Williams continues to recover after having his wisdom teeth removed Friday. The Jazz said Williams is less swollen and is in the window during which most people start feeling better, three to seven days after undergoing oral surgery.

"I don't think we're going to gain anything," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said, "by putting him out here before he's ready to play and compete a little bit."

The Jazz also are not expecting Carlos Boozer to join up with the team for training camp in Boise. Boozer is still in Miami, where his year-old son is recovering from a bone marrow transplant, and there is no timetable for his return.

Boozer has been text messaging with Mark McKown, the Jazz's player development coach. The Jazz plan to take Sunday off after returning from Boise and will practice Monday and Tuesday and play their first preseason game Wednesday.

Sloan was asked if the absences of Boozer and Williams were hurting the Jazz at this early stage.

"Only time can tell that," Sloan said, "what kind of rhythm they get back in and how we get back in and start playing together and that sort of thing. Everybody wants everything perfect, but sometimes you don't have that."

* * *

Before the Andrei Kirilenko controversy erupted last month, the Jazz said they were quietly negotiating with Sloan on a contract extension.

"We talked a little bit about it," said Sloan, who is in the final year of his deal. "That's something I need to talk about."

Sloan said he wasn't shaken by Kirilenko's comments and never questioned returning for his 20th season as Jazz coach.

"That didn't faze me," Sloan said. "I been around a long time. I've seen some [things]. It's important for him, but I've dealt with different things all my life in coaching."

Did Sloan ever think about walking away and saying he didn't need to deal with outbursts like Kirilenko's any more?

"I could always do that," he said. "I could've done that 20 years ago. There was a couple times I wanted to do it 20 years ago."

Having turned 65 last season, Sloan acknowledged the appeal of coaching, saying that he needed to work or "otherwise I'd go crazy." Even if he signs a contract extension, he said he will continue to stay in the job on a day-to-day basis.

"That's all it's ever been," Sloan said. "I might wake up tomorrow and say it's time for me to leave. I can't guarantee that with anybody."

Is there an appeal to sticking around after having brought the Jazz back to contender status after the misery of a 26-56 season in 2004-05?

"They're competitive," Sloan said. "We've gone through some tough times with 'em. They're competitive. I enjoyed what they were able to do."

rsiler@sltrib.com