The Utah Jazz's final exhibition game Monday night may offer some clues as to what the team's season-opening roster will look like.
The Jazz meet the Milwaukee Bucks at the Delta Center, and coach Jerry Sloan says it's time to stop experimenting and get down to a regular rotation."I have to play some of our frontline people more minutes," he said.
Part of the problem with that, though, is that so many frontline people have been hampered by nagging injuries. Chris Morris and Jeff Hornacek both practiced Sunday after missing some work last week, but Antoine Carr (knee) and James Donaldson (hamstring) sat out again.
Carr hopes to practice this week and be available for the season-opener on Friday, and Donaldson is scheduled to resume practice on Tuesday.
Sloan says all the missed time due to injuries has slowed the team's progress.
"We have to learn to play with each other again," the coach said. "Obviously we have a little work to do."
The return of that pair would put the Jazz's roster at 14, since Felton Spencer will open the season on the disabled list. That means two players have to be trimmed before the league-mandated deadline, Thursday at 4 p.m., unless someone joins Spencer on the DL.
Sloan declined to speculate on who might be cut.
"That all pretty much takes care of itself," he said.