Easy wins vs. real tests

LOS ANGELES ‘ Denver without Carmelo Anthony for last Wednesday’s season-opener, suspended by the Nuggets for disciplinary reasons.
The Los Angeles Clippers without Baron Davis and Marcus Camby, both out Saturday with injuries ‘ and perhaps both out again for tonight’s rematch.
On Wednesday, it will be Portland without 2007 No. 1 overall draft choice Greg Oden ‘ also injured, and most definitely out.
To suggest the Jazz have caught, and are catching, a few breaks early in this 2008-09 NBA season, is, suffice it to say, something of an understatement.
‘It’s helping us out so far,” Jazz shooting guard Ronnie Brewer said after Utah beat the Clippers on Saturday.
‘Unfortunately, those guys went down for their team. ‘ You don’t wish that on any player,” Brewer added. ‘But, for us, we’re going out there and not taking it for granted, and taking the most out of the opportunity to win those games.”
All of which is not to overlook the fact the Jazz have had a rather glaring absence themselves: would be starting point guard and 2008 Olympic gold medal-winner Deron Willliams, who has been out with a sprained left ankle.
‘There’s no question of that,” Jazz assistant coach Phil Johnson said when asked about playing opponents without their stars. ‘But we’ve got our problems. We’ve got some things going on with our team. We’ve got guys out.”
Injured veteran small forward Matt Harpring, who has missed all of the preseason and so far all of the season due to ankle rehab, is one.
But Williams is the biggie.
‘Everybody kind of panicked when D-Will went down, and didn’t know how we were going to respond, how we were going to play,” Brewer said. ‘But things happen throughout the NBA.”
They do, but Johnson ‘ for one ‘ would just as soon have it another way.
‘I’d rather have everybody have all their players,” he said, echoing the belief that Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan has long held as well. ‘That’s the way it should be.”
So what, then, is better?
Being 2-0, but with victories over a couple of teams missing at least one key piece? Or knowing where you stand with everyone at their best?
All together now: You make the call ‘

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