What to watch for: Blazers v Jazz

It has been a long off-season. The dull days of summer, inspired by a lack of intriguing sports options, afforded me to experiment with new ways of passing time. Reading became an important part of my daily routines. Hunger Games provided much of the excitement. To fill the void left by the painful second round sweep of the Jazz by the Lakers, I found myself spending much of my time getting to know soccer. But like most who experiment with new lifestyles, hair styles, and soda flavors, I find myself ready to drop the experiment and revert to what I know best. The NBA season could not come at a better time.

Tonight, an old friend we barely knew, will be making his return to Salt Lake City. Will fans cheer him for his hard work and no-excuse attitude that we grew to love during his one year in Utah, or will they boo the diamond in the rough who abandoned those who gave him his lucky break? I know how this fan will react. I will cheer loud and proud for the kid whose tenacity and big heart provided a breath of fresh air amid the continual drama of his power forward teammate. The return of Wesley Matthews is just one of many aspects of tonight's pre-season opener against the Blazers that I will watch for. The others include:

The play of Al Jefferson on both ends of the court:

How will Jefferson fit in this offense? Will he be an improvement or downgrade on the defensive end as he replaces Boozer? I do not expect to be amazed by Jefferson's offensive prowess tonight. Jerry Sloan runs one of the most intricate offenses in basketball. The answer to the first question may not come until November. Jefferson's defensive fundamentals should be on display tonight, however. Does he have the lateral quickness to stay in front of his man on the high post? When he shows on the pick and roll, does he have the ability to recover and defend the paint? Will Jefferson body up his opponents in the lane and prevent them from getting off easy shots?

The play of Millsap and AK at the power forward spot:

Millsap has paid his dues, but will Kirilenko prove to be a more effective power forward? Coaches and players are pretty high on Kirilenko playing the 4. I went to the open scrimmage last week and felt both players played well.

Gordon Hayward:

He is a top 10 pick. Will that show? I do not doubt Hayward's athleticism or his smarts. I do wonder how much he will be rattled by more physical opponents than what he is used to.

Jeremy Evans:

Is he the next free-agent target of Portland? He might be if he plays the way Sloan says he can. Williams said that if he can add 20 pounds he will be a beast.

This year's Matthews:

Will one of the Jazz' undrafted rookies make us forget Matthews? It's not likely, since Matthews himself will be playing in the game for the enemy.

The overall effectiveness of the offense:

By mid-season last season, the offense returned to its form as the most effective offense in the league. Boozer's injury had derailed it a bit. I hope the offense can reach those same heights this season, but I don't know how practical that is. Both teams' offenses looked sloppy during the scrimmage. I don't read into what I saw at the scrimmage too much, but it did put a seed of doubt in me.