Moreover, Sloan suggested he has no idea how long it will take for the member of USA Basketball's gold medal-winning 2008 Olympic team to reach full speed.

"I've never been able to judge that," he said.

"Now, some guys can step out there and be right where they left off," Sloan added. "But he's never missed that many (13) games since he's been here, so I don't know where he'll be out there."

Then there is the issue of teammates growing accustomed to playing again with Williams, as opposed to combo guard/replacement-starter Ronnie Price and now-injured reserve point guard Brevin Knight.

Sloan knows it will take some time, and he especially hopes they don't use the anticipated return as a crutch.

"I think the other guys say, 'Well, now that Deron's back, we can relax a bit,' sometimes," he said. "That's the problem you worry about.

"You have to do it as a team," Sloan added. "I don't think one guy can go out there and beat the other team. Maybe Michael Jordan, or somebody like that. But I don't feel like we're in that same category."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com