Show C 7 t e it t Jiff r r. r t no ri t t 1 i I r Ut Utah a h J Jazz azz f i f r J t lip Player faye r Pre Preview vie w I 4 t Gerald Narciso 1 The Globe 1 Many experts have the Jazz season on a totem pole Some believe the Jazz will be fifth seed other dont don't think mink they'll make the playoffs There are still a lot of questions with this team than answers If the Jazz are to succeed they must stay healthy and certain players must start to live up to their big contracts If they do step up then the bandwagon bandwagon bandwagon band band- wagon of Jazz fans are sure to follow If not expect the Delta Center to have more green seats than fans in the arena Here is a breakdown of each player on the roster Starters Mehmet c Had his moments last year but also disappeared a lot of the times The Jazz need him to be bemore bemore bemore more consistent and go a little more inside had a tendency tendency tendency ten ten- dency to camp at the three point line Carlos Boozer pf Pt Failed to live up to the high contract last year but injuries played a big part in that If he is healthy all year he could put up All Star numbers Andrei sf st Obviously the Jazz's best player can do it on both sides of the court Could use improvement with his outside shot Must stay healthy Gordon sg Overrated shooter has the capability to light it up but he is too streaky as a shooter Honestly the two-guard two spot is the Jazz's weakest position They are going to miss the hustle and heart of Raja Bell Kevin OConnor O'Connor should have been more aggressive in attempting to sign re-sign Bell who bolted to Phoenix Keith McLeod pg The first third of the season McLeod was incredible at the point position However a shooting slum that lasted for months left his shooting percentage percentage percentage per per- teetering around Still did an adequate job to earn him the starting spot until Williams gets his feet wet Bench Daron Williams pg Probably the most hyped Jazz draft pick ever If h he can live up to his Jason Kidd comparison he will lead the Jazz into the playoffs If he struggles then CT the Jazz i will be starting their fH summer summer h vacation T l j in late lii r rr Jan u v r trU V Devin Brown sg A hard working guard with limited limited 4 offensive skills Did an good job as a role player in Sari San Antonio Matt Harping sf st Three he years ago was the Jazz's t third option Injuries have limited his production significantly significantly significantly cantly the last few years His hustle and work ethic is always going to make him effective on the court Jazz need need- him to provide defensive toughness off the bench a f Jarron Collins pf Pt Its It's surprising that he is still with the i Jazz Has shown limited improvement the last few years but bu he plays hard hara and he has a good attitude Milt Palacio pg A defensive specialist so he should fit fitin in well with Jerry Sloan Average point guard skills and he lie does not have range on his shot Greg c A lot of people are too fast to rip Yeah he underachieved here in the past but he can really help this team Not much is expected from himin himin him him- in the first place so any contribution will be a plus for the i Jazz Plus hell he'll at least do a better job than man Curtis Borchardt ever did Kris Humphries pf pt Played well in the summer league Must improve his post moves and his ball handling catch ing skills His big body should help especially with his ability to get offensive rebounds CJ Miles sg This rookie out of high school still has a alot lot of learning and improving to do before we see him become an player Jerry Sloan will teach him how to play the right way and they're hoping his contribution will come sooner than later Robert Whaley pf pt Whaley has a troubled past and the Jazz have already seen glimpses of it Whaley will be suspended suspended suspended sus sus- sus- sus for the first few games of the season because of a fight during the preseason Has some good skills but if he doesn't shape up believe me he will be gone before you know it Andre Owens sg Jerry Sloan calls him the hardest working player he has ever had He showed he can contribute contribute contribute con con- tribute during the preseason and if he continues to work as ashard ashard hard as he is he will open some eyes this this year M Must i improve p ve his i perimeter g game e. e He He will il for f sure be bea r a fann je ga M |