Sloan warns that nobody's job is safe

ST. LOUIS — Decisions, decisions.

The Jazz have plenty of them to make in the next couple of weeks, and what they wind up being may not necessarily be what you would expect.

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan warned as much prior to Utah's fourth game of the preseason, a 90-86 loss to Orlando on Thursday night at the Savvis Center.

"I don't think anybody's job is in concrete," Sloan said.

The ominous warning came shortly before the Jazz fell to 3-1 in the preseason, failing to force overtime when Jarron Collins' 18-foot jumper with a second remaining rimmed out.

Those were not the only words of caution delivered by Sloan, either.

"I don't think anything's in stone," the Jazz coach added. "We have some guys that have guaranteed contracts, but I don't pay any attention to that when it comes down to who we've got to keep."

Utah's roster decisions are multi-faceted and influenced in large part by the status of two rookies who did not play Thursday night, center Curtis Borchardt (fractured finger, left hand, expected to be out at least all preseason), and point guard Raul Lopez (fatigued quadricep muscle, likely out until next week).

Mo Williams, the Jazz's second-round selection out of the University of Alabama in last June's draft, seems to have a leg up on free agent Weber State product Jermaine Boyette for the third point position.

Williams made his first start of the preseason Thursday, shooting only 1-of-5 from the field but probably not jeopardizing his chances of making the roster — something many within the organization have been planning on since they watched Williams play in last July's Rocky Mountain Revue summer league.

Yet the Jazz have not ruled out keeping returning point Carlos Arroyo, Williams and Boyette as well, especially if Lopez's health continues to be a problem as the start of the regular season nears.

"You always have to be prepared for different situations — because we have two players that have been hurt," Sloan said. "We don't know whether they'll play today, or tomorrow, or next week, or when."

If the Jazz do hold on to Boyette, though, it could cost them an extra big man among the 14 they plan to keep — 12 on the active roster, and two more on the injured list.