(My Sportsbook) - The good news is the Jazz have won a game this season. The bad news is there are 77 contests left on the schedule.

Utah is off to a 1-4 start for the second time in as many seasons, but another trip to the postseason seems less and less likely.

The Jazz have looked painfully old and slow so far this season. The team is averaging 85.8 points per game -- fifth-worst in the league -- and has failed to reach the 80-point plateau three times, including the last two contests. On the defensive end, Utah is allowing 93.6 points per game.

Most recently, the Jazz suffered an 80-78 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday at Delta Center. Utah shot just 38 percent from the field in the game, hit only 27-of-39 free throws and committed 23 turnovers.

"It's a game that we could have, maybe should have, won," said John Stockton. "Make your free throws, make your layups, and it's simple."

Despite the poor effort, the Jazz had a chance to tie the contest in the final seconds, but Mark Jackson's 18-footer hit off the back of the iron and Detroit prevailed.

Utah sorely missed the presence of Karl Malone, who sat out the contest with a head cold. The future Hall of Famer tried to play through it in the previous game against Seattle and went scoreless for the first time in his career, missing all seven of his field goal attempts in 15 minutes of action.

"I suited up and probably shouldn't have," said Malone after Sunday's 91-77 loss to the Sonics. "I played, I was out there. Maybe I should be smarter about this kind of stuff. But don't take anything away from those guys. They played really well all night long and I didn't."

Andrei Kirilenko and Scott Padgett stepped up their play Wednesday in the absence of Malone. Kirilenko scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Padgett collected 15 points and 11 boards off the bench.

Still, there was little help elsewhere from a Jazz team that is supposed to be rebuilding. Third-year pro and starting shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson had just one point on 0-for-3 shooting in 14 minutes against Detroit.

If Malone is considering leaving Utah after this season, it's scary to think just how low the Jazz could hit next year.