Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Trey Burke, Gordon Hayward and Dante Exum, all young players on the Jazz that have plenty of talent, but not a lot of experience. Last season, they only won 25 games and finished with a disappointing 9-32 record on the road. Utah certainly will rise and fall with starting point guard Trey Burke, who led Michigan on a furious Final Four run two years ago. Now, entering his second year, he looks to bring down the turnovers and boost his field goal percentage, which was below 40 percent last season.

The Jazz frontcourt, while they have room to grow, seems to be the most certain part of the team. Gordon Hayward is gradually becoming one of the most reliable players in the league and offers versatility by being a skilled scorer, ball-handler, and passer. Head Coach Quin Snyder mentioned in his last press conference how impressed he has been with Hayward. He will be drawing up plays to get him open jumpers and driving lanes, as well as hoping to develop his game in tandem with Burke. Center/power forward Enes Kanter has been working with former Jazz big man Mehmet Okur, who has passed along some of his insight on being a stretch big in the NBA. The Jazz will be depending on Kanter to stretch the floor and offer different looks for them on offense. Last season, he averaged 12 points and seven rebounds, but the Jazz certainly expect those numbers to start approaching 15 and nine this season. Finally, Derrick Favors likely had the most impressive preseason of any Jazz player. Snyder says that Favors is a settling presence and has been tremendous, as the Jazz went 5-3 in the preseason. Notably, Favors put up 12 points, 15 boards, and two blocks in an impressive 105-91 win over the Thunder.

Looking ahead, it appears the bench for the Jazz will have a lot to prove. With Alec Burks taking over as the starting shooting guard next to Burke, rookie Dante Exum will come off the bench. He has played well in the preseason, showing his ability to penetrate and create opportunities for himself and teammates. After being picked fifth overall, with a relatively mysterious background, the 19-year old is looking to prove that he can live up to the hype. Himself, as well as fifth-year forward Trevor Booker, will be vital reserves for Utah. Ian Clark and fellow rookie Rodney Hood figure to get minutes too, as well as backup center Rudy Gobert, who showed promise in the preseason but still looks very raw.

Snyder's system will be built around fast break opportunities and aggressive offense. This team may get sloppy at times, as the Head Coach alluded to in his press conference, but he wants them to be playing up-tempo. He encouraged Burke to channel Steve Nash when running the offense, which is certainly a tall task. Burke and Exum may be played together during certain games, as that would give the Jazz the most explosive lineup possible. However, this team will really have to push to compete in the Western Conference, whose ninth seed had a better record than the third seed in the Eastern Conference last season. 

Nevertheless, this season will be focused around developing players, such as Burke and Exum, into quality floor generals and building chemistry. While Utah will not make the playoffs, expect a significant improvement from last year, and somewhere between 35 and 40 wins.