"Other people have got to be able to step into it, and get involved with it. If it's important enough to win."

Aberration, or trend?

After a four-game road trip in which they went 2-2, Sloan can't be sure. But there are some things of which the Jazz coach can be certain.

One, he said, is that so much goes so better "when you get somebody with leadership out there on the floor."

Another is that the price of selfishness can be sky-high.

"Guys are greedy," Sloan said when asked about the Jazz's turnovers troubles when trying to run a fast break, "and they will get right down the middle of the floor and they'll (goof) it up for someone else because of their greediness.

"I try to give them a little bit of slack — until they get to the point that that continues to happen," he added. "Then, they can watch somebody else. That's about the only alternative I have."

Sloan has about had it with watching players who "constantly make the same mistake, because you think you're the guy that's supposed to score."

"The game is for everybody," he said. "If you don't play it that way, then you're going to have trouble winning."

It was a painful reminder Monday, especially on a night the presence of not only Stockton but also former teammates like Karl Malone reminded Sloan of the good ol' days in Utah.

"You have to have constant focus on what you're doing," Sloan said. "And obviously we were spoiled with that for a long period of time."

That from a man who has seen both sides. Back in '67, when Chicago opened 0-9, he was the one who wore No. 4 for the Bulls.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com