Starter or sub, Bell just wants to play

Raja Bell will not win the NBA's Sixth Man Award when balloting results are announced today; Dallas' Antawn Jamison reportedly is the winner.

Bell probably will not even finish among the top three.

But the off-the-bench role was one embraced this past season by Bell, the Jazz swingman who emerged as a prime-time player during his first season in Utah.

"I'd like to come back next year and be better than I was this year, and give (coach) Jerry (Sloan) a decision to make (regarding starting). That's just what you have to do as a competitor, and as a player," Bell said after the Jazz's season ended last week. "But the sixth-man (role) is great for me. I loved it. I relished coming in off the bench and making a difference."

Sloan liked the energy Bell brought off the Jazz bench. Still, there is something to be said for starting.

"As a player, starting is always fun. You like to hear your name called, and your school announced, and all of that," Bell said. "But, as long as I can play a part . . . that's what I want to do. So whether it be in a sixth-man role, or a starting role, I'm down for it."

RANDOLPH, NOT KIRILENKO, MOST IMPROVED: Jazz All-Star forward Andrei Kirilenko finished fourth in voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player award, won Thursday by Portland's Zach Randolph with 379 points, including 59 of 121 possible first-place votes from sportswriters and broadcasters covering the NBA.

Randolph improved his scoring average from last season by 11.7 points per game to 20.1, his rebounding by six boards per game to 10.5 and his assists by 1.5 per game to 2.0.

Cleveland's Carlos Boozer was second with 166 points and Memphis' James Posey third with 137.

Kirilenko finished with 101 points, six more than fifth-place Michael Redd of Milwaukee, and 11 first-place votes.

Bell also received one third-place vote for Most Improved Player.

Kirilenko is a candidate for two other postseason honors that will be awarded early next week, All-NBA and All-Defensive Team. He finished fifth in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year award earlier this week, trailing Indiana's Ron Artest, Detroit's Ben Wallace, Portland's Theo Ratliff and San Antonio's Bruce Bowen.

MASSENBURG MIFFED: Ex-Jazz big man Tony Massenburg was not thrilled at being left off the Sacramento Kings' postseason roster.

According to the Sacramento Bee, Massenburg "said he didn't think he was 'respected' by Kings management or coach Rick Adelman, but insisted he was 'not bitter.' "

An injury to guard Bobby Jackson was one factor in the snub, but the Kings' coach told the Bee that Massenburg's recent displeasure with his limited role also played a part. "We need everybody on-board positive at this point," Adelman said.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com