This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Now, the Jazz get to see if they are for real.
Last season ended with the Jazz winning 19 of their last 29 games. But there is a line of thought that points to that finish being a bit of fool's gold, the product of teams either mailing their seasons in or resting their core players in anticipation of a postseason run.
Utah's players have wondered through the summer if their improvement translates. Wednesday night's opener at the Detroit Pistons is the first major test.
"I think we're all just kind of waiting to get this thing started," Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward said. "I think last year we were playing so well that we didn't want the season to end. So we're all a bit anxious to get going, and see what we've learned in practice and get to the games."
The Jazz have heard the optimism surrounding their team, the playoff prognostications and the predictions of improvement. At the same time, the core of the team is still exceedingly young, with Hayward being just 25 years old.
So this team is excited. They knew there was a little lethargy at the end of the preseason. And that excitement carried over into practice once the preseason ended. Utah coach Quin Snyder said practice has been crisp and intense. The overall mood has been upbeat. Does it translate into wins? That's the big question.
"I am excited about the season," Snyder said. "I'm excited to see who we are. I think we're finding ourselves. We have some players who have been here before and played last year. We have some players who are overcoming injuries. I think we're more solid than last year. I'm interested to see how it all works out."
Worn-down Pistons
The Jazz actually won't be the first game for the Pistons. Detroit opens on Tuesday night against the Atlanta Hawks on the road. So, the Pistons will be facing Utah on the tail end of a back-to-back. Could Detroit experience tired legs against the Jazz? That's unlikely, being that the season will be so young and Utah represents the home opener for the Pistons. Still, it's something that bears watching, to some degree.
Feeling his way
Jazz rookie Trey Lyles will be brought along slowly for most of the season. On Wednesday night, however, the power forward will play an important role off the bench. With Trevor Booker being suspended, Lyles will be counted on for production in his place. Snyder praised his lottery pick for the most part. Still, Snyder said he'd like to see better defense and rebounding out of Lyles.
"He's an instinctive player and he plays well with other people," Snyder said. "We've talked to him about defending and rebounding — that gets you on the floor here, and he knows that. If he can do that, he'll have the opportunity to play minutes."
Twitter: @tjonessltrib