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There is a bright side for the Utah Jazz. It's not a huge positive. But it's the best the Jazz are going to do with their star player nursing a broken finger.

Monday night's preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center begins an acclimation period. The Jazz have four games that don't count to mix and match rotations, to put different players in different spots. They have four dress rehearsals to create a bit of chemistry, which coach Quin Snyder hopes can help compensate for Gordon Hayward's loss.

Nobody wants major injury, especially the Jazz. Since last season, they've been one of the NBA leaders in games lost to malady. But if there is a such thing as good timing for an injury, the Jazz may have received a break there.

"Exactly, man," Utah shooting guard Rodney Hood said. "We have to use these games to continue to get better, so that we can be full speed ahead once Gordon gets back. We just have to go out and try to play well and get comfortable and continue to go through the process."

So, just how do the Utah Jazz adjust to life without Gordon Hayward?

There are a couple of different options, ways Snyder can go with his starting lineup. The most conventional is to simply plug Joe Johnson into the small forward spot. And that makes the most sense, as Johnson has been a starter throughout his time in the league. He's a scorer. And putting him in the lineup, or even Joe Ingles, allows Hood to stay at his natural shooting guard spot, where he enjoys a size advantage on most nights.

Should Snyder want to go another avenue, he can start Dante Exum at shooting guard and move Hood to small forward. This move accomplishes a few things with Snyder's rotation. Exum and George Hill create a very good defensive backcourt. It enables Snyder to keep Johnson in his sixth-man role, which is where the Jazz ideally want the veteran. It keeps Johnson with Trey Lyles and Boris Diaw in a potentially potent second unit. It also allows Snyder to give Shelvin Mack significant minutes as the backup point guard, important because Mack has played very well thus far in the preseason.

"There's no pity party, we know that guys have to step up," Snyder said. "It's no secret that Gordon's been our best player. That's no slight to the other guys, it's just that Gordon's been playing really, really well. Hopefully, we can get him back as soon as the healing process is allowed. But it's an ongoing process."

Hayward is expected to be out for six weeks, which would project to him missing 13 regular-season games, many of them against playoff contenders. But, privately, the Jazz are optimistic Hayward can heal up and return before the target date.

And while Snyder has concerns as to who will replace the 19 points a night Hayward provides, there are at least more than a few viable candidates, which is more than last season. There's Hood and Johnson. There's Alec Burks, once he returns to health. The Jazz can pound the ball inside to Derrick Favors more. Trey Lyles appears much improved from his rookie season. And there's even Hill.

Utah's starting point guard, Hill has experience leading an offense without a star player. He averaged a career-high 16.1 points a night two years ago in Indiana when Pacers forward Paul George was out with a broken leg.

Hill said running the offense and looking for his shot is a delicate balance. Even so, the Jazz may need him to create for himself as much as others, with Hayward out.

"It's a feel thing," Hill said. "You don't try to come in and say you're going to do this or that. But you take what's there, and if the feeling is there that you have to score more, then that's what you have to do."

tjones@sltrib.com Twitter: @tribjazz —

Jazz at Clippers

P NBA preseason, Monday, 8:30 p.m. MDT

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