Rickomatic
10-31-2005, 03:25 PM
By Phil Miller
The Salt Lake Tribune
Carlos Boozer returned to practice Monday morning for the first time since Oct. 8, but the Jazz forward was not ready to give any guarantees about his availability for Wednesday's season opener against Dallas.
''We'll see on Wednesday,'' said Boozer, who missed the entire preseason while waiting for his strained left hamstring to heal.
''It's getting better, and that's a positive sign. But let's see how it feels. We'll have a shootaround Wednesday morning, I'll test it then, and we'll go from there.''
The Jazz's leading scorer from a year ago hinted that he might miss this week's trio of games -- Wednesday against the Mavs, Friday at Golden State and Saturday at home vs. Phoenix -- to ensure the injury doesn't recur.
The hamstring is greatly improved but not completely healed, Boozer said, and the prospect of re-aggravating the injury might cause him and Jazz trainer Gary Briggs to remain cautious about his health.
''We have to ask, is it better to come right back and play, and worry about, if you came back too soon, maybe you make it worse,'' Boozer said. ''Or do you take a couple of games, get another week of solid practice without hurting it so then you know [it's healed]?''
Boozer reported to Jazz camp excited about his conditioning, and his recovery from a foot injury that kept him sidelined for Utah's final 31 games last season. But the hamstring injury, in the Jazz's final session of two-a-day workouts, has prevented him from taking part in any practice since then, or any of the Jazz's seven preseason games.
The Salt Lake Tribune
Carlos Boozer returned to practice Monday morning for the first time since Oct. 8, but the Jazz forward was not ready to give any guarantees about his availability for Wednesday's season opener against Dallas.
''We'll see on Wednesday,'' said Boozer, who missed the entire preseason while waiting for his strained left hamstring to heal.
''It's getting better, and that's a positive sign. But let's see how it feels. We'll have a shootaround Wednesday morning, I'll test it then, and we'll go from there.''
The Jazz's leading scorer from a year ago hinted that he might miss this week's trio of games -- Wednesday against the Mavs, Friday at Golden State and Saturday at home vs. Phoenix -- to ensure the injury doesn't recur.
The hamstring is greatly improved but not completely healed, Boozer said, and the prospect of re-aggravating the injury might cause him and Jazz trainer Gary Briggs to remain cautious about his health.
''We have to ask, is it better to come right back and play, and worry about, if you came back too soon, maybe you make it worse,'' Boozer said. ''Or do you take a couple of games, get another week of solid practice without hurting it so then you know [it's healed]?''
Boozer reported to Jazz camp excited about his conditioning, and his recovery from a foot injury that kept him sidelined for Utah's final 31 games last season. But the hamstring injury, in the Jazz's final session of two-a-day workouts, has prevented him from taking part in any practice since then, or any of the Jazz's seven preseason games.