Grading Utah Jazz's Final 15-Man Roster

Thanks to the 15 players that management has put together into one roster, optimism is the prevailing feeling around the Utah Jazz.

It took all of training camp and a couple of waiver claims just before the season to get to this final 15. Now, the Jazz will have the opportunity to prove whether the excitement had merit.

In the following slides, the players won't be graded individually. Instead, each of the five positions will be evaluated as a unit. And since this is a new team at the start of its formative year, the letter grades are more of a forecast than anything.

Whether the young Jazz players fall short of or exceed these expectations will be something to keep an eye on early in the season.

Point Guard

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Depth: Trey Burke, Dante Exum and Toure' Murry

Grade: C

Trey Burke, 6'1", 190 lbs

Acquired: 2013 NBA draft

After having a terribly inconsistent rookie campaign in which he shot 38 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range, Trey Burke looks like a different, more confident player heading into his second season.

In seven exhibition games during the preseason, he averaged 15.9 points while shooting 47.2 percent from three and 46.2 percent from the field. He showed off a few new shots in his repertoire, specifically a much-improved runner off the glass.

The added dimension of a mid-range game makes Burke more difficult to defend. Opposing 1s will have to be on their toes as he drives, guarding against the pull-up.

And if he continues to hit from outside, defenders will have to close out hard when he catches the ball on the three-point line, which will make it easier for him to go for the blow-by.

Two questions remain, though. Burke still has to show that he can hit when the games count (he's at 38.7 percent from the field through two regular-season games) and that he can defend.

His slight, 6'1" frame isn't built to deal with a lot of the league's bigger, quicker guards. But that doesn't mean he can't be effective. He should take a page from Chris Paul's book. The undersized Los Angeles Clippers point guard makes up for his shortcomings with physicality and grit.

Dante Exum, 6'5", 190 lbs

Acquired: 2014 NBA draft

Grantland's Bill Simmons has already flip-flopped on Dante Exum. After ripping the rookie point guard apart in a video preview with Jalen Rose, Simmons came back less than a month later with this:

"

I nearly gave myself a concussion leaping on the hood of the Exum bandwagon as it started pulling away. Did you see him in the preseason? It looked like Kobe cloned the teenage version of himself and added an Australian accent. I’m all in! Easily my fastest flip-flop ever — and that’s saying something.

"

Kudos to Simmons for owning up to it and also for providing a teaching opportunity. It's going to be important not to get too high or low on Exum.

For every superlative about his athleticism or vision, there will be plenty of criticism about his inexperience or lack of strength. All of the above will be on display throughout the season.

Toure' Murry, 6'5", 195 lbs

Acquired: Free agency

Barring injury, we're not likely to see much, if any, of Toure' Murry on the floor this season. He appeared in just two preseason games, playing a total of 17 minutes and scoring seven points. Last season with the New York Knicks, he averaged 2.7 points and one assist in 51 games.

He's not the playmaker Burke is, and Utah is not invested in his future the way it is with Exum. For those reasons, it's tough to see him ever finding a role outside of pushing guys during practice.

Shooting Guard

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Depth: Alec Burks, Rodney Hood and Ian Clark

Grade: C+

Alec Burks, 6'6", 211 lbs

Acquired: 2011 NBA draft

In his fourth season with the Utah Jazz, Alec Burks is finally a full-time starter, and he's putting his scoring ability on display in his new role.

He led the Jazz in preseason scoring, averaging 17.6 points. And though two regular-season contests, he's tied with Derrick Favors for the team lead at 16.5 points per game.

What makes Burks a terrible matchup for most guards around the league is his top-tier driving skills. His first step and explosiveness make him as quick as anyone from the perimeter to the rim. His fearlessness around the bucket helps him draw loads of fouls.

Like Burke, Burks' problem is on the other end. He has the physical tools to be an excellent defender but is often disengaged and passive.

The issue was on full display Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks. Burks and Burke allowed Monta Ellis, Devin Harris and Jameer Nelson to get to the paint at will, putting a ton of pressure on Favors and Enes Kanter.

Rodney Hood, 6'8", 215 lbs

Acquired: 2014 NBA draft

Exum was the No. 5 pick, but Rodney Hood may wind up being the team's most productive rookie. The No. 23 pick is ready to try to prove that 22 teams made a mistake in passing on him. According to Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune, Hood said, "At first, I was a little mad. But I’m in a perfect spot. I’ll get a chance to play with an up-and-coming team— a very young team—and I think I can prove myself over time here. So I’m happy with worked out this way."

It looks like Hood will be given plenty of opportunities to prove himself this season. He's averaging 18.9 minutes through the first two games. Trevor Booker is the only reserve who's played more.

What Hood needs to do in the time he's given is defend on one end and spread the floor on the other. He shot 42 percent from three-point range during his sophomore year at Duke and then went for 40 percent during the preseason.

Ian Clark, 6'3", 173 lbs

Acquired: Free agency

After going undrafted in 2013, Ian Clark has worked hard to gain a guaranteed contract. This could be the end of the road for him, though.

Clark is a tweener. He's not big enough to handle 2s or quick enough to deal with 1s. And his one marketable NBA skill, shooting, is largely neutralized by a slow, unorthodox release.

Like Murry, his primary role could be making the other guards better in practice.

Small Forward

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Depth: Gordon Hayward, Joe Ingles and Jordan Hamilton

Grade: C+

Gordon Hayward, 6'8", 220 lbs

Acquired: 2010 NBA draft

You know it's a young team when one of the undisputed leaders—the older of the two—is just 24. Gordon Hayward enters his fifth season as a leader with a lot of inexperienced teammates to make better.

Fortunately, making others better is probably Hayward's best skill. He's not a typical wing who hunts for points. Instead, he's constantly looking to set up his teammates.

Last season, Hayward led the Jazz with an average of 11.2 assist opportunities. That translated to 5.2 assists per game. In 2014-15, he's picking up right where he left off, averaging 6.5 dimes through two games.

A point forward like Hayward is a perfect cog for a team heading into this new era in which so many teams are trying to emulate the ball movement of the San Antonio Spurs.

Joe Ingles, 6'8", 216 lbs

Acquired: Waivers

The story of the preseason for the Jazz may be the acquisition of Joe Ingles, who was one of Exum's favorite players growing up.

In an interview with Believe the Hype, Exum talked about his Aussie Boomers teammate joining him in Utah:

"

I was getting my learners permit and I looked at my phone and I had a message from Joe saying ‘whaddup teammate’ and then some of the Twitter feeds started coming through that he was coming to Utah so you know I was definitely excited because I had known Joe and had just lost Brock, so I was excited.

"

You'd be kidding yourself trying to claim Ingles' connection to Exum has nothing to do with his signing, but there are definitely on-court reasons as well.

Ingles isn't as athletic and doesn't have the NBA experience of Hayward, but he plays a very similar style. He's a pass-first wing who can help the second-unit offense flow.

Jordan Hamilton, 6'7", 220 lbs

Acquired: Waivers

Both Ingles and Jordan Hamilton were claimed off waivers just before the start of the regular season. While Ingles has made an appearance in the first two games, Hamilton has yet to see the floor.

He could have a shot at the rotation, though. Hamilton was a big-time scorer in college, when he averaged 18.6 points as a sophomore.

His offensive ability hasn't translated seamlessly to the NBA, as this is already his fifth team in four years, but he's still only 24.

Power Forward

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Depth: Enes Kanter, Trevor Booker, Steve Novak and Jeremy Evans

Grade: C-

Enes Kanter, 6'11", 247 lbs

Acquired: 2011 NBA draft

After failing to work his way out of former coach Tyrone Corbin's doghouse, Enes Kanter will be motivated in his first contract year in the NBA.

In his report on the Jazz and Kanter ending extension negotiations, Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski said:

"

Kanter, 22, the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, will assuredly benefit from another full year of development, especially under new coach Quin Snyder. Kanter’s size and skill will make him an intriguing player on the summer market, and several teams told Yahoo Sports they’ll be scouting him closely to gauge his full value and potential.

"

The opportunity to earn a big payday from the Jazz or some other team should drive Kanter to prove he can play on both ends of the floor.

There's little doubt about his offensive ability, but his struggles on defense have made it difficult to keep him on the floor.

The same combination of nimbleness and strength that makes him a force as a low-post scorer should translate to defense. He either hasn't been taught how to put them to use or simply isn't working enough.

Trevor Booker, 6'8", 235 lbs

Acquired: Free agency

Whether he intends to or not, Trevor Booker could help determine Kanter's value in the free-agent market next summer. With the energy Booker brings to the floor, it will be hard for Quin Snyder to keep him on the bench. And that means fewer minutes for Kanter.

Through two games, Booker is averaging more points, rebounds and minutes than Kanter. And the eye test tells you that everything seems to move a little better when Booker is out there.

Steve Novak, 6'10", 235 lbs

Acquired: Trade

Three-point shooting got Steve Novak to the NBA, and it's sustained him throughout his career.

Now entering his ninth season, Novak has yet to show that he can do anything besides hit threes. Of the 1,636 shots he's taken, 77.5 percent have been from beyond the arc.

Offensively, it's not a bad thing, as Novak's career three-point percentage of 43.2 is good for sixth in NBA history.

What will likely keep him out of the rotation is what he doesn't do on the other end. Most power forwards can go around him. Those who can't are likely to go through him.

Jeremy Evans, 6'9", 197 lbs

Acquired: 2010 NBA draft

Booker and Novak were both acquired this summer, and playing time for Jeremy Evans appears to be the casualty.

After averaging a career-high 6.1 points in 18.3 minutes last season, Evans has yet to play a second of regular-season basketball in 2014-15. He averaged a mere 5.9 minutes in six preseason appearances.

Barring injury, the springy Evans appears to be completely out of the rotation.

Center

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Depth: Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert

Grade: B

Derrick Favors, 6'10", 268 lbs

Acquired: 2010 NBA draft

The slide on small forwards hinted at another leader, and Derrick Favors is it.

During a difficult 2013-14 season that featured inconsistency from just about everyone, Favors was a rock, averaging 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per 36 minutes.

He returns this season with what appears to be better touch in the mid-range and an increased desire to lead on defense.

As Bleacher Report's Ethan Norof said, "I am all aboard the Trey Burke-Derrick Favors train. If there's not one yet in motion, I'll be the driver. Both players are gonna feast."

Rudy Gobert, 7'1", 245 lbs

Acquired: 2013 NBA draft

Utah's backup center, Rudy Gobert, perfectly symbolizes the team. Very young and raw but loaded with potential.

If he can become serviceable offensively and learn to stay out of foul trouble, Gobert could be one of the league's most devastating defensive presences.

Last season, his block percentage of 7.4 topped that of Anthony Davis, Serge Ibaka and Roy Hibbert. His rebounding percentage of 20.6 was better than DeMarcus Cousins and Dwight Howard's.

He's already an impact player on that end and could become a rim-rattling alley-oop finisher on the other end. If that happens this season, Utah could have one of the most unique and talented big-man rotations in the league.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats and salary figures are courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.com and RealGM, and are current as of October 31, 2014.

Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.