The Early Jazz Bird…

It’s two hours before Game 2 of the playoffs for the Jazz and I’m standing courtside.

I see two players warming up.

One of them is in the biggest assignment of his career: Kyrylo Fesenko.

The 7-foot-1 Ukranian is practicing baby hooks, left-handed for several tries, then right-handed, while Jeff Hornacek feeds him the ball.

So at least we know this: The free-spirited Fesenko is taking his assignment seriously enough to get to work early.

The other player is Wesley Matthews, whose dedication has never been questioned.

Two other players out early but sitting on the scorer’s table: Sundiata Gaines and Othyus Jeffers.

That’s no surprise. The veteran players warm up on their own schedule. But traditionally, Jerry Sloan hasn’t spent a lot of time ordering young players onto the court; they have to decide on their own. There have actually been rookies who skipped optional practices. Most of the time they ended up gone.

The rules for the NBA are pretty much the same as any other job. If you want to impress the boss, show up early.