Thomas said teammate Carlos Boozer, who missed a whole year due to a hamstring, "has shared that with Ronnie.

"Those are tough injuries. I think he just wants to be real careful right now. I agree. I think the team agrees — not make it a worse situation than it is. I think the thing to do now is to be smart in terms of rehabbing it and making sure he gets it back to 100 percent," Thomas said.

KNEES: Former Jazzman Raja Bell underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to clean up "mild wear and tear of his kneecap," according to Phoenix Suns team physician Dr. Tom Carter in a note on the Suns' Web site Friday. "This was simply a cleanup procedure. He should experience a full recovery in four to six weeks without any limitations on his play."

And Cheryl Ford, the daughter of former Jazz power forward Karl Malone, will apparently miss the rest of her WNBA season after suffering "left knee femoral chondral defect" in a Detroit Shock game at Indiana July 20. She is the league's top rebounder and one of two WNBA players averaging a double-double for the season. It is the same knee that caused Ford to miss six games earlier this season with a femoral bone bruise.

MO'S MAGNUM: The 2005 Dodge Magnum belonging to former Jazz guard Mo Williams was a target for thieves this week. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, someone broke into Williams' car and stole two LCD screens out of the headrests, a navigation system and a radio/DVD player, the loss estimated at $3,000. Williams just re-signed with the Milwaukee Bucks this week after being heavily courted by the Miami Heat.

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E-mail: lham@desnews.com