Miles experiencing ups and downs

EUGENE, Ore. — During the opening week of training camp, rookie C.J. Miles drew rare lofty praise from Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.

In the week-and-a-half since, reality has set in.

"C.J. Miles has gone up and down like a yo-yo," Sloan said when asked about the 18-year-old, a second-round draft choice who came to camp with a guaranteed contract. "He's had his moments where he's been really alive and he's been real active, and he's had his moments where it's looked like he's stuck on the bottom of the floor."

Miles' rock-the-cradle, walk-the-dog routine does not exactly surprise Sloan.

"That's what you have to expect," he said. "Young players have that tendency."

The shooting guard struggled with his shooting but hit a big overtime-forcing 3-pointer in the Jazz's preseason-opening win at Toronto. He didn't play the next night at Indiana, as Sloan protected him from crafty Pacers vet Ron Artest. And he played just six minutes against Phoenix last Monday, missing his only two shots.

"That's something he'll have to overcome," Sloan, who did not start Miles when the Jazz played Portland late Thursday, said of the inconsistency. "I can't do it for him. His teammates can't."

The Jazz must soon decide if Miles will open the season on the active roster or on their reserve list, or if he'll be sent to affiliate Albuquerque of the NBA Development League.

"In my mind," Miles said when questioned early in the camp about a possible D-League stint, "it's not (an option)."

Yet Miles does not seem resistant to the Jazz's direction.

"If the coaches decide that's what I need to do, because I'm not playing up here, then that's what they've decided and that's what I'm going to do," he said. "Because if that's how they feel — I'll trust them and respect their decision."

HAT TRICK: Sloan's favored John Deere tractor cap apparently is a casualty of the NBA's new dress code.

The controversial code in part bans the wearing of hats by players while on league business, and Sloan is following suit.

"I knew it was probably coming one way or the other," he said, "so I can live without a hat. I can do without anything, if I have to, as far as my job is concerned."

Sloan backs the new business-casual dress policy, elements of which have been called racist by some players around the league.

"They come up with ideas," he said of NBA officials, "and I think it's up to us to try to uphold those rules.

"We can't do anything about it, so you might as well adhere to it, go on and not let it be a distraction to the game of basketball."