Utah Jazz preview: Jazz player capsules

Gordon Hayward

Height/weight • 6-8, 220 pounds

Age • 23

College • Butler

Year • 4th

2012-13 stats • 14.1 points, 3.1 rebounds

What he brings • Perhaps no player on the Jazz roster will have a greater impact this season. Hayward, a long, athletic swingman, has been a complementary piece during his first three seasons in Utah. This year, Hayward will be relied upon heavily as the team's primary scoring threat. He's creative with the ball and can score or find open teammates. But can he succeed regularly while getting extra attention from opposing defenses?

Derrick Favors

Height/weight • 6-10, 268 pounds

Age • 22

College • Georgia Tech

Year • 4th

2012-13 stats • 9.5 points, 7 rebounds

What he brings • When the Jazz traded away All-Star point guard Deron Williams, they gambled heavily on Favors, the centerpiece of the package that came back from New Jersey. Now, with a new multi-year extension, the Jazz have doubled down on the super athletic big man. While his offensive game seems to lack a well-developed post move, the Jazz believe the quiet guy from Georgia Tech can be an elite defender in the league.

Enes Kanter

Height/weight • 6-11, 248 pounds

Age • 21

College • Kentucky

Year • 3rd

2012-13 stats • 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds

What he brings • The gregarious Turkish center missed the final 10 games of last season after surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder. He is back and likely a full-time starter. His offensive game has expanded to include a nice jumper, but he'll be most effective near the basket. The mental part of the game is sometimes a concern, but some within the organization believe Kanter is a future All-Star.

Alec Burks

Height/weight • 6-6, 211 pounds

Age • 22

College • Colorado

Year • 3rd

2012-13 stats • 7 points, 2.3 rebounds

What he brings • A super confident, super athletic player who will see time on the floor at both the 1- and 2-guard positions this year, Burks excels at getting to the rim. He's bulked up this year in hopes of having better success finishing his shots in traffic. He needs to become more consistent and improve his shooting percentage (42 percent last year).

Trey Burke

Height/weight • 6-1, 185 pounds

Age • 20

College • Michigan

Year • 1st

2012-13 stats • 18.6 points, 6.7 assists, 1.6 steals (college)

What he brings • A broken index finger on his right hand has pushed back Burke's transition into the spotlight. A misleading shooting performance at the Orlando Pro Summer League was quickly overshadowed by solid performances in the first two preseason games. However, the question remains of how he is using the time off the floor and whether he will be prepared to step back into a key role.

Brandon Rush

Height/weight • 6-6, 210 pounds

Age • 28

College • Kansas

Year • 6th

2011-12 stats • 9.8 points, 45.2% 3-pointers

What he brings • If healthy, Rush would step into the perimeter-shooting void left by Randy Foye's decampment to Denver. One of the top 3-point shooters over the course of his career, Rush was sixth in the NBA at 45.2 percent from 3 in 2011-12. However, he suffered a catastrophic knee injury two games into last season and so far in Jazz camp has appeared out of shape and far away from playing.

Marvin Williams

Height/weight • 6-9, 237 pounds

Age • 27

College • North Carolina

Year • 9th

2012-13 stats • 7.2 points, 3.6 rebounds

What he brings • Williams is in the last year of his contract and still working his way back from a surgery on his Achilles. At his best, he's a double-digit scorer who once shot nearly 40 percent from 3. At his worst, he's an inconsistent contributor off Ty Corbin's bench. Last season he averaged career lows in minutes and points per game.

Andris Biedrins

Height/weight • 7-0, 242 pounds

Age • 27

College • BK Skonto/Latvia

Year • 10th

2012-13 stats • .5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 30% free throws

What he brings • In his best season, 2008-09, Biedrins averaged 11.9 points and 11.2 rebounds for Golden State. However, his confidence was busted during the Warriors' rebuild, and he has rarely been the presence he was earlier in his career. The Jazz will need him to play minutes, but if he can't produce behind Enes Kanter it will be a long season. He has made only 5 of his 24 free throw attempts in the last two seasons.

Richard Jefferson

Height/weight • 6-7, 230 pounds

Age • 33

College • Arizona

Year • 13th

2012-13 stats • 3.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 10.1 minutes,

What he brings • A former top-10 scorer, the veteran was a non-factor on last year's Golden State team. He will either start or serve as the primary backup at small forward, especially until Marvin Williams returns from offseason heel surgery. He's in better shape than last year, and seems genuinely excited for an opportunity to reclaim his career. Despite his years, can still shoot from outside.

Ian Clark

Height/weight • 6-3, 175 pounds

Age • 22

College • Belmont

Year • 1st

2012-13 stats • 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 54% FGs (college)

What he brings • The undrafted rookie was named the MVP of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas thanks to a varying array of moves and 3-point shooting. The Jazz brought him in as a third combo guard, but if Alec Burks finds himself spending much time at point guard, Clark could get significant playing time. However, he'll have to shoot better than he did early in camp.

John Lucas III

Height/weight • 5-11, 165 pounds

Age • 30

College • Oklahoma State

Year • 6th

2012-13 stats • 5.3 points, 1.7 assists

What he brings • A popular teammate in Toronto and Chicago, the son of the former NBA head coach has been thrust into a bigger role due to Trey Burke's injury. It's similar to the job he undertook in Chicago when Derrick Rose was injured in 2012. But the former Oklahoma State Cowboy has only started two games in his career, and if expected to carry an offense, the Jazz could be in trouble.

Rudy Gobert

Height/weight • 7-1, 235

Age • 21

College • Cholet Basket/France

Year • 1st

2012-13 stats • 8.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks

What he brings • An unrefined and intriguing talent, Gobert is a gifted shot blocker, but if Kanter and Biedrins are both healthy, it's difficult to see him getting much time on the floor. In the meantime, he must develop a go-to post move and work on passing out of the post. His 7-foot-9 wingspan is unmatched, but it's only a sidenote if he can't beef up and learn to score.

Jeremy Evans

Height/weight • 6-9, 197 pounds

Age • 25

College • Western Kentucky

Year • 4th

2012-13 stats • 2.1 points, 1.6 rebounds

What he brings • The high-flying Slam Dunk champion wants to be more than just an All-Star weekend success. Evans is rail-thin, so he'll have to expand his game enough to be used at the small forward position. He spent more time this offseason working on his jump shot and hopes he's added the range and confidence to make himself effective away from the basket.

Jamaal Tinsley

Height/weight • 6-3, 188 pounds

Age • 35

College • Iowa State

Year • 11th

2012-13 stats • 3.5 points, 4.4 assists

What he brings • With Trey Burke sidelined indefinitely by a fractured finger, the Jazz were in search of a point guard. They didn't have to go too far to find one. Tinsley, who signed with the team just this week, spent the past two seasons in Utah. He brings a veteran's experience and a knowledge of the Jazz system.