Jazz starters won't be overworked

He'll play them, but Jazz coach Jerry Sloan will be careful not to overwork his veterans early this preseason.

Speaking specifically about starting center Mehmet Okur, starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko and starting point guard Deron Williams, all three of whom played for their national teams this past summer, Sloan said minutes will be limited when Utah opens its eight-game exhibition slate tonight vs. Milwaukee.

"I expect them to play hard in the minutes they have," Sloan said, "so we don't lose sight of the fact that's how we have to play as a team."

But, the Jazz coach added, "Especially the guys that have been here a couple, three years, I'll try to ... let somebody else take (their) minutes in the fourth quarter."

The Jazz's primary focus, Sloan suggested, will be on their own efforts.

His players, in fact, don't even get opponent scouting reports until the preseason's final three games.

"We're looking forward," he said, "to seeing how we can try to put the team together, see how we're gonna be able to play guys, who we're gonna play, and try to get some different people opportunities to play in situations they might not play in during the regular season."

SLOAN ON KIRILENKO: Despite making waves recently about wanting to be traded, Sloan thinks Kirilenko will be warmly welcomed by Jazz fans tonight.

"I think he'll be fine. I don't know why he wouldn't," he said. "You know, he's back, he's here to play. And he's been a popular player in this community since he's been here.

"(Just) because he has a little misunderstanding," Sloan added, "I don't think there should be any big fallout."

The Jazz coach's reasoning?

"Because players," Sloan said, "have been upset with me before. And I've been upset with them. But that doesn't mean I'm interested in trying to bury 'em. I'm interested in trying to win. I'm sure Andrei feels the same way. Anything other than that, then we have a real problem."

And if Kirilenko is heckled?

"You have to overcome that," Sloan said. "If you aren't strong enough to overcome that, then there is a problem sometimes ... But you solve that real quick, by playing hard. The people, they pick up on that."

PRAISING MILLSAP: Starting power forward Carlos Boozer, still in Miami while his son Carmani recovers from a bone marrow transplant related to his battle with sickle cell anemia, was absent again Tuesday.

The Jazz still haven't revealed a timetable for his return.

With Boozer gone, Sloan indicated backup Paul Millsap probably will start at power forward tonight, saying, "He's earned as many minutes as anybody at this point."