Burks participated partially in the Jazz's light practice Monday afternoon in Salt Lake City for the first time since undergoing surgery to remove an extra piece of bone from his injured ankle on Nov. 1.

"It was great to see him out there," Jazz shooting guard Rodney Hood said. "We didn't do too much, but he looked good in what we were doing. He was moving well. So I don't know really what's the timetable [for Burks' return] but it's just great to have him out there on the floor."

After back-to-back injury-shortened campaigns, the slashing guard had hoped for a bounce-back performance this season, but the 25-year-old Burks again ran into issues. His ankle bothered him throughout training camp, forcing him to undergo arthroscopic surgery. Burks, who has averaged 10.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for his career, has yet to make his season debut for the Jazz.

His teammates hope Monday's practice, however, was the next step toward his return.

"It's hard to judge him. We didn't do much," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "But more than anything, it looked like he was moving good."

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/4753648...urks-practices