Revue ends with a Jazz victory

With another Rocky Mountain Revue summer league in the books, the Jazz have a clearer picture now of what the fall may hold.

For a team rebuilding around youth, however, the image is much sharper than in any recent season past.

That's because about eight of the Jazz's 12 Revue players are bound to be back for veteran's camp in October, five or more of whom could wind up on the regular-season roster in November.

DeShawn Stevenson, the Jazz's leading scorer in the summer league with a 19 points-per-game average after putting up 13 in Utah's Revue-ending 71-68 win over New York on Saturday, is likely to be one.

Stevenson, under contract for his fourth NBA season, again showed the signs of inconsistency that have marked his first three years as a pro: Some nights, like when he made 15-of-25 from the field Friday, the shooting guard's shooting was quite encouraging; others, like when he went 3-for-12 Saturday, it was downright dismal.

Nevertheless, Stevenson made the Revue's all-tournament team, joining Phoenix's Joe Johnson, New York's Maciej Lampe, Philadelphia's John Salmons, Portland's Qyntel Woods and MVP Lonny Baxter of the Chicago Bulls.

Another two expected to play integral roles for the Jazz later this year are Utah's rehabbing rookies, point guard Raul Lopez and center Curtis Borchardt.

Jazz officials seem encouraged by their competitive nature but uncertain as to just how much either can contribute in the aftermath of major medical issues that kept both out all of last season — reconstructive knee surgery in Lopez's case, and pin-replacement foot surgery for the 7-foot Borchardt.

"The first thing I think you notice is that offensively they're out of synch," Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations, said of the two. "Defensively, they're OK."

Still, there is cause for hope.

"Every game, we see constant improvement with (Lopez's) lateral quickness and things of that sort," Jazz assistant coach Kenny Natt said. "So, as long as he can continue to play, he'll get better.

"If (Borchardt) can continue to stay healthy, he'll be just fine," added Natt, who was impressed by the Stanford product's strength, length and shot-blocking ability.

Borchardt seems much closer to being NBA-ready than Lopez, who continues to drag his injured leg, in part because of a quad strain suffered on top of the repaired knee.