Jazz guard Burks says injured shoulder is 100 percent

The Utah Jazz could really use some good news right now, and Alec Burks is willing to oblige.

Burks deemed his surgically repaired left shoulder back in working order this week, according to Adrian Dy of Manila's SLAM Philippines.

"I think it's a hundred percent," Burks said. "I just got cleared a couple of weeks ago, so you know, just keep going at it. It's time to take contact and just go from there."

The 24-year-old underwent season-ending surgery to alleviate pain in his left shoulder in December and was cleared for contact in early July. Calling himself 100 percent may be more of a mental hurdle than a physical one - his being cleared for contact suggested the shoulder was doing well - and Burks said his primary goal for 2015-16 is to make it through the seasons with his shoulder in good shape.

That's understandable considering it's been a long-standing issue, but the Jazz have their sights set much higher. Even after a likely season-ending ACL tear for point guard Dante Exum, the Jazz are a dark-horse playoff contender in the loaded Western Conference.

Utah took off while Burks was on the sideline, finishing the season 19-10 with one of the best point differentials in the league during that stretch.

"It's bittersweet," Burks said of watching his teammates thrive without him. "Those are my teammates but I wish I was out there playing. But we're going to make it happen this season."

Burks returning to health should help lift the Jazz on the offensive end, as the shooting guard averaged 13.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and three assists in 27 games last season, knocking down 38.2 percent of his threes.

He may have lost his starting spot to Rodney Hood, who had a breakout second half, but that could be for the best for Burks. As a capable ball-handler on a team now thin at the point, Burks' ideal role may be leading the second unit.