Jazz's Alec Burks cleared for contact 6-plus months after shoulder surgery

The Utah Jazz stand to be one of the sleeper teams of the 2015-16 season, and Alec Burks is taking strides toward getting in on the fun from day one.

The 23-year-old has been cleared for contact a little more than six months since undergoing season-ending surgery to alleviate pain in his left shoulder. Burks hasn't played in contact drills yet, but the clearance is a good sign, one he didn't have when the season ended in April.

The Jazz have continued to solidify an enticing core while Burks was absent. Rookie Rodney Hood showed marked improvement late in the season, the team's defense was among the best in the league after they traded Enes Kanter, and they drafted Trey Lyles to improve the frontcourt depth.

Hood's development stands to have the largest impact on Burks, the presumed two-guard of the future who begins a four-year, $41-million extension this season.

"I feel like I'm gonna be a starter," Burks said in April. "But it's coach's decision."

Burks averaged 13.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and three assists in 27 games last season, knocking down 38.2 percent of his threes. The Jazz need his shooting and he's a nice secondary ball-handling option, but his best chance at wrestling the starting job back will likely come on defense, where the Jazz still haven't found a lock-down wing stopper.