The last we heard of Scottie Reynolds, he had declined to re-join the Springfield Armor for a second season in the NBA's developmental league. The former All-American guard had a rough time in his first professional season, struggling with an ill-advised attempt at playing in Europe and ultimately settling in back home with the no-glitz, no-glamour bus-league (figure of speech) team in Western Massachusetts.
It wasn't clear if Reynolds, who also spent part of his summer playing in the Philippines, would return to basketball this season. He may not have been so sure of it himself, but once the NBA lockout ended, Reynolds got a call from the Utah Jazz organization, offering him a spot in their training camp. It isn't a contract, but it is an opportunity.
"The biggest thing that’s kept me going is fear," Reynolds told Northern Virginia Magazine. "The fear of failure. The fear of letting people down. The fear of not getting to where I want to get...If I don’t make the NBA, I feel like I failed. It’s not right, and I know I didn’t fail, but that’s what keeps me running."
Reynolds has been working out at Villanova's Davis Center to prepare to make an impression at the camp. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, his presence came in handy for the 'Cats, who were preparing to face the guard-heavy attack of the Missouri Tigers.
If Jazz training camp doesn't lead to an NBA roster for Reynolds, there is still a chance that he will return to the D-League. At least he will know that he tried to make it.