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Some of the things Gordon Hayward did this summer:• Hosted a basketball camp in the Philippines.• Got married.• Explored restricted free agency, eventually landing a $63-million max deal.• Played with Team USA in the run up to the World Cup.So looking back on the last few months …"It was kind of slow for me, honestly," the Utah Jazz swingman said after Tuesday's morning shootaround. "We got done in April. We had like five months. Anytime you don't make the playoffs, especially when the playoffs are going on and it's on TV, I feel like those games are on for forever. I feel like basketball is on for forever."With that in mind, Hayward is plenty happy to be back on the court, with a fresh start this year, and focused on tonight's preseason opener against the Portland Trail Blazers.The game tips off at 7 p.m. at EnergySolutions Arena.It will be the first time Quin Snyder faces NBA competition as a head coach, though he said nerves were at a minimum."I'll be more nervous … three weeks from now" when the regular season begins, he said.The Jazz have been in training camp for about a week, and as such Snyder talked about tempered expectations. Nevertheless, the coach obviously wants to see how his young team stacks up."For us, it's an opportunity," he said. "We want to play well. You always want to play well. But I don't know that we're keeping track of preseason any more than any other team."A few questions and issues heading into tonight:• How will the Jazz start?That's something point guard Trey Burke is particularly interested in."Last year we had trouble at times coming out kind of slow and stagnant, [and having to fight] our way back at the end."• How long will the team's starters go?"We'll see how they're going when we're out there and how they feel," the coach said. "We want to give them enough minutes to see how it feels and see how they interact and get some feedback as coaches as to what we need to continue to focus on." • Regardless, expect to see some Snyder reach deep on his bench."I think it's important right now," he said. "Not at the expense of our growth. But it's the first game. We'll try to get a good feel, but you'll probably see some other people get an opportunity to play."• The rookie coach could be reaching deeper due to injury.Guard Ian Clark is dealing with left patella tendinitis and a left ankle sprain that will keep him out of the preseason opener. Rookie forward Rodney Hood's status is up in the air for tonight, a measure Snyder called "precautionary." Hood suffered a right hip flexor strain in last night's scrimmage. (The coach confirmed that it did not happen in the rookie dance-off.) Guard Carrick Felix is certainly out, having sprained his shoulder on the first day of training camp. During a Q&A session before Monday night's scrimmage, the former skateboarder Felix, left shoulder in a sling, said hoops has proved more dangerous than his old hobby: "I never seemed to get hurt on skateboards."• Last week, Portland guard Wesley Matthews had to leave practice with an irregular heartbeat. The former Jazzman told The Oregonian on Monday that he'll be wearing a heart monitor when he plays, but he will indeed take the floor against his old team tonight.• Former Weber State star Damian Lillard will certainly be looking to start this preseason off on the right foot. Check out this AP story on the Portland point guard.Odds & Ends• In a departure from previous years, the Jazz held shootaround (as they will for home games all season) at the team's practice facility."There are more baskets," Snyder said. "It gives us a chance to get more shooting in. We're here all the time anyway, so in a lot of respects it's an easier routine. There are a number of reasons. We wanted to go at 11, so [holding shootaround at the practice facility means] we don't have to be off the court right away when the visiting team comes in. So there are just some conveniences."By the way, the head coach answering questions at a home shootaround is also a change.• The Mavericks' top five free agent targets of the summer, according to this ESPN report, were LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chandler Parsons, Eric Bledsoe—and Gordon Hayward.• The online sports book Bovada just released its over/under win totals for the season. The Jazz's number is 24.• The Jazz have yet to discuss who will be their players union rep. Last year, the duty belonged to John Lucas III with Hayward acting as a backup. This will obviously be an important job for somebody, especially in light of the league's staggering new television deal. Not sure how keen Hayward is on taking on the main job, though. "They were trying to groom me for that role," he said. Emphasis on trying.— Aaron Falk