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NBA Summer League 2015: Scott Machado Hoping To Get Training Camp Invite From Washington Wizards

By Ben Mehic

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The life of an NBA player isn’t always easy. Not everyone was a number one high school recruit or McDonald’s All-American. While we’ve become accustomed to seeing players live glamorous lifestyles on reality television shows and such, that life isn’t typical in the NBA.

The Washington Wizards have a number of players on their roster that have been in-and-out of the NBA, only to eventually climb back in following a long journey playing for teams in different countries with unpronounceable names.

From 2010-2012, a span of two years, Garrett Temple played for 10 different teams, including A.S. Junior Pallacanestro Casale in Italy.

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He eventually worked his way up through the NBA D-League, received a call-up from the Washington Wizards in 2012, and earned a multi-year contract last off-season.

Alan Anderson, who was signed by Ernie Grunfeld and the Wizards this summer, played for 12 different teams in less than a decade.

Along with playing in the D-League, Anderson had stints with teams in Italy, Russia, Croatia, Israel, Spain and China.

Temple and Anderson have endured a long, grueling road back to the NBA and have managed to stick around. Even though neither player has become a household name, they’re well-respected players around the league. Both possess a leadership quality that teams covet and have cracked rotations for the past several seasons as a result.

The NBA Summer League is full of NBA hopefuls, just as Temple and Anderson once were.

Most players won’t end up donning an NBA jersey like Temple and Anderson have, though. Those who went undrafted will likely play in the D-League, hoping to turn heads and receive a call-up to the big league, while others will opt to play overseas where it could potentially be more lucrative.

Scott Machado, the starting point guard for the Wizards’ summer league team, is just one of the many hoping to leave a positive impression on Washington’s brass. After several games in Las Vegas, Machado has done exactly that.

In 2012, Machado led the nation in assists at Iona College. While he broke virtually every school record and became a finalist for the Bob Cousy and Wooden Award, Machado went undrafted in 2012. His masterful passing abilities were overlooked because he was undersized and didn’t possess a consistent enough jumper to apparently make it at the next level.

In three seasons, Scott Machado has played for three different D-League teams, two NBA teams, and two teams in France and Estonia. His journey is similar to many of those who are playing in the summer league this season, except, Scott Machado actually seems to have a legitimate chance at finally finding an NBA home very soon.

After five contests with the Wizards, Machado has averaged 12.6 points per game, 4 rebounds and nearly 5 assists. Even more impressively, Machado has shot over 45 percent from the field in Las Vegas — a respectable percentage in the summer league circuit.

For two straight games, Scott Machado has registered 17 points. He also dished out 8 assists against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.

Machado’s ability to finish around the basket and create for himself is a testament to the work he’s put in behind the scenes. He’s developed an acceptable jump shot, yet he doesn’t settle for outside looks and often looks to finish with a floater at the rim.

His passing, though, will continue to get him noticed. While others are selfishly bringing the ball up the court, chucking up shots with hopes of getting points on the stat sheet, Scott Machado has taken advantage of his court vision:

Scott Machado is undoubtedly capable of playing at the next level, and now it’s just a matter of getting a legitimate shot.

The Wizards have a full roster with 15 guaranteed contracts. They will invite several more players to training camp that will join them for preseason as well.

Last year, Xavier Silas, Rasual Butler and Damion James were finalists during preseason. Silas and James both had positive moments, but Butler’s experience and outside shooting got him a spot on Randy Wittman’s final team.

Besides Jarrid Famous, Scott Machado has been the most impressive player on Washington’s summer league team. They have zero roster spots available, so Machado could opt to take a training camp invitation from a different team, which is something Khem Birch decided to do last season.

Machado has skills that other backup guards on Washington’s roster don’t. Quite frankly, he’s one of the best passers in the world and deserves a shot at playing regular minutes for a team.

If the Wizards find a way to create room, either by buying out a player’s contract or finding trades, then Machado could find his way in Washington. Regardless, we’ll eventually see him contribute to an NBA team, even if it’s not in D.C.

Next: Can Jarrid Famous Make Washington's Final Roster?

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