Questions abound as Jazz go to camp

October is upon us, and for the Jazz that means one thing: Training camp is about to get under way.

After a media meet Monday, coach Jerry Sloan's club departs for Idaho and the start of two-a-day sessions beginning Tuesday morning at Boise State University's Taco Bell Arena.

There will be little time, however, to savor tasty burritos or even a caramel apple empanada before preseason play begins Oct. 10 and the regular season starts with a Nov. 1 Delta Center game against the Houston Rockets.

Instead, physical conditioning takes high priority — cancel the extra chalupas, please — and roster refinement is the order of the day. In the process, a full menu of pressing questions must be addressed as the Jazz try to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2003 — including these five:

Question No. 1: How will guard Derek Fisher be utilized?

This may be the most intriguing issue camp has to offer.

The Jazz went into the offseason shooting for outside help, and what they came up with was Fisher — a 10-year veteran who won multiple NBA championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers, and who has a knack for knocking down memorable 3-pointers.

But do they start Fisher at shooting guard, alongside point guard Deron Williams, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2005 NBA Draft? Do they have the vet come off the bench, perhaps behind Williams at the point? Or — wouldn't this make for a fun run of fall stories? — do they dare start Fisher over Williams and send their supposed point-for-the-future back to the bench?

No matter what, look for Fisher to get his fair share of playing time — and for Williams to log lots and lots of minutes as well.

Question No. 2: What might the rest of the starting lineup look like?

This question might better be phrased this way: With potential starters in Williams, Fisher, swingmen Andrei Kirilenko and Matt Harpring and big men Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur, which of the six must swallow some pride and accept the fact he will have to come off the bench?

If the Jazz open the 2006-07 season like they ended much of 2005-06, and run their big horses with Williams in the saddle, Fisher could be the odd man out.