In describing the Jazz's opening-night challenge, Ronnie Price used an adjective as many times as some people do when talking about their pioneer ancestors.

Traveling to Denver to face the defending Northwest Division champions, the Jazz combo guard claimed, is a "great, great, great test."

The game against the Nuggets will be televised Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN, the network that happens to employ the great-great-great grandson of Brigham Young.

Minus a few greats, Deron Williams agreed this will give Utah a chance to take its preseason talk on a walk.

"It's going to be a good match-up, a good test to see if we can come out and execute like we want to on defense," Williams said. "See if we can show that toughness on the road."

And do all of that against a rival that returns the key players from its trip to the Western Conference Finals.

"They've still got a good team," said Williams, specifically mentioning standouts Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Nene and the suspended-for-seven-games J.R. Smith.

"It's a good way to start," he added.

Utah (48-34) finished six games behind 54-28 Denver, which improved after an early trade in which Billups was swapped for Allen Iverson.

Coach Jerry Sloan said the game would be a challenge anywhere.

"Anybody would be a good opening-night test," he said. "Anytime you play a team in their building on the road, it's always difficult. The fans are excited, everybody's excited — they haven't lost a game. It's tough to go in any building and win on the road to start off."

Playing in Denver does, he admitted, increase the degree of difficulty.

"They've got some toughness about them," Sloan said. "They can defend and they've got guys that can score and make big shots."

SIGNING SESSION: Rookie Eric Maynor had an eye-opening experience when he entered the practice facility Monday. A full court was loaded with hundreds of basketballs, boxes of shirts, Christmas ornaments, decorative pumpkins, books and Jazz paraphernalia to be signed by players and coaches for charitable giveaways.

"When you first come in here," he said, "you look at the room and you're like, 'Wow! And I'm supposed to get started right now?'"

The new guy learned quickly. His autograph is short and sweet — in his words "a big E, some scribble-scrabble, a big M, and then a No. 3." If it's too long, he added, your hand will really be hating it. Asked if he considered switching to his well-rested right hand, the southpaw laughed. "That'd be terrible. Left hand's already looking terrible."