coaching staff and front office. "We liked a lot of what we saw of him over the summer," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said Tuesday. "Anybody that goes after the basketball like that, well that's a special skill. There's not a lot of people who have the ability to go after the ball the way he does." Millsap led the nation in rebounding for three straight seasons at Louisiana Tech. "That's unprecedented," Utah forward Carlos Boozer said. "I know the coaches are excited about him because he has a nose for the ball and is always active. He's going to be a good addition to the team." Millsap's performance this summer not only got him noticed, it got him a guaranteed contract this season. That means he'll be paid whether or not he makes the team. There also is a chance that the Jazz assign him to the Idaho Stampede, their NBA Development League affiliate. The Jazz didn't release the terms of Millsap's contract, but the minimum pay for NBA rookies this season is $412,718.</div> Source
