G Ronnie Brewer became a full-time starter last season and went on to average 12.0 points per game. Brewer had an impressive off-season, gaining 10 pounds to weigh in at 235, and now has the size to match up against any small forward or shooting guard in the league. It remains to be seen whether Brewer's jump shot has improved, whether he can become an elite defender and whether he can get fourth-quarter minutes ahead of Kyle Korver.

F C.J. Miles had to be a little surprised when the Jazz matched the four-year, $14.8 million offer sheet he signed with Oklahoma City this summer. After all, Miles averaged barely 10 minutes a game last season. He'll start as long as Jerry Sloan wants to use Andrei Kirilenko to anchor the second team, but Miles will have to prove he belongs with his effort on defense and by not forcing things on offense.

F Carlos Boozer went from the Western Conference player of the month in November to playoff pariah by the end of last season. Boozer would like very much to forget his playoff slump, when he matched his regular-season scoring average only once in 12 games and shot 41.5 percent. For better or worse, as Boozer goes, so will the Jazz this season. He can opt out of his contract after this season and could command $100 million or more as a free agent, but will have to stay healthy and put up big numbers to do so. Boozer played in 81 games last season, the most since he was a rookie.

C Mehmet Okur left Jerry Sloan stunned at the shape he was in to start training camp. Without Turkish national team duty this summer, Okur returned to Salt Lake City in early September and worked out twice daily for a month. Okur also is healthy after being bothered by back and Achilles tendon injuries last season. The Jazz only hope that Okur can match the numbers (17.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 41.8 percent three-point shooting) he put up after the All-Star break. Okur also can opt out after the season.

ANALYZING KEY RESERVES:

F Andrei Kirilenko is expected to come off the bench while Matt Harpring is out. The Jazz believe Kirilenko can thrive in the sixth man role much like Manu Ginobili and get more opportunities to play power forward, handle the ball and be involved in the offense.

G Kyle Korver was the three-point shooter and fourth-quarter closer at the foul line the Jazz hoped they were getting when they acquired him from Philadelphia for Gordan Giricek. The Jazz went 38-12 last season after the Korver trade, which would translate to 62-20 for a full season.

G Brevin Knight will compete with Ronnie Price to be Deron Williams' backup at point guard. Knight is an 11-year veteran who has started 423 games in his career. He also is relishing the opportunity to play for a contender for the first time in a career spent with the Bobcats, Clippers, Grizzlies and others.

F Paul Millsap hasn't missed a game in two seasons since coming to the Jazz as a second-round draft pick. Millsap has worked to expand his game from being more than just a rebounder and now can both drive and shoot. He's also in line for a big raise from the $797,581 he'll make this season.

C Jarron Collins has the edge over Kyrylo Fesenko and Kosta Koufos to earn minutes as a backup center. Collins is entering his eighth season in Utah and remains a Sloan favorite for the picks he sets and charges he takes. Collins has been bothered by an elbow injury this preseason.

MEDICAL WATCH:

G Deron Williams will miss the start of the season because of a sprained left ankle. He was expected to be out two weeks; if that holds true, he will miss at least the first two games.

F Matt Harpring (ankle surgery/infection) is out indefinitely. He underwent what was thought to be routine surgery to remove bone spurs over the summer, but suffered an infection that forced him to be hospitalized for four days and treated with intravenous antibiotics for a month. Harpring did rehab work in Santa Barbara, Calif., while the rest of the Jazz went to training camp at Boise State and did not travel during the preseason. He missed the entire preseason last October recovering from knee surgery. There is no timetable for his return.