FLASH POINT: KRUGER HAS GAME

Road trips through Bismarck and Boise reminded Kevin Kruger that he had not yet hit the big time. A tiny paycheck reinforced that fact.

There also were times when only a few hundred fans occupied seats for road games.

And some of the opponents had crazy nicknames, such as the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Kruger's five-month journey through the NBA Development League was at different times comical, depressing and hopeful.

"It's not very glamorous," the former UNLV point guard said. "The travel is not that great, and the pay is pretty bad."

The most discouraging part was the pay. In general, players in the D-League earn between $15,000 and $30,000 per season, much less than most NBA players make for one game.

Kruger said he earned about $18,000 for his rookie season with the Utah Flash.

But on the bright side, it will be easy to do his taxes, and the experience and respect he collected along the way might prove to be priceless.

Kruger is optimistic he made a good impression in the NBA's 14-team minor league, and he could be one break away from the big time.

"It was a good situation for me, and about as good as I could have hoped for because the D-League is really competitive and underrated. I think it's pretty well respected by NBA people," he said. "I got my name on the radar of a lot of NBA teams."

A year ago, after leading the Rebels to a 30-7 record and the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16, Kruger was not regarded as an NBA prospect. He measured 6 feet 2 inches, and had a high basketball IQ but a low vertical leap.

Pro scouts are looking for great athletes, not graduate students.

"If you don't have the blazing speed, a lot of people think you can't do it," Kruger said.

He was invited to training camp with the Orlando Magic, and was the last player cut. That's when he began to believe he could do it, even if he was not a fast, high-flying dunker.

In the D-League Draft, Kruger was the 10th pick of the first round by the Flash, the Orem, Utah-based affiliate of the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics.

He started 49 games at point guard, averaging 13.3 points and 7.1 assists, and finished the season with a flourish.

Kruger scored a career-high 43 points and made the winning 3-pointer in Utah's 109-106 victory over the Idaho Stampede on March 29 at Boise. He tied the D-League record by making 10 3-pointers in the game.

In Saturday's season finale, Kruger produced 27 points and 10 assists in a 130-118 victory over the Los Angeles D-Fenders. The Flash finished the season 24-26.

"Kevin has been our MVP at every stage of the season," Flash coach Brad Jones said. "He's been consistent and done nothing but get better. I really think he is the epitome of what a pro player should be."

Former UNLV star Wendell White plays for the D-Fenders, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers. White averaged 11.8 points and 5.3 rebounds for the D-Fenders, who advanced to the playoffs with a 32-18 record.

There's no telling if White and Kruger will cross paths in the D-League again next season. Kruger said he has multiple offers to play for NBA summer league teams.

"I'll look for the best situation in terms of making a roster," Kruger said. "If the NBA teams say they're not very interested, I'll probably go overseas."

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2907.