Machado To Attend Rockets' Training Camp

His Summer League performance was apparently enough for Rockets to invite Scott Machado to attend training camp with Houston, moving the former Iona guard one step closer to playing in NBA.  (Photo courtesy of NBA.com)

For those who knew what he was capable of, Scott Machado confirmed last night what his fans and the privileged few fortunate enough to see his four-year transformation from role player to superstar at Iona expected all along.  For those who did not, the point guard once again proved whatever skeptics he had wrong.

The MAAC Player of the Year last season while the Gaels became just the second team in conference history to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, Machado tweeted last night that he will be attending NBA training camp with the team he auditioned for last month.  "For everyone that keeps asking, I'm going to training camp with the Houston Rockets," read the guard's entry on Twitter.  In his five-game tryout for the Rockets' Summer League team in Las Vegas, Machado averaged eight points and 5.6 assists per game, with both his numbers and playing time increasing with every game.  He also shot 39 percent from the field last month in Sin City, a statistic that; although not excellent, is definitely manageable in the NBA.

The Rockets have yet to make an official announcement, but Machado is expected to enter training camp as one of the favorites to win the backup point guard spot after the team signed Jeremy Lin during the offseason.  It is also believed that Machado can eventually win the starting job from Lin, who inked a three-year, $25 million deal after a breakout campaign with the New York Knicks that was highlighted by his rags-to-riches rise that spawned the phenomenon known as "Linsanity."