Utah Jazz look to find leaders in Devin Harris, Al Jefferson

Published: Sunday, April 17 2011 11:23 p.m. MDT

Wherever the leadership comes from, though, Jefferson believes the entire team is set on working hard during the offseason to help the Jazz get back into the playoffs.

"Everybody on the same page. Everybody got that same mindset," Jefferson said. "We're just trying to reach the same goals."

Jefferson believes winning again and returning to postseason action next year is definitely within Utah's reach. He scoffed at the idea that the Jazz are in a long-term rebuilding process despite a second-half free fall that resulted in a 39-43 record.

"If it is rebuilding," he said, "it's not going to be two or three years."

This summer, he believes, will do.

Harris is of that same frame of mind.

"I think this team knows how to win. We had some distractions, some injuries, that prevented that," he said, "but I think moving forward with the guys that we have I think that we definitely can win at a high rate."

Corbin admitted the Jazz don't necessarily have a down-the-stretch clutch player a la Williams.

"We haven't found that guy yet," he said.

But he likes the core group Utah will have back, and Corbin suggested leadership and clutch plays in crunch time could come from a committee instead of one guy.

"The cream," he said, "will always rise to the top."

mail: jody@desnews.com

Twitter: DJJazzyJody

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