Timely, huh? Their best player, Deron Williams just turned an ankle and is lost for two weeks. An ominous beginning for what will be a pivotal season for a very good team. Utah’s definitely championship material. The Jazz proved that against the Lakers in the Western semis last year, winning two games; it might have gone the distance if anyone had reminded the Utah defense to show up.

There’s really nothing not to like about Utah – great point guard, terrific post player in Boozer, Swiss Army Knife guy in AK-47, solid bench in Harpring, Korver and Millsap. What they don’t have, of course, is a shooting guard to hang with Kobe Bryant, who pulverized the Nuggets to the tune of 33 points a game in the series, and shot under 47 percent in only one game.

So the Jazz return essentially the exact same team as last season, with two minor exceptions: 7-foot-1 Ohio State inside/outside draftee Kosta Koufos, and the fact that two of their best players will have a contract on the mind. Carlos Boozer and Memhet Okur could opt out of contracts at season’s end and test the free agent market, which means potentially erratic and selfish play. Boozer, whom nobody trusts after he deserted Cleveland, seems a good bet to leave since many teams could use a power forward who is a 20-10 machine. Nobody would argue that the Jazz drafted Koufos with the thought that Okur may not be around. There is a lot of similarities in their games.

Once Williams is healthy, the only team in the West we’d favor over the Jazz in a seven game series is the Lakers. Not the Rockets yet, not Portland yet, and yes, we’d take the Jazz over the Spurs.

The number of 60-win teams in the NBA has been dwindling in recent years: three in 2006, two in 2007, and one last year. The Jazz and Lakers figure to be the closest this season, but we don’t think either will make it.