Nobody ever said an NBA training camp was easy. The Utah Jazz can attest to that.
The players sat in a circle at Zions Bank Basketball Center on Thursday afternoon, stretching and recovering from what was a three-and-a-half hour practice.
There were recovery shakes. There were ice packs. There were many sweat-stained jerseys and the conversation was minimal. The workout that just ended seemed an accomplishment just to get through.
A day ahead of Utah’s annual team scrimmage, and a weekend ahead of the preseason opener, the Jazz are a team needing to get a lot done in a tight time frame. So, head coach Quin Snyder worked his team hard on Thursday, the first of the week without an additional evening practice.
“We have to work, and we have to get better,” Snyder said. “We were able to play some competitive games. Guys had their moments. They were doing the things they can do. It was better today than the last couple of days. Guys were fatigued, but they did a good job of pushing through.”
This is what happens when you have less than a week between the first practice and the first game. Things become condensed, time is at a premium, and the coaching staff has some pressure to implement schemes on both sides of the ball.
With so many new players, the Jazz are on the extreme end of integrating new players. As a result, in today’s NBA, guys are expected to come into camp already in good shape, rather than playing their way in shape.
“That’s where I think everyone has been good,” Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio said. “Everyone is in good shape, so we’ve been ready to go. Today’s practice was a good one. It’s good to get everything done in one practice.”
Since Rubio has been a little tired from spending most of September playing in Eurobasket, Snyder has held him out of some portions of practice. Everyone else has gone full bore for three days.
Snyder wants to see how his players push through the fatigue, both mentally and physically. He wants to see how his players execute when they are tired. He and the players know this aspect could either win or lose them games during the regular season.
“The last few days have been a grind,” Jazz forward Thabo Sefalosha said. “But that’s what we’re here for, and this is what training camp is for. We’re playing hard, we’re learning a lot and we’re fighting through it. We’re building something special.”
Opponent injury
Veteran Denver Nuggets point guard Jameer Nelson suffered a toe injury in training camp and might not be ready for their regular-season opener against the Jazz. If he can’t go, Denver’s starting point guard spot will be decided between Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay.
Another visitor
Former star point guard Baron Davis made an appearance at Utah’s practice Thursday. Davis, who led the Golden State Warriors in a playoff series against the Jazz 10 years ago, had been working with Utah guard Dante Exum during the summer. The Jazz have had different visitors at practice this week. Former Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak was on hand Tuesday. Former Indiana University coach Tom Crean was in the building on Wednesday.
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