Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
By DOUG ALDEN AP Sports Writer
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has much more to look forward to this summer than he did a year ago.
His team won 15 more games this season and although the Jazz missed the playoffs for a third straight year, Sloan was optimistic enough to say he will return.
The past few years, Sloan has left his future up in the air, saying he wanted to go back to his southern Illinois farm and think about it. As he met with players Thursday, Sloan gave a definitive answer.
"I'm going to be back. I don't have anywhere to go," Sloan said as the Jazz cleaned out their lockers.
Utah went 41-41 this season, Sloan's 18th coaching the team. The Jazz were still contending for a playoff berth until the final week of the season and were disappointed not to make it again. But compared to a 26-56 finish in 2004-2005, going .500 didn't seem so bad.
"We were out of the playoffs with about 36 games to go. And that's a sickening feeling," Sloan said. "We only had two games like that, I guess, compared to 36 a year ago."
The Jazz closed the season by winning six of eight and have a solid group of players who are young and under contract in Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and rookie point guard Deron Williams.
Boozer didn't play until February because of a nagging hamstring injury. He played in 33 games and was second on the team in scoring and rebounding.
Williams, the third overall pick in last year's draft, overcame a midseason slump and had a strong finish that reassured the Jazz of their draft choice.
Instead of rebuilding as they were three years ago when John Stockton retired and Karl Malone left as a free agent, the Jazz feel they have a foundation.
But fans expecting another 15-win improvement may be asking a little much.
"That's the problem. That's what makes it harder. Now we've got to get to the next level," said Kevin O'Connor, vice president for basketball operations.
O'Connor said Utah's priority will be signing free agent forward Matt Harpring, who is at the end of the four-year deal he signed with the Jazz in 2002. After spending his first three seasons with three different teams, Harpring finally got a chance to play in Utah.
He scored in double figures each year with the Jazz and his consistency and hard work made him a favorite of Sloan's. Harpring planned to return to his hometown of Atlanta next week and talk to his agent about the future.
He will turn 30 next month and said a team's potential to win a championship will be a factor.
"My wife and I have loved it here for four years. We've had a great time. We'd love to be back, but you know it's a business," Harpring said. "If I thought we were going in the wrong direction, then that would be a different story. But I think we're going in the right direction."
Injuries were a problem for the Jazz for the second straight year, although not to the extent of 2004-2005, when Kirilenko missed half the season with injuries to his knee, ankle and wrist.
Kirilenko, 25, missed 13 games this season, sitting out the last two with a bad back after the Jazz had been knocked out of the playoffs.
"I'm always optimistic," said Kirilenko, who blocked 220 shots in 69 games. "We have a good team. I wouldn't say we have a great team. We have a good team which has continued improving."
Boozer missed 31 games last year with a foot injury and most of this season with the bad hamstring, but when he came back in February he was obviously healthy and finished with 11 double-doubles.
He was out of the lineup for a full year and during that time rumors said Boozer was unhappy in Utah and wanted a trade. He said Thursday he plans to be back with the Jazz next fall for his third year of the six-year deal he signed in 2004.
"Unless you guys know something I don't," Boozer told reporters with a smile. "We have a good future. We've got some good pieces here."
The Jazz need to decide who among their free agents is coming back. They will try to re-sign Harpring, but the future of the others was unclear.
Center Jarron Collins and point guard Milt Palacio will be unrestricted free agents. The Jazz have an option on point guard Keith McLeod and another year, and guard Devin Brown has a year left on his contract.
Center Greg Ostertag will technically be a free agent, but he said he is retiring after 11 seasons, 10 with the Jazz.
O'Connor said none of the Jazz will be off-limits for possible trades, although it would take a lot to pry away Kirilenko and probably Okur, who has played in all 164 games since joining the Jazz in summer 2004.
Okur led the Jazz in scoring (18 points) and rebounding (9.1 rebounds) average and has four more seasons on his contract.
"I think this is going to be a pretty good basketball team," Sloan said.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-04-20-06 1520MDT
