Sloan will be back next season

As Jazz players cleaned their Delta Center lockers following the conclusion of the 2005-06 NBA season, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan reiterated Thursday his plans for the 2006-07 season.

He did so unequivocally, using no qualifiers (as he had in prior days) to couch his intentions.

"I'm gonna be back," Sloan said the morning after his 18th season as Utah's head coach finished. "I know I'll be back. I don't have anywhere to go."

Sloan has two years remaining on his current contract, and Jazz owner Larry H. Miller has said the decision is all Sloan's.

In several recent off-seasons, Sloan has taken time to decompress on his Illinois farm before making the call. But he said he doesn't need that this year, and the decision — especially compared with last year — is relatively easy.

"We were out of the playoffs with about 36 games to go (last season). And that's a sickening feeling," said Sloan, whose 41-41 Jazz lasted until last Sunday — the season's third-to-last game — before being eliminated from playoff contention. "(This season) we only had two games like that."

Sloan's eagerness to return seems buoyed by his hopes for next season.

"I think this can be a pretty good basketball team," he said.

"A lot depends on how bad they want it," Sloan added. "And hopefully we do the right things to help them become a good team."

GO FIGURE: The Jazz's 41-41 record wasn't good enough to make the playoffs in the NBA's Western Conference but was as good as or better than three Eastern Conference postseason qualifiers: Indiana (41-41), Chicago (41-41) and Milwaukee (40-42).

Jazz forward Carlos Boozer can't believe it.

"It's crazy," Boozer said. "In the East, we would have been like the fifth or sixth spot (actually, no better than sixth). It's bananas."

DERON'S SUMMER: NBA teams don't always want their highest-regarded rookies playing in summer leagues, but basketball boss Kevin O'Connor said the Jazz are recommending that point guard Deron Williams take part in July's Rocky Mountain Revue.

"I don't think we want to see him (play) 39 of the 40 minutes in a summer-league game," O'Connor said, "but I think we want him there."