Utah Jazz: Competition fierce for 2-guard minutes

That, then, makes him a seriously outnumbered vegetarian at the barbecue.

At least four players on the Jazz roster are fighting for meaty morsels, even scraps, of mouth-watering playing time at the 2-guard position.

This particular battle for backcourt action among Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, C.J. Miles and Morris Almond will be one of the intriguing things to watch and evaluate — for coaches and fans — during the preseason, which begins Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif., against the Los Angeles Lakers.

What players describe as an intense competition during training camp practices is really about to ramp up now that game-time minutes are up for grabs.

"It is extremely competitive in practice," Korver said. "Every day we go at each other definitely good."

Brewer agreed, saying it's "definitely competitive."

The competition didn't just begin last Tuesday in Boise, either. All four players spent significant chunks of their summers honing their games and toning their bodies in order to improve — and impress, no doubt.

Brewer packed 10 or so pounds of muscle on his athletic body and tweaked his jumpshot. Korver worked harder and smarter than ever before to improve his all-around game and power. Miles strived to get into the best shape of his NBA career and to become more versatile and dependable. Not to be left behind, Almond got his body in prime physical condition (less than 3 percent body fat) and focused on increasing his non-shooting skills.

Almost as if they'd rehearsed it, Korver and Brewer both claimed the daily competition in practice is a positive for the team. Korver's version is that the players try "to make each other better." Similarly, Brewer spins it by saying the shooting guards "push each other to get better."

Numbers-wise, this is the deepest position on the Jazz roster. These players also want to make it one of Utah's most dangerous positions, too. Even, they claim, if Sloan occasionally uses a shooting-guard-by-committee approach. That's not ideal for the ego, perhaps, but it could be best for the team's chances of success.

"We want that 2 spot to be very strong and not the weak link on the team," Brewer said.

Going into this third year in the NBA and having recently had his contract extended through 2009-10, Brewer believes the position is shaping up well for the Jazz. Part of the reason, he says, is the different arsenal of weapons each player brings to the scorer's table.

"Kyle's a great shooter, C.J. is really versatile, Mo's a great scorer," Brewer said. "The competition is at a high level, so I just want to go out there and do my part."

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