Getting started: Jazz, healthy once more, seek redemption after lost season

They were out of playoff contention long before all was done. They won just 26 games, their lowest win count since 1981-82. They were hurt, unhappy and at times hardly seemed to care.

Five-plus months later, as preparation for the 2005-06 NBA season began with Monday's annual media-day session, a sour taste remained for those with the Jazz who endured the tough times of a season ago. The calamity that was 2004-05 has not been forgotten, and may not be for some time to come.

"I don't think you start with a clean slate," said Matt Harpring, one of the Jazz's co-captains in a season gone awry.

"I think there's pressure on us this year. And there should be," Harpring added. "We've got to come out and get better. I mean, we can't have another 25-, 26-win season next year. And we know that. At least I hope we know that. I know Jerry (Sloan) knows that. I know the (coaching) staff knows it. I know some of these players know it."

Whether or not all of them do is less certain.

If they do not, Sloan — suffice it to say — will not shy from reminding them.

"I'll probably mention (last season) a time or two," the Jazz coach said.

Sloan, whose team formally opens training camp this morning with the first of three days' worth of two-a-day sessions at Boise State University's Taco Bell Arena, has had a hard time cleansing the bad taste of '04-05 from his own mouth.

"We had a lot of excuses last year," he said, "and hopefully we will come out and play a little bit better."

Utah's long list of alibis is topped by injuries.

Carlos Boozer's strained foot. Andrei Kirilenko's torn knee and broken wrist. Harpring's own aching knee.

The bruised ego of so many.

Even with all the woes, though, Sloan said Monday that "I still think this team should have played better than what it did."

Only time will tell if this season's version of the Jazz does play as well as it should — or perhaps even better than paper might suggest it could.

Some are skeptical, though hopeful nonetheless.

"I know things are going to be rocky this year, because we are a young team," said veteran Greg Ostertag, who returns to Utah after season away in Sacramento. "I know that if we play hard we're going to win a lot more games this year. We're going to beat people just sheer outplaying them. Maybe not out-talent, but just outplay 'em."

"It's just too early to tell," Harpring said. "Last year, I remember being in preseason and camp, and everyone's like, 'Oh, this is a 50-win team.' "