Utah Jazz: Sloan impressed with most players' fitness levels

BOISE — After watching them for just two sessions at the start of a training camp, Jerry Sloan typically would withhold judgment on the physical state of his team.

Not this year.

Sloan this morning had high praise regarding the conditioning status of most Jazz players, 17 of whom — including 14 with guaranteed contracts for the coming season — opened camp with two-a-day sessions Tuesday at Boise State University's Taco Bell Arena.

"They're in pretty good shape," he said prior to today's morning workout.

Center Mehmet Okur, shooting guards Ronnie Brewer and Morris Almond, and swingman C.J. Miles all have drawn praise in particular from Sloan.

The Jazz coach didn't go too far overboard with his assessment, however.

"We've got a couple guys who maybe are not in great, great shape," Sloan said without naming names. "But for the most part this team probably (is). ... (But) I haven't seen them run up and down the floor for 40 minutes, (so) I don't know exactly where they are."

The Jazz remain without backup small forward Matt Harpring, who instead of coming to camp traveled to Santa Barbara, Calif., this week so he could work out with private trainers there while continuing to recover from a strep infection that followed offseason ankle surgery.

Harpring is expected to re-join the team in time for their open-to-the-public scrimmage Saturday afternoon at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, but it is not known if he will take part in the scrimmage.

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