D-Leaguer keeps the faith

Everyone is chasing the dream.

First-round draft picks. Second-round picks. Free agents.

For the last eight days, they have suited up for battle at the NBA Summer League in Cox Pavilion and the Thomas & Mack Center, trying to prove they belong in the big time.

Jared Newson, 25, is among them. An undrafted 6-foot-4-inch scoring guard who played at mid-major Tennessee-Martin, Newson came close to making the Dallas Mavericks in 2007. But he was a victim of the NBA's financial structure. There were one too many guaranteed contracts that couldn't be moved, and Newson was the final player cut by then-coach Avery Johnson.

"I've never forgotten the hurt," Newson said. "That's what motivates me. I know I'm good enough (to play in the NBA). I just need that opportunity."

The way it's looking, he might still be waiting. Newson, who played in the NBA Development League last year with Bakersfield (Calif.) and Sioux Falls (S.D.), has had a rough time this week while playing for the D-League Select squad. In his first game against Phoenix on Monday, Newson shot 1-for-4 from the floor and committed five turnovers in 15 minutes.

On Tuesday against Cleveland, Newson was inserted in the second quarter and soon sprained his left ankle. X-rays showed no structural damage, but he was still gimpy and did not play against Memphis on Thursday. If he plays against Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. today at the Thomas & Mack Center, he won't be 100 percent.

For a player attempting to catch the eye of NBA general managers, that's a difficult way to go about doing it.

"It's the worst thing," Newson said. "To know how hard I trained for this chance and not be able to play like I can, it's very frustrating."

Selects coach Nick Nurse said he feels bad for Newson.

"As bad as I feel about us losing, I feel worse that a kid like Jared is letting a golden opportunity slip away from him through no fault of his own," Nurse said. "He had earned his way on to this team.

"But he has a chance. He has the desire and the athleticism. But his skills have to catch up with his athleticism."

Sioux Falls coach Tony Fritz said Newson can play in the NBA in the right situation.

"He's a great kid who's not going to cause any problems and he'll never stop working," Fritz said. "He does need to refine his skills and show he can consistently knock down shots."

The plan was for Newson to play both guard positions this week, show he could handle the ball, run a team, make a shot and get stops at the other end. That plan has gone terribly wrong.

Newson is well acquainted with disappointment. Raised in a single-parent household in Belleville, Ill., by his mother, Jackie, he was cut by his high school junior varsity team. But -- as Michael Jordan did -- Newson was determined to show he could play and later made the varsity.

That's where the Jordan comparisons end. Newson was lightly recruited and wound up at Tennessee-Martin, where he finished in 2006 as the third-leading scorer in school history, compiling 1,347 points.

After being bypassed in the draft, he was unable to hook on with Memphis during the 2006 Summer League. He played in Germany, had his close call with Dallas in 2007 after a strong summer showing in Las Vegas, then decided to go to Australia rather than make $30,000 in the D-League.

After briefly returning to Germany, Newson caught on with Bakersfield in November after seeing the exposure D-League players were getting. He played 20 games for Bakersfield before being dealt to Sioux Falls, where he averaged 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 25 games.

Now he's in Las Vegas for the third time. Unless his performance -- and luck -- improve dramatically this weekend, Newson probably is headed back overseas. There are 117 players with D-League experience in the Summer League, and 27 from the league got NBA call-ups last season.

Newson wasn't one of them. But how much longer can he afford to wait? He turns 26 in September. His basketball clock is ticking away. His NBA dream is approaching now-or-never territory.

"If it doesn't happen, I still have some options," Newson said. "I can go to Europe. I can go back to the D-League. I'll definitely be playing somewhere."

He also has a backup plan that doesn't involve basketball. Newson has a degree in graphic design from Tennessee-Martin, where he graduated with honors, and plans to start a sportswear business. He has a foundation that helps kids in the St. Louis area. He's studying for his real estate license and he's considering becoming a travel agent.

"I know I can't play basketball forever," Newson said. "But I owe it to myself to take it as far as I can. If I don't make it (to the NBA), at least I'll know I gave it my best shot. Then I'll move on."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.