Notebook: Utah Jazz turn their attention to scouting, NBA draft lottery

SALT LAKE CITY — Their 2009-10 NBA season done after a 4-0 sweep by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals, the Jazz now turn their attention to the June 24 NBA draft.

On Tuesday, general manager Kevin O'Connor will represent Utah at the NBA draft lottery in Secaucus, N.J.

The Jazz own New York's first-round pick, which in the lottery can improve to either No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 overall; stay at No. 9 overall; or slide to No. 10, No. 11 or No. 12.

"I just hope we get lucky," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said Tuesday.

From there it's on to Chicago, where later next week O'Connor will join other Jazz personnel — including Sloan, player personnel vice president Walt Perrin and head scout Dave Fredman — at the NBA's annual pre-draft camp.

The Jazz don't plan to bring prospects to Utah for workouts until sometime after the pre-draft camp, O'Connor indicated Tuesday.

The draft itself is June 24 in New York.

LONG NIGHT: Adding a dash of salt to Jazz forward Carlos Boozer's wounds, the Lakers' team bus hit his wife's parked truck outside of EnergySolutions Arena on Monday night.

"It wasn't that bad, though," Boozer said. "I was (ticked) (Monday) night, though."

For multiple reasons.

Boozer scored only 10 points while shooting 4-for-11 in the Lakers' series-clinching 111-96 victory, and he had plenty of time to think about it before arriving for Tuesday's locker cleanout.

"I didn't sleep (Monday) night," he said.

CLASSY KOBE: Jazz rookie guard Wesley Matthews drew the unenviable assignment of being the team's primary defender on veteran Kobe Bryant during the Lakers series.

Bryant, one of the all-time great NBA scorers, scored 30 or more points in all four games. Still, Matthews earned his respect — and the Lakers star told him so personally after Game 4.

"(Bryant) was a class act," Matthews said. "It means a lot. I looked up to him. He was my favorite player growing up. I competed against him and we had some hard fouls against each other, but it was just competing. For him to (congratulate me) means a lot."

SUMMER LEAGUE: Rookie point guard Sundiata Gaines and swingman Othyus Jeffers both plan to play for the Jazz's summer-league team in Orlando this offseason, as does second-year big man Kosta Koufos.

Matthews, though, won't be expected to play in the summer even if he does return to the Jazz.

Matthews, who will be a restricted free agent, played in all 100 games this season — including preseason, regular-season and postseason play.

"We'd be happy to have him there, but I also understand," O'Connor said. "Jerry (Sloan) is a big believer in shutting down for a while."

Besides, the Jazz GM added, "I don't think his agent would want to play him."

Center Kyrylo Fesenko, who'll also be a restricted free agent, is another story.

"It certainly would help," O'Connor said.

WHAT TIME IS IT? The final Jazz team meeting of the season was set for 11 a.m. Tuesday.

But Fesenko was running down the hall in the bowels of EnergySolutions Arena toward the Jazz locker room — past assembled media — at approximately 11:02.

Sloan is usually a stickler for his players being on time, but he seemed to be in a forgiving mood on Tuesday. When asked if Fesenko was late to the meeting, the hall-of-fame coach smiled.

"My watch is a little slow," Sloan deadpanned.