Reserve point guard returns

BOISE — Reserve point guard Brevin Knight returned to work Friday morning, when the Jazz broke training camp at Boise State University with the last of seven sessions at Taco Bell Arena.

Knight missed both sessions of two-a-day workouts Thursday, including an open-to-the-public scrimmage, because of a strained lower back sustained in Wednesday's second practice.

The veteran journeyman is battling Utah Valley State product Ronnie Price for the backup point guard job behind starter Deron Williams.

Absent again Friday was free-agent guard Gerry McNamara, who has a sore jaw and whiplash after hitting his head on the floor in Wednesday's second session.

The injuries, though, didn't do much to dampen what Jazz coach Jerry Sloan deemed to be a successful four days in Boise.

"I think, for the most part, guys have worked really hard," Sloan said. "They seem to be, all of them, in pretty good shape — probably, as a whole, as good a shape as I've had a team come in."

CONDITIONING CONCERNS: Not all Jazz players, however, are in tip-top condition.

Sloan has made it clear he thinks second-year center Kyrylo Fesenko can be in much better shape.

He also praised swingman C.J. Miles for the way he looked when Miles reported to camp at the start of the week, but since has reversed course a bit in that assessment.

"He's in better shape," Sloan said of Miles, "but he's not in as good a shape as you would have liked to have seen. I think he can get in better shape."

The Jazz in July matched Oklahoma City's four-year, $15 million contract offer to Miles, but Sloan isn't convinced yet that the 21-year-old is guaranteed to benefit from the newfound financial security.

"Time will tell if he's secure with what he makes, or secure with trying to get better," Sloan said.

HARPRING'S MINUTES: Miles, though, could stake a claim to some backup minutes at small forward should veteran Matt Harpring continue to be bothered by surgical complications.

Harpring developed a strep infection following summer ankle surgery, and that adversely impacted his offseason conditioning program.

Rather than go to camp in Boise with the team, he traveled instead to California to work out with private trainers in Santa Barbara.

"Matt is a guy we've counted on to help us a great deal in the past," Sloan said of Harpring. "But those minutes he doesn't play will be there for somebody else."

Harpring is expected to rejoin the team today, but it's unknown if he's prepared to practice full-time.

FREE SCRIMMAGE: The Jazz resume camp this afternoon at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, where they will hold a free, open-to-the-public scrimmage that starts at 3:45 p.m.

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