Published: November 6, 2010 11:49PM
Updated: November 7, 2010 12:36AM
Jazz center Mehmet Okur still has no idea when he will move from inactive to active on Utah’s roster, and there is no official timetable for his return.
But recent workouts with the team and one-on-one drills have left Okur optimistic that his 2010-11 debut will happen sooner rather than later.
“I’m getting excited every day because my leg is getting better,” said Okur, prior to Utah’s home game Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The veteran player is recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon he suffered in April. He has participated in running drills while improving his conditioning in the past month, and has increased his activity to the point where he is a regular presence on the court in pregame warmups.
Okur’s leg strength has improved during the process, and recent one-on-one performances have been a strong step forward. But the center knows there is a significant difference between practice shape and being game ready.
“If you look at the game of basketball, you’re going to have to run 30-something minutes, 48 minutes,” Okur said. “I don’t know how my leg is going to react about that.”
And while the window of return for the ninth-year player appears to be narrowing toward weeks rather than months, he has not sat down with management or Utah’s coaching staff to iron out an ideal date for his activation.
No help
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan knew that his team’s interior defense was poor in a tough 85-78 road loss to Golden State on Friday. Utah was outrebounded 52-46, allowed the Warriors to collect 21 offensive rebounds, and Warrior center Andris Biedrins grabbed a game-high 20 boards.
But game tape revealed the depth of the Jazz’s woes. Sloan saw a team that was focusing on individual defense rather than a team effort. Moreover, when one player missed an assignment, no one was ready to back up his teammate.
“That’s part of team basketball,” Sloan said. “If somebody has to step up, somebody’s got to step behind him and try to cover his rear end. … When you play basketball, you can’t do it by yourself.”
That trend continued in the first quarter against the Clippers. As Utah was outscored 35-22, the Jazz were outrebounded 12-5. Los Angeles forward Blake Griffin led the inside assault, collecting seven boards in about 11 minutes.
Game on
Utah rookie forward Jeremy Evans returned to the active roster Saturday.
Evans had missed the Jazz’s past two games due to a sprained right wrist, which he suffered Oct. 31 against Oklahoma City. But after two magnetic resonance imaging exams and several days of no-contact drills, Evans decided to test his hand following a promising run through pregame warm-ups. He was not sure how much impact he could initially take, though.
“You get a lot in the game as far as contact, so I’ll be able to tell then,” Evans said.
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