The preseason continues as the Phoenix Suns (1-3) head to Utah to face the Jazz (3-0) for the team's fifth preseason game.
The Suns will go into the game with a desire to win but in the exhibition season that takes second fiddle to preparing the team for the regular season.
"We'd like to win games, but there's other things we've got to get done. We're making progress in those areas. A couple of bumps and bruises have slowed us down a little bit. I'm happy with the effort that we've played with most of the time, happy with the execution of that first unit," Coach Gentry explained yesterday as the team was boarding the bus to begin the two-game road trip.
For here on, Gentry will try and get more of a "real look" on the floor and will try and play Hakim and "those other guys" some extended minutes. That includes Hedo, if he can go. He's trying to get them comfortable in the system.
Hedo Turkoglu practiced Wednesday after being limited in Tuesday night's game due to tightness in his back. He is hopeful that he will be able to play tonight and said the problem was minor and he could have continued to play if the game was morning meaningful.
The Suns head to Toronto for a rematch with the Raptors on Sunday morning and then have their final two preseason games next week. Golden State will be in town on Tuesday and then Denver on Friday.
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Bright Side Of The Sun - For Phoenix Suns Fans "Hopefully, as time goes by, I will learn more and more what kind of diet they're using, what they're eating before and after the game to keep them that fresh and energetic even though they're like 36 and 38," Hedo said.
"I will have many, many chances to talk to them and hopefully get some advice, get some numbers, or get some diet programs -- whatever they're using -- and hopefully try and combine those together with the training staff and athletic trainers and try to extend my career long enough that I'll be able to play at a high level."
azcentral.com blogs - Coro's Suns dish - PaulCoro - Overexamining preseason Lawal got an earful from Coach Alvin Gentry during a time out Tuesday. That's become a regular thing at camp and in practices. He is the new Louis Amundson for Gentry. He will be mad at him sometimes for not being or doing what he is supposed to do and sometimes he might yell at him because Grant Hill or Steve Nash did the wrong thing.
Hedo's place in Suns' puzzle remains in flux Through the Suns' first three practice games, Turkoglu looked absolutely lost when the opposition had the ball. He failed to bump cutters when the power forward he was guarding set off-ball screens. He often was caught playing behind more rough-and-tumble players in the post. He was hesitant on second and third rotations and uncertain as to his duties when defending the screener on pick-and-roll.
Positions don't apply to the Phoenix Suns | Valley of the Suns This lack of defined positions has been a theme since the Mike D’Antoni days. Was Shawn Marion really a three, four or a five? Was Boris Diaw really a three, four or a five? There are no true positions in Phoenix, just players with different talents playing off Nash.
Postgame notes: Price the jokester; Kirilenko's blood; Hayward's shot | Utah Jazz Notes | The Salt Lake Tribune Gordon Hayward is struggling to find his shot. He sank nearly everything he took during warmups, but appears to be forcing it during games. Got down on himself a couple times after misses.
Jefferson, Sloan, Nichols, Watson evaluate win over Suns | Utah Jazz Notes | The Salt Lake Tribune Excerpts from interviews with the Utah Jazz's Jerry Sloan, Al Jefferson, Demetris Nichols and Earl Watson following Utah's 105-100 preseason victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at U.S. Airways Center.
Jeffers impresses in bid to make Utah Jazz final roster | Deseret News The former D-Leaguer, who's fighting for his NBA life with the Jazz, sparked Utah after being inserted into the starting lineup. The undersized shooting guard, who replaced Ryan Thompson as the starter in Utah's third different starting lineup, gutted his way to 12 mostly inside points on 5-for-7 shooting and three rebounds. "He played pretty well," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "He's alive. He's an active guy. He's not afraid to get around the basket, and he's got a knack of trying to get the ball back into the basket once he gets down there."
Phoenix Suns' starters solid; bench fades late in loss to Utah Jazz When no Suns starter was seen on the court for the final 16 1/2 minutes Tuesday night, it looked more like a preseason norm than it actually was. But with the exception of Hedo Turkoglu's early exit because of a back bruise, Phoenix played its fourth preseason game more like a regular-season contest.
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