Virtually every team in the NBA, except the Jazz, stashes players on injured list, many of whom are not really seriously hurt. They just want to keep extra players around, either youngsters who need developing or vets who are used sparingly.

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has always been adamantly opposed to the practice, primarily because it amounts to cheating.

In a major reversal, however, Sloan has new thoughts on the subject.

He's having trouble balancing the need for his young players to practice this season with the need of old-timers like Jeff Hornacek, John Stockton, Karl Malone and Olden Polynice to rest, leading the Jazz coach to wonder if maybe it makes some sense to have a few extra bodies around, at the very least for practice purposes.

"That hurts to an extent," Sloan said earlier this week. "Maybe we have to change. If we're going to compete, and build a team, maybe that's what we have to do."

Wow.

What's next?

Cameras in the locker room?

OH WELL: Valiant as it was, the chase is all but done.

The one-kneed basketball player just won't be able to catch and stay ahead of Calvin Murphy, especially not after the slip he took Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

Hornacek, who is playing his final NBA season with a left knee so messed up he can barely walk without a noticeable limp, missed a free throw in Utah's 103-93 victory over the Clippers at the Staples Center.

That is notable because the Jazz guard has missed only eight of his other 173 free throws this season. Before Tuesday, he was shooting .954 from the line — just .004 percentage points behind single-season NBA record-holder Murphy, who hit 206-of-215 for the Houston Rockets in 1980-81.

The single miss by Hornacek — on an attempt that followed a technical foul for illegal defense, all of all things — dropped him to .948, which currently has him tied with Cleveland's Mark Price for third-best season from the line in league history.

To pass Murphy, Hornacek went into Tuesday's game needing to hit 19 straight before season's end. But he knew it was not to be after taking his shot against the Clips, one which missed badly.

"What are you going to do?" asked Hornacek, who says he already put the miss out of his mind. "I didn't get a good push off, and as soon as it left my hand I knew it wasn't going in."

Now, to pass Murphy, Hornacek would have to hit another 42 in a row. He has hit as many as 67 straight this season. But with only nine games to go in the regular season, it seems unlikely Hornacek will get that many attempts before it's time for the playoffs. At his current pace, he is averaging 2.49 attempts — which would leave him eight games short of trying 42.

Oh, well. What are you going to do?

WELL-TRAVELED: On Tuesday, former Jazz forward Pete Chilcutt dressed for his first game since Utah released in him in January to make room for Armen Gilliam.

Chilcutt, who holds no grudges, said at the time he did not know if he felt like spending the rest of his career bouncing around the league on 10-day contracts. But the eighth year pro has done just that, signing two with the Clippers and one with Cleveland before the Clippers signed him for the rest of the season.

Chilcutt's easily explains his reversal in career planning.

"When you sit around doing nothing for about 10 days, that feeling goes away fast," he said. "I sat there and thought, 'Well, this isn't any fun.' "

Chilcutt averaged a disappointing 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in his 26 games with the Jazz after signing as a free agent last season. For the Clippers he is averaging 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds — enough, he is optimistic, to return to the NBA for a ninth season.

"Hopefully," said Chilcutt, who did not play Tuesday against the Jazz, "I've played well enough to get a guaranteed contract for next season, somewhere."

WHERE IS MONTY HALL WHEN YOU NEED HIM? Here's a nice nugget from Denver.

Writing tongue-in-cheek, we can only hope, Dave Krieger of the Denver Rocky Mountain News recently had this say with reference to the Jazz:

"The Charlotte Hornets offered last week to play in a brand-new arena. They didn't offer to pay for any of it, but they did say they would play in it. Which led to immediate speculation that they'll be the New Orleans Hornets pretty soon.

"Which, in turn, raises the question: Will New Orleans try to make a deal with Utah to get its nickname back? It could be a straight trade; hornets are no more common in Utah than jazz."

I'LL TAKE THE GUARD WITH THE BAD WRIST: Speaking of Denver, guard Tariq Abdul-Wahad of the Nuggets is someone the Jazz reportedly may try to sign as a replacement for the retiring Hornacek.

Abdul-Wahad, however, underwent season-ending surgery on his left wrist last Friday to repair a badly torn ligament. The former San Jose State star hopes to be playing again, which could have him playing for France in next September's Summer Olympics — and maybe even for the Jazz come October.

According to the Denver Post, Abdul-Wahad's next contract "is expected to be for $3-million to $5-million, a salary Utah may be able to afford."

IT'S THE SHOES: Remember Troy Hudson, the former Jazz guard waived recently by the Clippers? After Hudson was let go, teammate Tyrone Nesby voiced his displeasure with the move — then went a step further, writing Hudson's name on his shoes to voice his protest.

Clippers coach Jim Todd, who apparently was primarily responsible for Hudson's unexpected departure, let Nesby know, essentially, that either he or the sneaker scribble had to go.

Nesby's initial reaction to the threat of sitting for the Clippers' last 10 games of the season: "That's cool with me, because they can just put me on injured reserve. I'm not going to just sit on the bench for 10 games and not play."

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Nesby apparently thought better of the matter, because he scored 12 points in 32 minutes against the Jazz on Tuesday — with Hudson's name nowhere to be seen on his footwear.

AND FINALLY: Anyone uncertain if last week's verbal spat between Sloan and Malone is resolved can rest assured.

Upon arrival in Marina Del Rey on Monday, Malone was seen leaving the team hotel with a group that included Sloan. All were headed to the gym, for a workout.

From all accounts, not a single free weight was swung among them.

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