Utah Jazz: Team searching for answers

Eleven thousand, seven hundred and fifty-four or so miles later, one might think the Jazz should have all the answers.

Not so.

Even after a two-game exhibition tour last week that took them to London for a game against the Chicago Bulls and to Madrid for one with Spanish League power Real Madrid, and even with three preseason games now in the books, they have little more of a clue as to who they are as a team than when they left.

Point guard Deron Williams, for one, is not at all surprised that's the case.

"No. It's still preseason," he said Monday morning, before the Jazz — who take part tonight in a free and open-to-the-public scrimmage tonight at EnergySolutions Arena, play their fourth of eight exhibition games Thursday at home against Portland and finally open the regular season Oct. 28 vs. Denver — practiced for the second time since their Friday return from Europe.

"You still don't know until we first tip off (against the Nuggets)," Williams added.

"We'll see how things go then. (Now) it's different lineups, different minutes, different guys playing that are not going to be there — so, it's a little tough to judge from this."

Left hovering, then, are five questions facing the Jazz when they left.

To review, and at least update, if not fully answer:

1. The starting lineup

The jobs of Williams and center Mehmet Okur obviously are secure, as is that of shooting guard Ronnie Brewer, it seems.

The trip did further confirm the suspicion that two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer again will open at power forward — even though Sloan suggested when training camp opened late last month that the role was up for grabs between Boozer and backup Paul Millsap, and even though Sloan said while in Madrid that he still had not made a definite decision.

Much more muddied now, though, is the issue of who will open at small forward.

When camp opened, C.J. Miles was fighting to keep his job — and Sloan seemed to be seriously considering bringing him off the bench and starting ex-starter Andrei Kirilenko instead.

But Miles ruptured the ligament on his left, shooting-hand thumb during a scrimmage in London — making the issue now even more unsettled.