So much for Ronnie Price's gradual break-in period.
As they like to say in another sport, "Gentlemen, start your engines."
Right now.
The Jazz opened their 2008-09 campaign, Wednesday, with a 98-94 win over Denver. No sweat. All it took was turning things over to emergency starting point guard Price with 8.3 seconds remaining.
It's not like they really need Deron Williams anyway, except when they're breathing. Fact is, the Jazz weren't just missing their star; they were missing much of their attitude.
They did't take good care of the ball (16 turnovers), didn't shoot particularly well, didn't play much defense (ho-hum) and in a lot of ways didn't tend to business. Until the end. They let the Nuggets come back from a 14-point third-quarter deficit and had to struggle down the stretch.
That's when they handed it over to Price, a non-starter for all but four games in his career. His two free throws put the Jazz up 97-94 and the win was at hand.
The rest of his first day as Williams' temp fizzled like a damp firecracker. Though he took care of the ball well — three turnovers in 34 minutes — and held Allen Iverson to 18 points, he missed eight of his nine field goal attempts.
"Whew," said Price. "Oh, man; put that behind me, know what I mean? Ball wouldn't go in the ocean for me tonight."
But the swimming pool? He was great, making all four free throw attempts.
Price, it should be noted, is as collected as it gets when it comes to knowing his role. He understands he's playing behind a future All-Star and the team's biggest asset. Had it not been for an ankle sprain in the preseason that will keep Williams out of action for at least the first three games, Price would have been relegated to mostly cheering.
Not that he has been bad. He beat out Jason Hart last year for the backup spot, with room to spare. He played well enough before that to get signed to a two-year contract in the summer of 2007.
He had his moments last year, but few if any bigger than Wednesday. Sure, there are 81 games left, but the Jazz need to get their wins now.
Start losing at home early — where they had the best record in the league last year — and it's hard to say where it will end. Home court advantage is something the Jazz badly need for the playoffs. Last year they finished three games from the best record in the West, two behind second place.
With Williams out, the Jazz can't afford to lose to teams they should beat anyway. Denver isn't bad, but it was playing without its own top player, Carmelo Anthony, who was suspended.
So it was a fair exchange, one Redeem Teamer for another.
Players were introduced with the lights out and spotlights on — a new trick for this season. (With all the free agents next year, you had to wonder if they'd all be there when the lights came back on.) Recording star Collin Raye crooned out a melodic national anthem.
Williams sat on the sidelines, dressed in gray jacket, black shirt, dark pants — and a pair of sneakers. Apparently he was hoping they'd call on him at the last moment.
The game was typical opening night fare — bright spots interspersed with sloppy play. The Jazz experimented momentarily with Andrei Kirilenko at point in the second quarter when Price picked up his second foul. He ended up dribbling the ball away. Mehmet Okur threw up a runner that hit the glass, but no rim.
They blew their comfortable lead as Denver tied it at 82.
Then it was queasy time. Though the Jazz crept ahead by six, the lead slipped back to one. After the in-bounds pass to Price, Denver pounced.
He cleanly made both free throws, not even leaving room for doubt.
Asked if they were the biggest free throws of his career he said, "As far as my NBA career? Probably so."
Thus on a night when the Jazz's best player watched from the bench, the other guy got to star. All anyone needed to do was close their eyes to his field goal shooting and concentrate on the stripe.
"Like I said, I'm not happy with the way I shot the ball," said Price, "but eventually they'll drop. That's the way it goes."
E-mail: rock@desnews.com