SALT LAKE CITY -- One is in his 10th season in the NBA, the other is in his second.
One is a 6-foot-9 forward who can jump out of the gym, the other is a 6-3 point guard who's best skill is dribbling.
One is from Brooklyn, N.Y.; the other is from Crossett, Ark.
One is Jeremy Evans, the other is Jamaal Tinsley.
Separately, these two Utah Jazz players appear worlds apart. Together, they've become buddies on the end of bench.
As the No. 12 and 13 guys on the roster, Evans, 24, and Tinsley, 33, don't see a lot of playing time. In fact, going into tonight's game with the Toronto Raptors at EnergySolutions Arena, Evans has played a total 6:39 all season. Tinsley, Utah's No. 3 point guard, has played just 4:56.
Still, they are among the hardest working members of the team, often the last players off the court at practices and shootarounds.
"We always stay after (and) shoot," Evans said. "We just want to get better. We know we're not playing as much as other guys so that's the only way to get better."
It helps that one player is a veteran point guard and the other is a young, highly athletic forward. Tinsley often can be seen working Evans on the subtleties of pick-and-roll plays, alley-oops and even certain defensive skills.
Evans said Tinsley has become a mentor of sorts.
"He showed me what to do as far as the shooting drills we do and he's always the first one off the bench (to support his teammates)," he said. "Just watching him stay in the game, that shows me a lot."
Tinsley, a first-round pick out of Iowa State in 2001, spent seven seasons with the Indiana Pacers. He played 38 games for the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2009-10 season and was out of the league last year.
This fall, he was playing for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBADL when the Jazz offered him a second chance at the NBA.
Although he had some off-the-court issues in the past, Tinsley has been nothing short of a model citizen with the Jazz.
"You couldn't ask for anybody better," coach Tyrone Corbin said. "He's running extra every day, he comes into practice ready to compete. Any time (he) gets time on the floor he's ready to play, ready to compete. He's saying all the right things in the locker room, he's working with the guys on the bench. He's a tremendous teammate."
Tinsley said his behavior with the Jazz is not about saying thank you for the second chance.
"The second chance is me being here," he said. "But there are certain things you can't control. I can't control my minutes but I can control me being ready and staying in shape, just waiting for my number to be called."
Given the challenges of the lockout-shortened 66-game schedule, teams around the NBA are already dealing with nagging injuries. The Jazz have so far been fortunate, but Corbin said he knows they will face some injury challenges as the season moves along. Having a veteran like Tinsley as the No. 3 point guard is indeed a luxury.
"He's helping us now, but he's going to help us down the road," he said. "Something's going to happen and he's going to be ready."
Tinsley, who sat out the entire 2008-09 season in a dispute with the Pacers, said he has always tried to be a good teammate.
"I've always been a good teammate, that's never been the question," he said. "I think if we win we all look good. Everybody should be like that, just pulling for each other."
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