SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz needed to scrimmage so that they could be ready to play their first preseason game, taking place Monday.

So why not hold it in front of a crowd that, by trade, are ready for anything?

The Jazz traveled north to Hill Air Force Base Friday afternoon for their annual training-camp scrimmage, entertaining hundreds of military servicemen and families at the Warrior Fitness Center. There, they played four eight-minute quarters, complete with the dunk and dance teams for pregame entertainment. Afterwards, they threw giveaway balls, signed autographs and took pictures for some who attended.

"I don't think we can adequately articulate our appreciation for all you guys do for our country," Jazz head coach Quin Snyder told those attending the scrimmage. "On behalf of the Jazz, thank you for having us here today, and giving us an opportunity for us to think about what the servicemen and women in this country do for us on a daily basis."

Media wasn't allowed to interview individual attendees for security reasons, but it was clear that everyone involved had a good time. One child had the opportunity to assist the dunk team, and four more were flipped over by an acrobatic member of the Jazz stunt team.

Then there was the game itself which provided some real highlights. Rudy Gobert finished some highlight reel passes from Ricky Rubio and Raul Neto alike. Alec Burks showed off his springiness, apparently more explosive than he's been in years after recovering from knee surgery.

All in all, it was a scrimmage well-spent.

"Man, it was awesome to get a chance to hang out," Joe Johnson said afterward. "I even saw a guy here from Little Rock, where I'm from, and I knew him too. It was fun. We had a great time, a great scrimmage. I hope they enjoyed it."

Basketball impressions

Of course, Jazz fans will be wondering how the team looked during the scrimmage, our first chance to see the team in action with all of the new signings and draftees. Here are a few impressions:

• The Jazz split up into teams so that the starting unit all played on one team, wearing gray. That meant that the starting Gray team in the scrimmage was Ricky Rubio, Rodney Hood, Joe Ingles, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert. That's a good bet for the Jazz's day one starting lineup Monday.
• Rubio delivered multiple excellent passes to Gobert, even though the Blue defense really tried to prevent it from happening. Somehow, Rubio would always wait just long enough for a gap to open up, then find Gobert for the opportunities down low. Gobert: still good.
• One teammate of Joe Ingles' told me he's been shooting the ball as well or better than ever, and that was on display in the scrimmage. Watch this jab step to create a corner three against a leaning Thabo Sefolosha.

JINGL3S! 👌 pic.twitter.com/f5GMvvpKrA — Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) September 29, 2017

- Donovan Mitchell looked good, though not overly offensively impactful. "His decision-making was good," Snyder said. "He's so aggressive defensively, he almost fouled out in practice yesterday. He's figuring it out, but he was a willing passer. We've seen his vision, because he did it in the summer." Mitchell's best highlight was this quarter-beating shot: > 🕷🕷🕷👌👌👌 [pic.twitter.com/UwLKWC8RBW](https://t.co/UwLKWC8RBW) > > — Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) [September 29, 2017](https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/913873610426638336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

- Tony Bradley was really impressive to me. He rebounded and finished well, but my favorite part was when he got switched out on someone on the perimeter (admittedly, Royce O'Neale, not the quickest wing) and moved his feet well to force a turnover. He's very fundamentally sound, though had a fantastic block on Eric Griffin in transition. - Dante Exum struggled to find his game at first, but had a lot more success in the second half against fellow Jazz benchers. He got to the free-throw line at will then, because his length and surprising layup timing forced defenders to foul him. "I thought he attacked, and I thought he made good decisions and tried to run the club, too," Snyder said. - Raul Neto is just so much fun. It's not that he did anything that we haven't seen him do before, but his vision and passing is special. - And we'll let Snyder have the final word: "We played the right way. I thought we were efficient offensively. I think defense is something that's ingrained in us. Obviously, there were breakdowns here and there, but I think for the most part our guys competed." 

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