Utah Jazz: Jefferson excited to start season

SALT LAKE CITY — Al Jefferson can't help it.

He simply cannot mask his giddiness over the start.

The beginning, that is, of a new NBA season — tonight, at Denver, against the same Nuggets team the Jazz eliminated from the first round of last season's playoffs.

The first official outing in the third chapter of his professional life, one he hopes holds more ups than the plentiful downs of the other two.

The launch, really, to a new Jazz basketball era — the first in six seasons without Carlos Boozer in Utah.

"I was super-excited for training camp," said Jefferson, whom the Jazz acquired in a July trade with Minnesota shortly after two-time All-Star Boozer left for Chicago via free agency. "So just imagine how I am for (tonight).

"Yeah, I'm real excited. I'm ready to get going. It's something special here, man. You know, this team — it's a great team. It's real deep. We've got … guys coming off the bench who are just as good as the starters, in my opinion. I think it's gonna be really special."

Just how extraordinary depends in large part on how well Jefferson clicks with point guard Deron Williams, adapts to the Jazz system and acclimates himself to Utah.

So far, so good.

Jefferson averaged a team-high 14.5 points while playing in all eight preseason games.

More importantly, he's learned how a big man with a penchant for low-post play can thrive in a traditionally pick-and-roll based offense.

"Honestly, I think I'm 100 percent comfortable," said Jefferson, who early in the exhibition season had a hard time with certain halfcourt-set reads. "I mean, the things I'm struggling on now is the new plays they put in.

"We put in new plays every day," he added prior to practice Tuesday. "What we've been working on from training camp to now — I'm comfortable. Me and D-Will (Williams) have been watching film on him and Carlos Boozer's pick-and-rolls from last year. I'm understanding it a lot better."

Even if Jefferson doesn't get everything right away, Jerry Sloan sounds willing to wait.

"He's done well," the Jazz coach said Tuesday. "He's worked hard.