Virginia Tech
5-9 POINT GUARD ROOKIE
The key stats: N/A
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Shooting. Observers who have watched Jazz practices insist he's the best pure shooter on the team.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Blocked shots. In his senior season with the Hokies, Chase played every game and got his hands on exactly one shot.
* TMI: Was cut from Roanoke, a D League team, two years ago.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: A hot streak from three-point range wins a few games, and earns a permanent job.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: An assignment to Boise, a shooting slump at the wrong moment, a search for another pro job.
* RISING UP: Chase has spent the past three years refining his passing skills as a point guard.
DERON WILLIAMS
Illinois
6-3 POINT GUARD 2ND YEAR
The key stats
10.8 points
4.8 assists, .421 FG
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Judgment. After only one season, he's already proficient at finding the open man in the Jazz's offense.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Speed. Good decision-making is important, because he won't beat many defenders down the floor.
* TMI (Too Much Information): After his second daughter was born in July, he had their names, Denae and Daija, and birthdates tattooed over his heart.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: A breakout year changes the national consensus to: Maybe Chris Paul wasn't a better choice.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: He tries to do too much and fails to get his teammates sufficiently involved.
* RISING UP: He now understands and appreciates Jerry Sloan's insistence on hard work, and it's making him a star.
DEREK FISHER
Ark.-Little Rock
6-1 POINT GUARD 11TH YEAR
The key stats
13.3 points
4.3 assists, .410 FG
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Leadership. He made his reputation as a steadying influence in Lakers' circus-like locker room.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Idleness. He is one of league's most durable guards.
* TMI: Worked at accounting firm during college and once believed that would be his career.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: A Sixth-Man Award candidacy.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: He shoots too much and makes too few, and begins pining for California.
* RISING UP: Fisher has the stature and championship experience to be as important off the court as on it.
DEE BROWN
Illinois
6-0 POINT GUARD ROOKIE
The key stats: N/A
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Quickness. He has more end-to-end speed than any Jazz player since Mo Williams.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Bashfulness. As focal point of Illinois offense last season, Brown became unafraid to take important shots.
* TMI: Wears fluorescent orange mouthguard as a tribute to Fighting Illini.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: He becomes strong enough ball-handler to provide up-tempo change of pace at point guard.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: The 35 percent senior-year shooting slump continues into his rookie season.
* RISING UP: With a winning pedigree and a willingness to work, Brown has good chance to transform himself into pro-level point guard.
GORDAN GIRICEK
Croatia
6-6 GUARD 5TH YEAR
The key stats
10.6 points
1.7 assists, .433 FG
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Jumpers. He's at his best when curling around a screen and freeing himself for 15-footers.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Free throws. Those pull-up jumpers keep him out of the lane, so he takes less than two free throws per game.
* TMI: Likes "CSI" and believes he would have career in forensics if he wasn't playing basketball.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: He extends his shooting range and becomes Jazz's reliable stretch-the-defense weapon.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: His habit of busting plays earns him another trip to the end of the bench.
* RISING UP: The lingering calf injury that hampered his scoring ability last season is finally gone, making him a fluid shooter again.
RONNIE BREWER
Arkansas
6-7 GUARD ROOKIE
The key stats: N/A
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Deflections. His good anticipation and great hands allow him to cause havoc in the passing lanes.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Grace-
fulness. His elbows-out shooting style isn't textbook technique, but he has success
with it.
* TMI: Broke his right arm in fourth-
grade waterslide accident.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: His defensive instincts and spectacular athleticism turn him into a latter-day Sidney Moncrief.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: The quick hands do too much fouling and the shot doesn't fall.
* RISING UP: He's already got the defensive skills necessary to play in the NBA, and at 21, he has plenty of time to develop.
C.J. MILES
Skyline High (Texas)
6-6 GUARD 2ND YEAR
The key stats
3.4 points
0.7 assists, .368 FG
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Enthusiasm. After being overwhelmed as a rookie, he's thrilled that an offseason of work has turned him into a legitimate NBA player.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Strength. He's still got the stringbean physique of a teenager, making it possible to manhandle him under the basket.
* TMI: Took piano lessons as a child, and remains proficient at the keyboard.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: His pretty three-point shot becomes so reliable, comparisons to Jeff Hornacek pop up.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: His only playing time comes during another D League refresher course.
* RISING UP: The change in his body and mental approach make this his real rookie season.
MATT HARPRING
Georgia Tech
6-9 FORWARD 6TH YEAR
The key stats
12.5 points
5.2 rebounds, .475 FG
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Layups. He's nearly automatic on 10-foot jumpers, but his specialty is losing his defender and popping free under the basket.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Lateral quickness. Knee operations have robbed him of the ability to stay in front of league's quicker small forwards.
* TMI: If he wasn't in NBA, he would be a stockbroker.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: He and Fisher develop inside-outside game so well, offense doesn't dry up when second team comes in.
* WOST-CASE SCENARIO: The decline in his mobility speeds up, making it impossible to work his way to the basket.
* RISING UP: His three-point range returned last season, giving Jazz an extra weapon on the perimeter.
ANDREI KIRILENKO
Russia
6-9 FORWARD 6TH YEAR
The key stats
15.3 points
8.0 rebounds, .460 FG
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Disbelief. His ability to disrupt offenses from all over the floor makes him virtually unique in the NBA, and opponents routinely rave after games about hard-to-fathom plays he's made.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Durability. Back injuries tend to recur, and his fly-around-the-court game leads to aggravations.
* TMI: Reads Russian paperbacks at his locker before games to calm his nerves.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: He's ready for bigger role in the offense, and it returns him to All-Star status.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Bad back grounds his aerobatic act, and habit of dribbling into traffic returns.
* RISING UP: He's always had the necessary physical gifts for shot-blocking, but he is becoming more savvy about it, too.
ROGER POWELL
6-6 FORWARD ROOKIE
The key stats: N/A
* WHAT HE BRINGS: Ethics. The ordained minister is also devoted to his coach's instructions, willing to throw himself at any challenge Sloan points him toward.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Penetration. He's a small forward, but prefers a post-up game and hasn't yet developed the ability to get past defenders to the basket.
* TMI: Attended same high school as comedian Andy Dick, and had starring roles in school musicals.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Outside shot becomes reliable enough to earn regular minutes off the bench.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Lack of versatility, and Jazz's depth at forward, make him a midseason cut.
* RISING UP: His interior moves are NBA-worthy, and he has made big strides on defensive ends.
CARLOS BOOZER
6-9 FORWARD 5TH YEAR
The key stats
16.3 points
8.6 rebounds, .549 FG
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Physicality. Alone among the Jazz's top scorers, he's OK with bulling his way to the basket.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Charging fouls. His feet aren't quick enough to effectively cut off the lane on defense.
* TMI: He was born in Germany and grew up in Alaska.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Double-double averages, and a growing consensus that the Jazz were wise not to trade him.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Air casts, crutches and MRIs, and another year of unceasing rumors.
* RISING UP: Two miserable seasons of injuries have given him the motivation to restore his reputation.
PAUL MILLSAP
Louisiana Tech
6-8 FORWARD ROOKIE
The key stats: N/A
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Four-shot possessions. His knack for tipping offensive rebounds to himself should help the Jazz overcome their inconsistent shooting.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Flamboyance. Quiet and focused, he is already developing a blue-collar reputation.
* TMI: His high school team's nickname was the Kittens.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: A spot among the rebounds-per-minute leaders, and dozens of general managers upset with their scouts.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: His relentlessness is interpreted as personal fouls by NBA referees.
* RISING UP: Rather than intimidate him, the stiffer competition he faces now is hastening his improvement, especially on offense.
MEHMET OKUR
Turkey
6-11 Forward/Center 5th year
The key stats:
18.0 points
9.1 rebounds, .460 FG
WHAT HE'LL BRING: Versatility. He's virtually impossible to guard, since he can use his height to score inside but rely on a deft shooting touch to bank home 20-footers.
WHAT HE WON'T: Rejections. Despite his height, he's never possessed the timing or agility to deter post-up players.
TMI: Once believed his pro-sports career would be as a soccer goalkeeper.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO: oAnother 82 games of confounding defenses, and fewer off nights.
WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Frustrations over having to share the ball reduce his inclination to work hard, or take quality shots.
RISING UP: He is showing interest in defense, and turning into a reliable rebounder.
RAFAEL ARAUJO
BYU
6-11 CENTER 3RD YEAR
The key stats
2.3 points
2.8 rebounds, .366 FG
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Bruises. There's no questioning his willingness to play physically, a trait that occasionally leaves a trail of bodies in his wake.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Deftness. For a big man, his shooting percentage is a puzzling (and disastrous) 40 percent.
* TMI: Didn't speak English when he enrolled at Arizona Western, but completed a college degree in four years.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: More rebounds than fouls, and a restoration of his paint-protector college reputation.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Referees limit him to three- and four-minute stints, until Sloan finally gives up.
* RISING UP: Already a hard worker, he has made it clear how motivated he is to prove that lottery-pick status wasn't wrong.
JARRON COLLINS
Stanford
6-11 CENTER 6TH YEAR
5.3 points
4.2 rebounds, .461 FG
* WHAT HE'LL BRING: Flops. His underappreciated game includes mastery of a skill that doesn't show up on stat sheet: Drawing offensive fouls.
* WHAT HE WON'T: Skid marks. In a game of quarterhorses, he's more of a Clydesdale, so don't expect him to contribute much to upÂtempo style.
* TMI: He's Nets' center Jason Collins' little brother - by eight minutes.
* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: His adherence to the offense and quiet effectiveness on defense earn back his occasional starting role.
* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Millsap steals his role as interior garbageman, reducing him to giving Okur occasional breathers.
* RISING UP: He is turning into a crafty veteran, learning to use his intelligence as a weapon.
