For the first time in years, the Utah Jazz have real expectations

That means there’s some added excitement about what this squad could look like on the court.

That became clear after speaking with Jazz players, coach Will Hardy, and president of basketball operations Austin Ainge Monday at Jazz media day.

Still, whether that translates into winning remains to be seen. And it’s fair to question if the Jazz are even going to be good.

In fact, Ainge understands that Jazz fans may have tuned out during the four-year rebuild.

To those who did, he had a message:

“Come on back. The water is warm. It’s going to be a fun year. We have a lot of good players. ... And there will be fun games.”

Here are five things that stood out from media day.

Will Hardy is still figuring out his starting lineup

There’s no question that three starting spots are set in stone: Keyonte George, Jaren Jackson and Lauri Markkanen. (And you might be able to add center Jusuf Nurkić to that list, too.)

As for the final starter? Hardy is still trying to figure that out. For now, the four candidates appear to be Ace Bailey, Darryn Peterson, Brice Sensabaugh and Svi Mykhailiuk.

But that’s subject to change, anyway.

“I really do think about it as 48 minutes,” Hardy said. “I know that being a ‘starter’ is important to players and it’s important sometimes for narrative, but you get five and a half minutes into the game and it’s all different.”

“I obviously want the first five and a half to six minutes to function at a high level, but we also have to start thinking about when the substitutions start happening, who’s in, who’s out. What group is now on the floor.”

Hardy believes that training camp, preseason and the first part of the regular season will help determine what he wants from the starting lineup.

“I don’t think whoever starts opening night, that’s not a declaration to the world, ‘This is our starting five for the foreseeable future,’” he said. “Things can change. When things change, it doesn’t always indicate a demotion.

“I think sometimes the narrative can become, ‘Oh, he’s not a starter anymore. He’s lost his spot.’ We’re just putting them in a different spot, usually.”

Reading between the lines, it’s not asinine to think that Peterson won’t start on opening night. After all, Hardy has never started a rookie in a season opener.

The goal is winning, but it won’t be easy

The word of the day during media day was “adversity.” Both players and Hardy emphasized that how they deal with adversity matters as the Jazz chase their playoff ambitions.

“Anything worth achieving is going to have adversity,” Hardy said. “I expect adversity this year. I expect there will be moments where we are disappointed or frustrated. Ultimately, to be an elite team, at any stage, you have to be able to navigate those things.

“The easiest way to navigate those things is if you have a high level of trust amongst the group. ... The ability to tell each other the truth and being able to separate those things from how we feel about each other as human beings.”

Hardy emphasized that personal relationships are important to building team chemistry.

An NBA season is long, and there will be times when the Jazz struggle. Those moments are when those relationships will be tested the most.

No player on the roster understands that more than Markkanen, who’s been in Utah for all four rebuilding seasons.

“We’re excited to get out there on the court,” Markkanen said. “Building the relationships. Really going through adversity together. That’s where we’re kind of enjoying the process. Team expectations are really high, and that makes us just more motivated, excited and more focused on the task at hand.”

The man of the hour: Darryn Peterson

The most talked-about player during media day was rookie Darryn Peterson.

The hype surrounding the No. 2 pick was already immense. But expectations seem even higher after the way the Jazz talked about him.

“He’s just advertised. We are really excited about him,” Ainge said. “He has brought intensity, work ethic, and maturity that is unique. The NBA is hard on rookies, and he’s going to have some ups and downs this year, but we believe in his character and approach and think he will handle all the ups and downs and figure it out.”

Veteran big man Mo Bamba even compared him to Raptors star Kawhi Leonard because of his quiet demeanor and ability to get buckets.

“I do see a hunger and a willingness to learn,” Bamba said. “He’s so calm, ahead of his time as far as just like maturity. ... I think he’s due for a really good year based on his work ethic and based on how much he wants to learn.”

Bamba said Peterson has picked things up quickly.

“He doesn’t feel like a 19-year-old or however old he is,” Bamba said. “He’s one of those dudes you just want to watch him work, help him, and be part of his journey.”

Meanwhile, Peterson is still adjusting to NBA life and Salt Lake City. He noted that he feels at home and is living with his best friend.

That said, he still hasn’t tried fry sauce or a dirty soda — something he wants to rectify soon.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is held in high esteem

Jackson played only three games last season for the Jazz after being traded from Memphis. He was then shut down for the season and underwent knee surgery.

It was a quick taste of what Jackson will look like in the Jazz system. Utah is excited for the full meal.

Ainge said Markkanen and Jackson are the Jazz’s two best players — two former All-Stars Utah hopes can lead the team back to the postseason.

Jackson can help most on defense. And, to be frank, Utah’s defense needs to improve — a lot.

The Jazz ranked No. 29 in defensive rating (120.8) and No. 30 in opponent points per game (126) last season.

“Defensively, I just got to be vocal,” Jackson said. “I got to be active. I got to be everywhere. Just doing whatever I can to help, but also making sure the guards ... when they are guarding, they can’t see what’s behind them, so just telling them where everything is.

“Not just calling out ball screens, but calling out other stuff, off-ball stuff. Reads, I got to know the other teams’ plays. We just got to make it easier on ourselves.”

A proving season for two players

It’s not uncommon for players to improve their game over the offseason, but comments by two young players stood out on Monday.

Brice Sensabaugh and Isaiah Collier are entering pivotal years in their careers, and their offseason approach showed that.

Sensabaugh is hoping to secure a rookie-scale extension as he enters his fourth season. Ainge said Sensabaugh has had a good summer, with Sensabaugh saying he focused on his shooting and defense.

“The summer has been a big step for me,” Sensabaugh said. “It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life. Honestly, I feel like two times better, to be honest. So, I’m excited to see how it plays out against other teams and other people.”

Meanwhile, Collier also had a significant summer that forced him to look inward.

“I was just honest with myself this summer,” he said. “Knowing what I have to work on with myself. … The whole summer definitely just was being uncomfortable, honestly. I feel like that just brought peace to me, honestly.”

Both Collier and Sensabaugh could be important players as the Jazz transition into being a competitive team. If both players take a leap forward, they can solidify themselves in the Jazz’s rotation.

That’s significant, as Will Hardy believes minutes will be at a premium this upcoming season due to Utah’s perceived depth.

The Jazz will need every bit of that depth if they’re going to meet their new expectations.