If they hadn't already settled on "Life Off/Game On" as the theme for their 2008-09 marketing campaign, the Jazz might as well have adopted "Continuity Counts" with 13 returning players on their roster.
That's just the start for the Jazz, who will defy the NBA's constant turnover and bring back practically intact last season's team that finished 54-28 and won the Northwest Division for the second consecutive year.
Jerry Sloan is back for his 21st season as coach. Fifteen players are already under contract heading to Boise, Idaho, for the start of training camp. Seven of those players are entering their fourth season together.
Nine players were part of the Jazz's last two playoff runs. The only new faces belong to veteran point guard Brevin Knight, rookie Kosta Koufos, and maybe Mehmet Okur, considering the beard he grew this summer.
Of course, it's not so simple for the Jazz. There was no shortage of questions at Monday's media gathering about the seven players who could become free agents after this season.
What effect that has on a team that could be on the verge of a breakthrough after winning three playoff series the last two years remains to be seen.
"It could be a blessing, it could be a curse," Deron Williams said. "You never know. You've just got to hope that everybody is on board and prepared to play their role and do what's right for the team.
"But at the same time, some guys could be out for getting theirs. You've just got to hope everything goes right."
With owner Larry Miller committed to keeping payroll below the NBA's luxury-tax threshold, the Jazz could have a difficult time keeping their core players together.
"I think for us, all we can do is concentrate on basketball," Boozer said, "playing with each other and having fun with each other out here, loving what we do and having a chance to win a championship, and all that stuff's going to work itself out."
It is not a subject that the Jazz prefer to dwell on. Sloan stressed that "the guys that play on teams that win a lot of games" tend to draw the most interest in free agency.
Korver mentioned the contrast in Utah from his four-plus seasons with Philadelphia, when he played for four coaches (Randy Ayers, Chris Ford, Jim O'Brien, Maurice Cheeks) and with 41 different teammates.
"I think there is maybe a little bit of urgency right now because we don't know what's going to happen next year," Korver said, "and at the same time, we feel really confident in the group that we have that we can do something."
Boozer said he didn't think the Jazz had players who would become consumed by individual agendas. Ronnie Brewer added that fans would see unquestioned 110 percent effort with so many players trying to maximize their value.
Several players returned to Salt Lake City earlier than usual in September. Okur might have been the most notable. Without Turkish national team duty, he arrived in town a month ago and reported to camp in improved shape.
Okur weighed in at 265 pounds but with his lowest body fat percentage since coming to the Jazz. He also is free from the back and Achilles tendon injuries that hindered him last season.
"I'm ready right now," Okur said. "Hopefully, I'm going to stay healthy and I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and I think I'll be fine."
As they prepared to leave for Boise, where they will practice through Friday, the Jazz already were sounding themes for this season.
They hope to be a more committed team on defense after giving up 99.3 points a game last season. And they are determined to improve on their 17-24 road record, especially when it comes to squashing the confidence of lesser teams.
"We've worked hard as this group and we've gotten better every year and we look to take an even bigger jump this year," Williams said. "As we become older, we become more mature, and hopefully that pays off this year."
rsiler@sltrib.com
