"He tries to get better every day ... and if he keeps doing that," Okur added, "I think he's going to be a great player in this league."

After and even before the Jazz drafted him, Koufos' style was compared to that of Okur, a strong-shooting big man who prefers to play on the perimeter.

But Koufos, who Sloan said may be used at either power forward or center depending on matchups, has toiled to develop a stronger inside game.

"I feel comfortable playing in the post," he said, "and that's my strength now."

Whether or not he can crack the Jazz's regular rotation remains to be seen. He is, after all, still a rookie — Sloan's evident fondness for him notwithstanding.

But Koufos already seems to have a leg up on 2007 second-round draft choice Kyrylo Fesenko, and he may even have enough game already to avoid extended stays with the NBA Development League's Utah Flash.

Or so he seems to hope.

"It's obviously a lot better than college basketball," Koufos said of the quality of play in his first NBA camp. "But I feel like I can fit well in the program in due time.

"I'm just here to work hard, play hard," he added. "I feel like I can be a part of the team, help defensively and help offensively."

For now, at least, Jazz brass withholds judgment on the D-League vs. NBA bench issue.

"He's a young player that we'd like to think can help us down the line," O'Connor said. "And when that occurs, I don't know."

"He's working really hard," Sloan added. "He listens, and I think he wants to be a good player."

But ready now?

"I don't know," the Jazz coach said. "I won't worry about the D-League and that at this point. He's made pretty good progress, so who knows?

"I think he has come farther that I expected from where he was in summer league," added Sloan, who on Friday used that Rocky Mountain Revue basis of comparison to call him the most-improved player in Jazz camp this week. "He's picked stuff up good and is more relaxed than he was."

The season, though, is young. Hasn't even started, in fact. And, again, there's that whole rookie thing.

"You see a lot of energetic, enthusiastic rookies," Sloan said, "and all of a sudden when you get in the season all that stuff kind of mellows you out a little bit."

Mental fortitude beyond his years. Midnight workouts. Merit-badge determination.

Laudable, one and all.

With a kid so well-grounded, the attributes just may last longer than they do for most in the NBA.

Or maybe not.

Either way, even if the Boy Scout behavior is a tad atypical, Sloan said he'd "rather have him go that way than not interested at all."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com