Jazz not worried about early injuries ? yet News Utah Jazz

They aren't searching for flyswatters or cans of insect killer. They haven't put the pest-control guy on speed dial yet, either. Despite what seems to be an injury bug infestation, the Utah Jazz aren't overly concerned. Not yet, at least.

The injuries that have occurred at training camp so far ? forcing Andrei Kirilenko (strained left quadriceps muscle), Kyle Korver (inflamed left knee) and C.J. Miles (strained left hip flexor) to sit out Monday and some of Sunday's practice ? are only considered annoyances at this point. Sure, they want to squash 'em before the problem escalates into a bigger concern. But the Jazz aren't about to compare the early string of injury-bug sightings this camp to the nuisances that pestered them all throughout the 2008-09 season. As the Jazz painfully recall, they lost 149 man games due to injuries and illness last year. Even so, they don't believe the bad luck so far means they're snake-bitten. But they do want to be extra cautious so nobody misses more actual time than necessary. "Just don't want to take a chance on anybody getting banged up," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "We try to make sure we don't push somebody too far and then know when to back off and get treatments instead of trying to be Superman and then they're out another two months." Sloan added that he isn't too concerned that of the 18 players listed on their training camp roster only 13 are healthy enough to practice right now. "We'll play," the coach said, "with five guys if we have to." For the record, Kirilenko laughed off a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that some minor injuries might have popped up to give guys an excuse to miss practice. Along those lines, the three injured Jazz regulars ? not counting the shelved-for-six-weeks Matt Harpring or NBA hopeful Paul Harris (ankle sprain) ? each claimed on Monday morning to be optimistic about quick returns. They all showed up to practice with the Jazz on Monday but didn't participate in full practices. Kirilenko and Miles are not likely to practice Tuesday, Harris is out. "I think it's going to take a couple of days to kind of cool it down a little bit, and I'll be ready," Kirilenko said of his ailing quad that actually bothered him a bit coming into camp. "It's not that serious," he added. "It's just little muscle problems and I bet half of this team have something, because it's just starting." Korver had to have an MRI after tweaking his knee. Test results showed "mild to moderate inflammation" Jazz spokesman said Monday. Korver will continue to take medication and treatment in an effort to ease the swelling, the spokesman said. He is limiting his participation for now to stretching, cardio, weightlifting and free-throw shooting. Korver says he "probably overdid it a little bit" and perhaps did too much pounding on his knees the past few weeks leading up to camp trying to get into playing shape. He tweaked it a couple of times during the first camp practices and then really felt some pain on Sunday. "It's nothing that's super serious," he said. "We're trying to nip it in the bud right now and hopefully be good the rest of the season." Before the first of Monday's two practice sessions, Miles said he felt "better, a lot better than (Sunday)" when he experienced pain in his groin area after landing funny and overstretching muscles while doing drills. He planned on practicing but was sidelined after doing stretches with the team. "It's just little stuff that you get from camp, from two-a-days, you get some sore muscles that might hurt a little bit more than they would during the season because you don't get as much rest," Miles said before practice Monday. "I think it'll be fine. Nobody's really that banged up." e-mail: jody@desnews.com