Fisher not yet cleared to suit up

After badly bruising his pelvis in the Jazz's second game of the preseason, in a meeting with the same opponent his new team faces tonight, veteran guard Derek Fisher had hoped to play in at least one more exhibition before the regular season gets under way next Wednesday.

Those plans, however, apparently have been dashed.

Fisher, a Jazz spokesman said late Wednesday, will not play in Utah's preseason finale tonight vs. Indiana at the Delta Center.

"I'm not 100 percent," Fisher, acquired in an offseason trade with Golden State, said prior to working out Wednesday.

"That doesn't mean I can't play, but I think the fear here is that (due to) the location of the injury ... if you push it now, and it turns into something that lingers and becomes chronic throughout the season, that does none of us any good."

Fisher took part in about 45 minutes' worth of stretching and warm-up drills Wednesday, but the Jazz did hold a full practice.

"Often times injuries to the back lead to other injuries," Fisher added. "That's what you want to avoid."

Fisher does, however, continue to eye the Jazz's opener against the Houston Rockets as a hopeful return date.

"I'm just trying to get myself as healthy as possible so when our season starts next week ... it's something we don't have to deal with," he said.

Jazz basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor is encouraging Fisher to take all the time he needs, but even he suggests having him ready for Wednesday is an uncertain proposition.

"We've got 82 (regular season) games, and he's a veteran, so I really want to have some patience with that," O'Connor said. "And if it affects us in the first game or two, I'd rather have it affect us there than bring him back a little bit too early.

"He really took a nasty spill, and that thing is still catching up on him."

Fisher was injured back on Oct. 14, when the Jazz were visiting the Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.

After picking up a loose ball above the free-throw line, he turned and drove into the lane — only to find a couple rather large Pacers in his path.

Fisher recalls Al Harrington being on one side and Jermaine O'Neal on the other side.

"I was basically going to try to make one of them commit before I made a pass," he said, "because most people play for me the pass instead of going to finish.