Giricek unhappy with playing time

After a timeout with just more than eight minutes left in Monday's loss to the New Jersey Nets, the Jazz substituted starting point guard Deron Williams back in, shifted Derek Fisher from the point to shooting guard and took out Gordan Giricek.

Giricek's response?

The veteran shooting guard from Croatia threw a towel, listened to a few words from teammate Andrei Kirilenko, then promptly kicked a chair.

"I'm cool, I'm cool," a more composed Giricek said prior to practice Tuesday in preparation for tonight's game against San Antonio. "But I was frustrated, because I don't know anymore what to do to stay in the game.

"I just don't understand what's going on. I know it's a coach decision, but I didn't see nothing wrong, and I was just wondering what I have to do to stay more in the game."

Giricek — who is sick of hearing about how the Jazz need a big off-guard who can shoot from the outside and firmly believes he can handle that role — has had an inconsistent role much of the season.

He didn't play (coach's decision) for three straight games in early December and on three other occasions started for a four-game run earlier this month, didn't play at all in the next game after losing his starting job, then has logged between 10 and 20 regular-rotation minutes in the eight games since.

Giricek rarely closes games, however, and that seems to be what bothers him most.

"Nobody told me anything, but I think I was doing a pretty good job," he said about being taken out after scoring nine points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field Monday. "I'm trying to play hard defense ... and I was taking high-percentage shots. I just, I don't know. But when you don't know something, that makes it frustrating, right?

"I really don't know what to do. I would like to do everything to stay in the game, but what can you do, you know?"

The response from longtime Jazz assistant coach Phil Johnson, who filled in Monday and Tuesday while head coach Jerry Sloan has battled the flu?

"You know what? We put guys in to play," Johnson said, "and I'm not concerned about it."