Although Deron Williams did get on the court before Wednesday's game, the left-handed jumpers he was launching were the surest sign he wouldn't be playing against the Grizzlies.
After suffering a bruised and sprained right wrist in Monday's loss to New Orleans, Williams missed his third game of the season. He wore a brace on the wrist Wednesday and was still waiting to see improvement 48 hours later.
"It's one of those things where overnight it just stiffens up, tightens up, starts hurting a little bit more," Williams said.
Williams underwent an MRI exam, which confirmed the sprain and bruise, and was hopeful his wrist only would prove a short-term nuisance.
"I don't think it's going to be something serious," Williams said. "It's just real sore right now and it's on my shooting hand, so I can't really follow through or do a dribbling motion, which is important." From the boss Jazz chief executive Greg Miller went on FSN Utah before Wednesday's game to express his frustration with the team's recent play, saying, "We're not content to just let whatever happens, happens." "If this group of players can't get it together," Miller added, "and figure out how to give 100 percent every quarter, every play, every game, then we'll have to make changes until we get a group of guys that want to do that. "Those changes could take many different forms. Hopefully, it's just an attitude adjustment. Hopefully, it's something as simple as just recommitting -- the ones that need to -- and doing what needs to be done to win because we've proven we can win." Miller said he had yet to approach players out of respect for the "chain of command," but added, "I'm reconsidering how quiet I want to be relative to the players." Welcoming Gaines For a player who went undrafted out of Georgia and never has taken part in an NBA training camp or summer league, Sundiata Gaines ' rise has been remarkable, culminating Tuesday when he was called up by the Jazz from the NBA Development League. "It's surprising to a lot of people," admitted Gaines, who averaged 23.9 points and 6.9 assists with Idaho. "I'm new to the team and the fans and people in the NBA basketball world, but I'm just going to work hard and try to build and start something good." Signed to a 10-day contract, Gaines went through shootaround Wednesday, trying to pick up the Jazz's basics. He was asked how it felt to join the team at a time when it has been recently reeling. "Just looking at them, I realize they've been up and down," Gaines said, adding, "If coach asks me to go out, play defense, dive for loose balls or whatever it may be, I just want to help the team get back on a winning track and be consistent as much as possible." Matt who? Only two weeks after they traded Matt Harpring 's rights to Oklahoma City, the Jazz gave away Harpring's old No. 15 as well. Gaines will wear the number with the Jazz, same as he did in the D-League. "Matt doesn't work for us any more," coach Jerry Sloan joked.
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