Entering his 17th season with the Jazz, Karl Malone admits he"s a little bit slow getting focused on the start of a new season.

Known for his rigorous year-round workouts, Malone says physically he is ready to go, but mentally he"s not into it 100 percent.

""Mentally, I need to get there and I"m getting there," he said. ""Being old, it"s taking me a little time to get warmed up."

Malone, 38, missed four games late in the preseason to visit his ailing mother in Louisiana and says he has been slow getting back in the groove, comparing himself to a diesel engine on a cold morning.