Utah Jazz: Jefferson represents change in forecast

SALT LAKE CITY — It is the first day of practice, and Al Jefferson is smiling, smiling, smiling.

He is marooned in one of the NBA's least visible markets. He doesn't yet know the Jazz's system. His coach is an unmitigated training camp grump. Jerry Sloan has already hinted he isn't terribly impressed with Jefferson's conditioning. The pain of Sloan's practices and the heat of his glare are looming, and Jefferson knows it.

Yet none of that fazes him. He's a kid at a carnival.

"I've never been more excited to come and start a training camp," Jefferson is saying. "I'm so excited to get in and learn and be part of this team and learn the offense; learn what coach (Sloan) is about. I always thought coach was a mean guy before I got here, man, and when I got here, I seen a smile on his face, and I've never seen a smile before on him."

"Because you walked in the door," someone suggests.

"I was smiling 'cause I walked in the door," Jefferson says.

The forecasters say a change in the Utah weather is coming, and it's true — indoors and out. The Jazz have always been optimistic when camp opened. But for the past six seasons, it included Carlos Boozer, the enigmatic scorer who could breeze his way through any interview without saying anything of substance.

It's not that Boozer couldn't be nice — he just couldn't be sincere.

With Boozer, the forecast was the same every fall: fair to partly cloudy. How many games would he play, and what was he really thinking? For every "we're excited to get going" quote, it made you wonder whom he was trying to convince.

With Jefferson, the signals are as obvious as a shout.

"I've been averaging 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds) on a team that was only winning 14, 15 games. Nobody's gonna remember that," Jefferson is saying. "I want to show I can come on a playoff team and do the same."

In embracing Utah from the day he was traded, Jefferson has already become a fan favorite. When players were announced at Saturday's public scrimmage, he received arguably the largest ovation next to Deron Williams.

"These fans are really supportive. I'm not used to that, man," Jefferson said afterward. "It makes you feel good."

It's not like everyone has to be Mr. Gregarious, though Jefferson is definitely that. Williams and Sloan are on the prickly side, most days. They like to get their snarl on. Yet they're still immensely popular. Jazz fans love their competitiveness and unwillingness to make excuses.