Utah Jazz: Team practicing better than expected

Considering they flew half-way across the world and back last week and then took a couple of days off to readjust their body clocks, nobody would have been too surprised if Utah Jazz players looked sluggish or jet lagged in their first practice back from Europe.

Just the opposite happened, however.

Much to the delight of Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, who wasn't a big fan of the European trip beforehand, the team practiced better than he anticipated on Sunday.

"I was always expecting them to be pretty good," he said before Monday's practice at the Zions Bank Basketball Center. "But I thought they had a great practice (Sunday)."

Sloan was very pleased how his players responded after he gave them Friday and Saturday off to rest and recuperate from the travel-heavy week that included flights and games to, from and in London and Spain.

"They hadn't had a day off since we started (camp). You could see a big difference," Sloan said. "I thought their legs were a lot more alive. They ran hard. ... Let's see what they've got today."

The Jazz were again expecting everybody in town — aside from rookie Paul Harris (sprained ankle) — to participate in practice this morning. That includes Kyle Korver (knee), Ronnie Price (calf) and Kyrylo Fesenko (heel), who've been nursing various preseason injuries.

C.J. Miles, meanwhile, is expected to return to Utah on Wednesday after being reevaluated today by the doctor who performed surgery on the torn ligament in his left thumb last week, according to a team spokesman. Miles will sport a rigid cast on his shooting hand — to be put in place Tuesday — for about four weeks before he can begin rehab.

The Jazz will host an open scrimmage for the public on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. EnergySolutions Arena doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for the event, which is free of charge.

e-mail: jody@desnews.com