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Mehmet Okur progressing, practices with Utah Jazz

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Mehmet Okur progressing, practices with Utah Jazz

Utah Jazz centre Mehmet Okur made a big step on his recovery when he practised with the team on Tuesday 23 November, but the sweet-shooting big man declined to give any timetable for his
return from an Achilles tendon injury.

“It's just hard to put any timetable, time on the table, to tell you guys how much farther I have, or how many days, weeks, whatever,” said Okur, who underwent surgery after rupturing his
Achilles before the play-offs last season.

Although the 31-year-old centre/forward has participated in the team’s five-on-five scrimmage on Tuesday 23 November, Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan said that the scrimmage cannot be used as
a gauge on Okur’s progress, but he is also hoping that Okur would finally suit up with the team this season.

“The real test comes when you get up and down the floor, start banging and knocking people around and getting knocked around,” said Sloan, who has been offered another contract extension
earlier this season, but has not made a decision about it yet. “Everybody feels like that's the thing for him to do now in order for him to continue to make progress and go from there.”

The Jazz started Al Jefferson in their first 15 games this season and they were successful after starting this year’s campaign with a 10-5 record. However, Sloan said they would be more comfortable
when Okur takes over the centre spot, but they are not going to rush the Turkish centre’s return.

“We're not trying to push him,” Sloan said. “We're not in a desperate situation regardless. The player is more important than us, and we try to approach it that way.”

Jazz superstar point guard Deron Williams, on the other hand, is also excited to have eight-year veteran centre and he believes that they would be more formidable with Okur playing the centre
spot because he can stretch the defence with his deadly outside sniping.

“I think he makes life easier on a lot of people,” said Deron Williams on Okur, who averaged 13.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season. “It's no secret that he's been a big part of
our success in the past, so we definitely look forward to getting him back and getting him healthy.”

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