Denver @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 24, 2017 ) Utah 93, Denver 103

The Utah Jazz begin a season without All-Star forward Gordon Hayward for the first time in eight years when they host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday in the opener for both teams. Hayward, the Jazz's top scorer each of the last four seasons, signed with the Boston Celtics this offseason after helping Utah gain its first playoff berth in five years.

That leaves the Jazz in the hands of center Rudy Gobert, whose breakout campaign was cut short by a knee injury seconds into the first playoff game. "We've got a great group of guys and a great coaching staff and we all want to go in the same direction and our goal is to win," Gobert told the media. "My role is to try to talk to everyone on the court and off the court. I've been around five years, so it’s my role to talk to the younger guys and communicate." The Nuggets missed the postseason four straight times but hit the 40-win mark for the first time in that span last season and saw big man Nikola Jokic emerge in a big way. The 22-year-old from Serbia averaged 17.7 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists after the All-Star break and finished fourth in the NBA with six triple-doubles.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (2016-17: 40-42): While Jokic blossoms into a star, Denver added a nice complement in forward Paul Millsap, a four-time All-Star with Atlanta who also played seven seasons with the Jazz. Guard Gary Harris emerged as an outstanding perimeter threat last season, shooting 42 percent from 3-point range and 50.2 percent overall while averaging 14.9 points. The starting point guard position comes down to Emmanuel Mudiay - who started 107 games over the last two seasons - and 20-year-old Jamal Murray.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (2016-17: 51-31): Utah also lost second-leading scorer George Hill but has a dynamic addition to its backcourt in point guard Ricky Rubio, who ranked in the top 10 in the NBA in assists (9.1) and steals (1.7). Unfortunately, Rubio's backup - Dante Exum - is expected to undergo surgery to repair a separated shoulder and is out indefinitely. Gobert ranked first in the league in blocks (2.6), second in field-goal percentage (66.1) and fourth in rebounds (12.8).

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Nuggets ranked third in the NBA in scoring last season (111.7) and 27th in defensive scoring (111.2), while Utah was 28th in scoring (100.7) and first in defense (96.8).

2. Denver signed veteran F Richard Jefferson to a one-year deal Monday, according to reports.

3. Utah finished with an NBA-best 5-0 preseason record.

PREDICTION: Jazz 105, Nuggets 103