It was kind of a surreal moment to see Utah Jazz across my chest and to come here and work out. – Nicholas Paulos
SALT LAKE CITY — Nicholas Paulos grew up in Utah. He played basketball about 10 miles away from EnergySolutions Arena. And, yes, he was pretty dang fond of the local NBA team.
On Wednesday, the former Olympus High basketball standout got a once-in-a-lifetime moment to work out for the team he used to cheer for.
“I’m just really thankful for the Jazz,” Paulos said, “for giving me this opportunity to come out here and show them what I can do and help pursue my dream of playing at the next level.”
That Paulos was on the court with other NBA hopefuls five years after he wrapped up his high school career at Olympus High in 2010 is remarkable.
After not getting a chance to play college ball instate, the 6-foot-7 sharpshooter enrolled at a prep school in New Hampton, New Hampshire, to fine tune his game before entering college.
“I think it was a really big step for me,” Paulos said of playing at New Hampton School. “I got a chance to really improve and mature a little bit. It gave me a lot of exposure to other colleges that normally wouldn’t have seen me play.”
It worked.
Paulos continued his hoops career at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he played and improved over four years. As a senior, the guard/forward set a single-season UNCG record for minutes played (1,178). He averaged 10.6 points and hit 91 3-pointers on 43.3 percent shooting from distance.
Although the 23-year-old is a long-shot NBA prospect, the former Utah all-state basketball player will have options to earn money playing his sport. He’s trying to model his game after other good shooters, like Klay Thompson, J.J. Redick and Mike Miller.
“I have to have the utmost belief and confidence in myself that I can play at any level,” Paulos said. “If the NBA thing doesn’t work out for me, there’s some interest in teams in Europe and possibly the D-League. I’m keeping all my options open. I’m just waiting to see how this whole process plays out.”
This particular part of the process was a huge thrill for Paulos, whose dad, The Summit Group CEO Bill Paulos, played hoops at Westminster College and whose grandpa, Delmar Schick, is a former University of Utah football player.
Paulos admitted that it was “pretty crazy” to find out that he had received an invitation to be in a Jazz pre-draft workout session, which also included Gonzaga’s Gary Bell Jr., Colorado’s Askia Booker, Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter (a first-round prospect), Arizona’s T.J. McConnell and Arizona State’s Shaquielle McKissic.
“Growing up in Salt Lake City, I was a huge Jazz fan as a kid,” said Paulos, reminiscing about times he was lucky enough to attend home games.
Years later, he now owns a Jazz practice jersey (No. 70) that he wore while working out in front of Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan, Utah general manager Dennis Lindsey and coach Quin Snyder.
“It was kind of a surreal moment to see Utah Jazz across my chest and to come here and work out,” Paulos said. “It was a pretty great experience.”
Including the part where he got to meet Sloan, a regular at these draft prep sessions.
“He’s a legend. Whenever you get a chance to meet a guy like that and pick his brain a little bit, it’s a pretty cool opportunity,” Paulos said. “He’s a pretty down-to-earth guy, so he makes it pretty easy (to talk to).”
While this was a fun experience for Paulos, it’s likely he’ll have to begin his pro career at a lower level than the NBA. He is hopeful that other NBA teams will give him a chance to try out before the June 25 draft.
Paulos said he thought nerves might have gotten to him a little bit, and he left the Jazz practice facility thinking he could’ve shot better.
“He competed, played hard,” Jazz vice president of player personnel Walt Perrin said.
Perrin admitted that Paulos is “probably not” a draftable player for the Jazz, which could be said of most of the guys they bring in for workouts.
“But that’s not to say he can’t play somewhere,” Perrin added.
Being an underdog is nothing new for Paulos, who embraced the challenge of taking an interesting detour to a Division I basketball program after the likes of BYU, Utah and Utah State passed on him.
“I’m still a skinny kid now, but I was really skinny and I wasn’t that good, so it’s understandable,” said Paulos, who’s listed at 185 pounds. “But I’ve always been one who’s been underrated throughout my career. I don’t think it’s any different now.”
Whatever happens next, Paulos will cherish Wednesday’s workout in a gym plastered with logos and famous names from his childhood NBA team.
He thanked the Jazz multiple times in his interview with local media members.
And now his journey to find a basketball home continues with one heck of a memory.
“Like I said,” he added, “I’ve got to have the utmost belief and confidence in myself that no matter who’s going to give me a chance, I’ll be ready to come in and positively impact that team.”
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