Jazz hope Memo has big encore

So it's got to be more than just the sore shoulder.

Indeed, Okur no longer is Utah's leading scorer, like two seasons ago. Not even No. 2, as he was behind Boozer last season. Rather, he's down to No. 4 — surpassed not only by Boozer, but also Williams and first-year full-time starter Ronnie Brewer, too.

It's a reality with which Okur doesn't quarrel, as he's humbly suggested several times this season that he's OK knowing his points simply aren't needed as much as they once were.

Yet that's also a perception which Sloan, for one, seems to wish Okur would shake.

So the Jazz coach suggested even Okur sat out for the stretch he did.

"He's still got to look for shots and be ready to play the game," the Jazz coach said when addressing last month Okur's apparent acceptance that he had slipped in the pecking order of Jazz scoring options. "I mean, if you just sit out there and say, 'OK, I'm gonna sit on 3-point shots when the ball comes back out,' then that's one of the things that causes ... our team more problems."

Sloan furthermore pinpointed a potential cause for Okur's reduced offensive numbers.

"Some of it has to do with (the fact) a lot of teams are switching off on him, sending smaller guys to guard him so they can stay up on him," Sloan added then. "That's when he has to make the decision to go to the basket. You can't always stay out on the floor and look to shoot over the top of people."

Such has been the case, in fact, since shortly after Okur was showcased as a first-time NBA All-Star Game participant last season.

Opponents not only began to pay him more attention, but also started to figure him out.

"He helped us win a lot of games (early last season)," Sloan said, "because he shot the ball, and most of the guys that were guarding him were big guys, so he was able to take them outside.

"When they defend you differently, sometimes you've got to work a little harder to take advantage of that. If they switch a small guy on you, I wouldn't think it's a good idea to take 3-point shots. My next move would be to try to get it inside and punish the guy that's smaller than I am."

Sloan also wants Okur to establish himself inside early, then head to his personal comfort zone of the trey-try line.

"I never felt like he wasn't trying to do whatever it took to try to win," the Jazz coach said Friday.

"I've always said, you get a couple of baskets inside and (then) you look outside and take that first outside shot," Sloan said. "That helps you get ready to go and gives you a little confidence."

Okur, who isn't averse to the suggestion, did just that against Stoudemire.