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Honolulu • It will be a point of interest all season, but can it also be a point of pride?

Heading into this season, no position elicited more question marks for the Utah Jazz than the point guard — and that was before starter Danté Exum tore his ACL and was lost for the season.

"The point guard position, the production has to improve," Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey said as his team started training camp last week, adding that if the Jazz "are not getting the results we want, we have close to $7 million under the cap" to make a move.

Nevertheless, Lindsey believes the youth and talent of guards Trey Burke, Raul Neto and Bryce Cotton are reasons enough for hope. And through two weeks of training camp and two preseason games, there have been some flashes of that, mixed with a few things that will still give pause.

Neto, the 23-year-old rookie from Brazil, stole the show in the preseason opener, with a six-assist, four-steal night against the Los Angeles Lakers. The performance had fans buzzing, and head coach Quin Snyder pumping the brakes.

"Let's slow down, for the kid," Snyder said. "He's played one game. Obviously we're pleased with how he played. I think people were excited about the fact that he defended and played with some passion. It's a long year and I don't want us to get ahead of ourselves, for his sake. He's adjusting to a lot and you throw expectations on top of that and it's a harder adjustment."

Neto followed up with a mixed-bag performance on Tuesday, dishing four assists, including a terrific no-look pass in traffic that led to a dunk for center Tibor Pleiss. But Neto also made some rookie mistakes, committing a few silly fouls and going 1-for-6 shooting for the night.

"I know there are a lot of things I have to improve. I have to keep playing defense the way I did the first game," Neto said, adding that he wouldn't let early preseason success cloud his vision. "I don't feel better than before. It's the same Raul that was before the game. I'll keep practicing and doing my best every game."

As intriguing as Neto's play has been, it's been the third-year guard Burke who has earned back-to-back preseason starts at point, reclaiming the job he held for his first year and a half in the NBA. Jazz officials have buzzed about Burke's offseason gains. He came back leaner and quicker than ever and, he said, more mature and committed.

On Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, Burke looked in control as he scored 12 first quarter points on 5-of-6 shooting.

"He was really efficient," Snyder said. "I thought he picked his spots, had some good clean looks and made the right plays."

"The second half, fatigue started to set in," said Burke, who missed about two weeks of practice time due to an illness in the run up to training camp . "… I started to play a little loose and careless, not as precise as you usually are when you have all your endurance."

Through two full seasons, the knock against Burke has been his inefficiency as a shooter. Last year, he made 36 percent of his shots, while attempting more than any other Jazzman than leading scorer Gordon Hayward.

But Snyder will be judging Burke on his defensive efforts as much as anything this season. That's where Exum, with his 6-foot-6 frame and excellent speed, made his mark as a rookie last season, and that's where some of the biggest questions remain as the Jazz try to replicate the stifling defense they showcased at the close of last year.

"I think I did good in the first half," Burke said Tuesday. "Second half, there were a few times I died on screens. I've got to keep getting better at that. I know that's what coach wants to see from me more than anything. Just be a pest out there, and I'm willing to grow in that area."

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O Hayward always expected to see ex-teammate Watson on the sidelines. > C6