Utah Jazz thrilled to be back in business

It will be interesting to see how the pals do now that they're not rookies and don't have to pack around pink princess backpacks (consider yourselves forewarned, Kanter and Alec Burks).

So, will Hayward continue where he left off? (And, yes, we're talking where he left off as a basketball pro, not a video game pro.)

And will the high-flying Evans earn P.T.? More importantly, will he accidentally hit his head on the Jumbotron while jumping?

Also, it will be fascinating to observe whether Kanter and Burks can work their way into the rotation and into fans' hearts.

HIDDEN TALENT

They'll be overlooked. Underdogs. Outcasts. They won't be picked to make the playoffs by very many experts. But the Jazz might not be as bad as national pundits might try to make you believe.

Heck, O'Connor sounded like he was about to make a team rule that requires a swear-jar-like donation from anybody who says a certain R-word or Y-word.

"One thing I will say is I don't want to hear that we're young," the Jazz GM said. "After today, I don't want to hear the word 'rebuilding.' That's not what this is about. This is about getting better."

And, yes, winning.

"It's a challenge. but that's fun. If you're at work, you want to be challenged a little bit," O'Connor said. "We're not front-runners right now. Nobody's picking us to be anything, and I hope our guys understand and read that, and know that's all part of the challenge to be successful.

"How do you turn your statistics into wins?" he added. "That's one of the things we'll challenge everybody on."

COACHING CHANGE

Players have raved about playing for Corbin, who took over a sticky situation and kept his head held high after Jerry Sloan and Phil Johnson shockingly resigned.

And his players' compliments and confidence seem more genuine than simply kissing up.

"He understands what it takes to win," Harris said. "He's definitely got the desire and the work ethic."

Added Millsap: "His time has come, and he's well prepared for it."

Though the Jazz only went 8-20 under his watch — and lost eight straight — Corbin also has management's full support as he begins another somewhat funky coaching experience.

Jazz brass know well that Corbin was dealt a less-than-full deck. They traded their star, Deron Williams. They had all sorts of injuries, new guys contributing, young players learning and a hectic situation.

"He went through a mess last year that we created, and I think he handled it professionally," O'Connor said. "And if I look at those last five games, those guys responded. They didn't look to go on vacation. Those are all positive points."

Now stationed two seats over on the bench, Corbin has his own crew that he likes and trusts. The crew includes Jazz mainstays Scott Layden and Jeff Hornacek as well as seasoned new guys with fresh ideas in Sidney Lowe and Mike Sanders (player development).

"I think he's assembled a staff that has a lot of experience," O'Connor said. "That's a nice thing to have."

Sure, he might not be a Hall of Famer like Sloan or a former coach of the year like Johnson, but Corbin is a man the Jazz strongly believe can lead the franchise into a successful future.

STAR WAR

With D-Will far off in the rear-view mirror, the Jazz don't have a marquee player. They don't even have a Top 50 NBA talent, according to ESPN's offseason player rankings.