Andrei Kirilenko's sprained right ankle is no longer giving him any pain, so the Utah forward is slated to return to action on Friday versus the Lakers.

"I'll have to see Andrei play," Sloan said when asked what kind of role he will have in his return. "Maybe he's better coming off the bench. I don't know where he's at right now.

"His energy level seems to be pretty high right now," Sloan said. "He seems to want to work hard in practice, and that's important. [The extra playing time] has helped him, I think so."

Ronnie Brewer, who has been in the starting line-up as Kirilenko's replacement, may remain in the first five as the team's shooting guard.