This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Jazz season begins in earnest with Tuesday morning practice. Media day was marked with optimism and a real sense of curiosity, as the Jazz brought in at least two potential starters and added considerable depth to an evolving roster. There are many issues to dissect in the weeks ahead before the Jazz open the regular season against Dallas on Oct. 31. First, a bunch of notes and thoughts from our first look at this iteration of the Utah Jazz.

* As we wrote for the print edition of The Tribune, Derrick Favors is positioned to step into a bigger role this season, save the notable roadblock of Paul Millsap. Perhaps the biggest question Tyrone Corbin will have to answer is how to split time between the two power forwards while maintaining chemistry.

* As expected, guard Raja Bell was not present for media day and is not expected to return to the Jazz. Both General Manager Dennis Lindsey and coach Tyrone Corbin offered no comments on the situation with Bell, with whom the Jazz are reportedly working out a possible buyout, while players were mostly mum on the subject as well.

* Enes Kanter showed up more svelte and charming from when we last saw him. The player known as "Big Turkey" showed up less big, saying he dropped 51 pounds in the offseason.

* The Jazz added Mo and Marvin Williams in the offseason - Mo Williams in a four-team trade that involved the Clippers, Dallas and Houston, and Marvin Williams in a subsequent deal that sent Devin Harris to Atlanta - causing prospective problems of confusion. Names on jerseys couldn't simply be solved with "M. Williams," obviously. However, the confusion manifested itself early in the season off the court.

"We already had our first episode," Mo Williams said.

The way Marvin Williams tells it, he found a stack of DVDs loaded with footage from 10 games on his seat. Assuming they were for him, he got to work.

"I've been trying to watch these games," Marvin Williams said, "and come to find out the DVDs were for Mo."

Marvin Williams said he would return the film (which he has watched) to Mo Williams on Tuesday.

* Count Al Jefferson among the fans of the Jazz's offseason acquisition. He enters the season with a built-in advantage: He knows all three of the key additions well.

Jefferson and Foye were teammates in Minnesota for two seasons, from 2007 to 2009. Jefferson knows Marvin Williams from when they were high schoolers and watched Mo Williams play when he was four years ahead of him in Mississippi.

* Earl Watson continues his rehab from April 17 surgery on his right knee. At media day, he said he was unsure when he will be back on the court, although the start of the regular season remains a target.

"This thing changes so quickly," Watson said. "Progression is the main thing, continue to get better, take it day by day, week by week. It's hard to pick a specific day."

— Bill Oram

Jamaal Tinsley, the other veteran backup point guard, missed media day due to a dental issue, team officials said.