Jazz substitution rotation in flux

Some issues have been settled.

Others, however, remain rather uncertain as the Jazz prepare for Tuesday night's 2007-08 NBA regular-season opener at Golden State — especially when it comes to the rotation coach Jerry Sloan is likely to use as Utah begins its quest to at least repeat as Northwest Division champs and Western Conference finalists.

Four starters, of course, return from the Jazz's 51-win club of a season ago: point guard Deron Williams, 2004 All-Star small forward Andrei Kirilenko, 2007 All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer and 2007 All-Star center Mehmet Okur.

Sophomore Ronnie Brewer has claimed the starting shooting guard spot left vacant by Derek Fisher, who left in the offseason to re-join the Los Angeles Lakers.

Journeyman Jason Hart has beaten out fellow offseason free-agent signee Ronnie Price for the right to replace Fisher as the primary backup to Williams at the point, just as the Jazz figured would happen heading into training camp at the start of the month.

Other backup jobs seem settled as well: Veteran Matt Harpring, as long as his surgically repaired right knee allows, behind Kirilenko at small forward; Paul Millsap behind Boozer for a second straight season at power forward; Jarron Collins, who as expected was able to hold off still-developing rookie Kyrylo Fesenko, still behind Okur at center.

The biggest question, however, may be how Sloan will address opportunity behind the starters and late-game closers at both shooting guard and small forward — particularly if Harpring's minutes are limited by injury, and especially considering that the Jazz are looking for ways to get both Kirilenko more playing time than the 29.3 minutes per game he averaged last season and Millsap more minutes than the 18.0 he averaged as a rookie.

"I'll probably play Andrei (Kirilenko) more, with the way he's played," Sloan said. "He's played pretty well. That's encouraging about all of it: He's worked hard, and played well."

At the same time, Sloan added, "I might get more minutes for Paul (Millsap) if I can play him some at small forward. So that's gonna be a situation we have to look at and see where we are."

In the Jazz's preseason-ending game against the Lakers last Tuesday, with Harpring sidelined as he was throughout the month, Sloan brought veteran swingman Gordan Giricek and 20-year-old shooting guard C.J. Miles off the bench behind Kirilenko and Brewer, respectively.

In the regular season, however, Sloan suggested several different things may happen.