More things change with Jazz, more they stay the same

EUGENE, Ore. — Injuries were the bane of Jerry Sloan's existence a season ago. Now, they're becoming a real pain again.

The Jazz knew they would go most, if not all, of the exhibition season without frequent starter Matt Harpring because of offseason microfracture surgery on his right knee.

But add the fact that last season's leading scorer, starting power forward Carlos Boozer, hasn't appeared in so much as a minute of preseason play, and it's easy to understand why Sloan still isn't sure what sort of team he'll have in 2005-06.

"I have no idea," Sloan said when asked how different the Jazz, 1-2 in the preseason, will be when Boozer is back. "I haven't seen him play in our offense."

Boozer, out with a strained left hamstring since the tail end of training camp's first week, was still dubbed "doubtful" as Utah prepared for tonight's exhibition game versus Portland here.

Precisely when he'll return also is uncertain.

"I've talked to him about it," Sloan said. "I told him personally that 'I'm not going to force you back on the floor.' I have that responsibility. But he has to have the mentality to know when he's healthy. And that's tough, too, because there are no guarantees."

Sloan suggested he has no qualms with Boozer, who also missed last season's final 31 games with a strained foot.

"He's been terrific. He's worked hard. He's done everything we've asked him to do. I don't have a problem with that," the Jazz coach said. "I'm looking at myself if I was hurt, and I don't think I could have worked harder than what he's done — and I thought I was a pretty good worker."

Still, the reality remains that the absence of both Harpring, who still hopes to be ready for the Jazz's Nov. 2 regular-season opener, and Boozer will affect the Jazz's progress.

Integrating previously injured players back into the lineup, Sloan said, is a time-consuming task.

"If you (look back), it will take them two or three weeks to get to where you'd like them to be," he said. "They're not going to be at the top of their game when we start off the season like they would have been if they had stayed healthy.

"The biggest problem is (whoever is injured) is going to try to push and . . . be the guy that he was, and sometimes that doesn't happen for a couple weeks. Now he gets frustrated with me, he gets frustrated with all those things."