October 2006 Archives

The Lakers and Brian Cook agreed on a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension just before the start of Tuesday's game. Cook will have a player option for the third year.

Cook's agent Mark Bartelstein had said there would be no deal earlier in the day but things changed at the last minute.

``Both sides made some changes right at the very end and we found a number we both could agree on," Bartelstein said.

Cook signed the contract in the minutes before tipoff.

The Lakers were unable to agree to a contract extension Tuesday with forward Brian Cook, who will become a restricted free agent at season's end. Cook's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said the two sides weren't ``light years apart'' on a deal but weren't going to come to an agreement.

``What made sense for us didn't make sense for them,'' Bartelstein said, ``and what made sense for them didn't make sense for us.''

The Lakers will retain the right to match any offer Cook receives next summer.

It was worth going to Jerry Buss' ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame just to see the look on Phil Jackson's face when Snoop Dogg arrived and when Paris Hilton somehow managed to slide into the space next to him and Jeanie Buss.

Tom Arnold got some laughs when he talked about Buss' philanthropic work over the years, then singled out the ``19- to 25-year-old'' women he helped out with ``minor surgeries'' over the years.

There were also some very generous speeches. Magic Johnson said he wouldn't be the businessman he is today without Buss. Paula Abdul thanked Buss for being ``the man who I can honestly say gave me my career'' back when she was a Laker girl.

Jeanie Buss talked about her dad as being a pioneer in selling the naming rights to the Forum and in building the first generation of club seats now standard in arenas. He also decided to televise the Lakers' home games, when conventional wisdom held that doing so would hurt attendance.

``I just increased the capacity of the Forum tenfold,'' Jerry Buss said, as his daughter recounted, ``which means more people can enjoy Lakers games.''

Jeanie also saluted her dad for being named the World Poker Tour rookie of the year in his 70s.

Jackson was the last to speak and said of Buss, ``During his tenure, what's remarkable is he's always kept the idea that the fans own the team. It belongs to the fans and he's always recognized that about the community.''

There was a benefit Jackson saw as well in having his players attend the ceremony, which brought together the likes of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy: ``I think it brought some sense of pride to our players and that's good for them.''

You've got to love covering a team where the day before the season starts, you're figuring out how best to get to Hollywood and Highland because the owner of the team is getting a star on the Walk of Fame.

Magic Johnson, Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss are all scheduled to speak as Jerry Buss is honored Monday. Snoop Dogg and Jerry West are two of the guests of honor. That's a conversation not to be missed, if it ever happens.

We got the chance to sit down on Sunday with Jerry Buss and talk about all things Lakers. At one point, Buss even talked about the possibility of playing an exhibition game at the Forum in the future because he misses the old building.

There's a ton of stuff that's not going to make Monday's paper. We'll try to get it in here instead.

Buss on Kobe and Phil's relationship: ``I’m very pleased with the total closeness of Phil and Kobe right now. That’s a beauty to watch at practice. I think that’ll carry right over to the season. There’s a big mutual admiration society going on there."

Buss on his relationship with Kobe: ``I think my relationship with Kobe is closer now than it ever has been. . . .He’s a very cordial guy. He’s not withdrawn as he was in the beginning. It’s fun to be around him now. He talks a lot of basketball. It’s fun to listen to him.’’

Buss on ceding more control to his son Jim: ``I’ll give Jimmy more and more decisions every few months from here on out. But I’ll always be right there by his side to make sure that I’m in agreement, let’s put it that way.’’

Buss on Lamar Odom: “I believe Lamar could be as good as he wants to be. He comes within one or two statistics half the time of having a triple-double. You have to wonder if he wanted to do it - - just to get one more assist or another rebound or something - - and finish out the year with about 40 triple-doubles. Then I think everybody would know what Lamar Odom is about.’’

Buss on the Clippers' success: ``They have terrific material, no doubt. I think we figured out that they had (lottery picks 18 of 20 years), so it’s not a big surprise that they would eventually get some material. But it does surprise me that they kept it. That’s certainly a change in philosophy and probably a welcome one to the fans of Los Angeles.’’

Buss on Phil Jackson having a role with the Lakers after he is done coaching: “Right now, I think we’ll talk to him about extending the coaching (contract). When you begin to try to project four or five years out, it gets pretty tough. I really can’t comment on it.’’

Buss on watching Shaq and Kobe bury the hachet before last January's game at Staples Center: ``I would love to have had them bury it while they were here. I don’t know how everybody else felt about it, but that last year they were together was really painful for me, to watch teammates not be teammates.’’

Buss on Red Auerbach: ``He was a psychology master. He just set you right up. I think that was very effective, the times that he beat the Lakers, because I think a lot of times the Lakers had the best material. But Auerbach was the deciding factor. You’ve really got to hand to this guy. Fortunately, I had the chance to talk to him many many times in the early 80s. So I knew one of the legends.’’

Here's the story for Monday, followed by another from practice:

By Ross Siler
Staff Writer

There is a part of Jerry Buss that can remember marveling as he walked down Hollywood Boulevard as a younger man. There is a part of him as well that can remember setting out to build a basketball team that encompassed everything great about Los Angeles.

Both parts will come together today as Buss, entering his 27th season as owner of the Lakers, will be honored with the 2,323rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions in helping build the Prime Ticket television network.

That the Lakers have become almost as synonymous as the movie and television stars in the city’s identity was not lost on Buss. One day after he is honored at the corner of Hollywood and Highland, the Lakers will open another season at Staples Center.

``I guess this to me is a vindication of the fact I was able to do that,’’ Buss said, ``and it makes me very happy.’’

In a half-hour interview Sunday with reporters at his home in Playa del Rey, Buss talked about the future of the franchise and offered his answer to the question he is most often asked, namely when the Lakers will win another championship.

``I think to be a championship team, you’ve got to have three really great players, and probably one at each position - - guard, forward and center,’’ Buss said. ``That seems to be the best formula. Now you say: How far can Kwame (Brown) come or will (Andrew) Bynum be that missing ingredient.’’

Buss was referring to the Lakers’ two biggest projects, both of whom happen to be centers. Brown was a failed former No. 1 overall pick during his time in Washington; Bynum was selected out of high school by the Lakers in the 2005 NBA Draft.

``With Kobe (Bryant) and Lamar (Odom),’’ Buss said, ``I think we’ve got enough ingredients that if we get the dominating center, I think we could win it.’’

Buss, 73, credited his son Jim, the team’s vice president of player personnel, with being the greatest advocate for drafting Bynum when others in the front office were in favor of Channing Frye.

``I think you can lay it at his doorstep the fact that we gambled and took Bynum,’’ Buss said. ``He was the one out of all of us that said, `Hey, let’s not fool around. We’ve got to go with this kid.’’'

Buss said he would continue to bring more decisions to his son in the coming months ``until he’s making all of them.’’ He added that he does not foresee a scenario in which ownership of the Lakers would not transfer to his children.

As for the Lakers’ last dominating center, Buss made clear that ``there was nothing ever personal with me’’ and Shaquille O’Neal, who helped lead the Miami Heat to last season’s championship.

Buss said the Lakers would continue to pursue their goal of signing a big-name free agent. The Lakers would not have the salary-cap space to do so, however, until the summer of 2008 at the earliest.

Another problem has been that nearly every top young free agent - - from Yao Ming to Amare Stoudemire to LeBron James - - has opted to sign an extension with the team that drafted them.

“The strategy’s not dead,’’ Buss said. ``It just means that we’re not going to put all the eggs in that basket as perhaps we did.’’

Buss praised general manager Mitch Kupchak for doing an ``absolutely incredible job,’’ especially in finding players with late first- and second-round draft picks, and said he would talk to coach Phil Jackson about extending his contract past the 2007-08 season.

“If he wants to coach longer,’’ Buss said, ``then we’ll certainly want to have him.’’

* * *

By Ross Siler
Staff Writer

What looked like a starting five for the Lakers was on the court scrimmaging at the end of practice Sunday. Wearing the purple jerseys were Smush Parker, Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum and a certain superstar guard testing his right knee.

Two days before the season opener, Kobe Bryant was figuring out just how much he could ``trust’’ his knee. He compared the process to dipping a toe in the water to see how cold it was and declared his knee better Sunday than the day before.

``I think it’s the best I’ve scrimmaged,’’ Bryant said. ``I scrimmaged like this a couple practices ago that we had here (at Staples Center). But it was much stronger today.

``I was able to actually jump and try to contest a couple rebounds, which is good. It’s still sore, though, but it’s good that I was able to explode a little bit today.’’

The Lakers haven’t determined whether Bryant will play Tuesday against Phoenix, but the sight of him fighting for a rebound with forward Brian Cook, then rising again to put back the ball was encouraging.

For the time being, Bryant will rely more on his outside shot and less on his quickness. He has had trouble turning the corner and accelerating off the knee. How much Bryant would be able to play Tuesday is another question.

``He’ll let me know as to how it goes out there,’’ Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ``He’s by his own admission not sharp. He’s not making great plays or passes yet. His influence and athleticism on the floor is felt. We know that.

``I asked him if he was OK after being out there on the floor for an hour and a half, two hours almost, and he felt comfortable. It looked like conditioning-wise, he was in pretty good shape this time.’’

Remembering Red: Even into the final year of his life, former Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach was taking shots at Jackson, criticizing the only other coach to have won nine NBA championships of ``picking his spots’’ in comments last November.

A day after Auerbach died at age 89, Jackson remembered him for setting ``a standard that people wanted to achieve in this league and fought to try and duplicate.’’ Auerbach was part of 16 Celtics championship teams as a coach and executive in his career.

``He was a fierce competitor. That I’ll grant him,’’ Jackson said. ``I will say one thing that my mentor (former New York Knicks coach) Red Holzman turned to me after we won the Eastern Conference championship in ’73 and said in reference to the Boston Celtics, `There’s sometimes you think good overcomes evil, and this is one of those times.’’’

Jackson was asked if he was bothered that Auerbach never gave him his proper due.

``That’s not true at all,’’ Jackson said. ``Red and I had a conflict always because I was a New York Knick. So it was just the rivalry. That’s the way Red was. It was a rivalry thing. And it’s an honor that he had that kind of an attitude, actually. And it’s an honor to be named in the same breath when people talk about championships.’’

Roster moves: The Lakers have until 3 p.m. today to reduce their roster to the NBA maximum of 15 players. One consideration is the health of veteran guard Aaron McKie, who injured his back in the preseason and hasn’t played or practiced since.

It's three days before opening night and nobody can say for sure if Kobe Bryant will play. Phil Jackson's words Saturday suggested that Bryant will be debuting his new No. 24. The sight of Bryant on the bench at the end of practice with two ice bags wrapped around his knee would suggest nothing's guaranteed.

Here's one quote from Jackson about Bryant I couldn't get in the story:

``We know that there’s going to be some limitations to what he can do,’’ Jackson said. ``That’s a choice he has to make. He’s been training, he’s been working hard on it. It’s almost four months (since the July 15 surgery).

``This is a normal injury where guys will say this is a `month-out injury.’ It’s been twice that to three times that long for him to recover from it. We really have to let him have his head on this.’’

Shammond Williams was back practicing Saturday after missing much of the preseason with an abdominal injury.

By Ross Siler
Staff Writer

The questions about his availability for the Lakers’ season opener have grown so inevitable, Kobe Bryant joked Saturday about talking to reporters while wearing a shirt with a daily update on his right knee.

There has been no decision made about whether or not Bryant will play Tuesday against Phoenix, although there were clues on both sides with a little more than 72 hours to go until tipoff.

Described as the ``irreplaceable part’’ by coach Phil Jackson, Bryant went through the first 90 minutes of practice, reported soreness in the knee, and watched from the sidelines as his teammates finished without him.

``We’ll just take it day by day,’’ Bryant said. ``It’s kind of frustrating because every day it kind of varies.’’

Not soon after, Jackson revealed that Bryant has told him he intends to play Tuesday. And Jackson said he would defer to Bryant in making that decision after talking with the training staff.

``He felt like he could get that done,’’ Jackson said. ``I just feel I have to let him have his (say) on this.’’

The Lakers have listed Bryant as questionable to doubtful, though Jackson described that as being a ``disclaimer.’’

Jackson has targeted the third week of November, when the Lakers have a four-day break in games, for getting back centers Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm from injury and moving forward with a core unit the rest of the season.

Long road: Jackson said he will be able to coach in Tuesday’s opener, although he did not sound optimistic about making the trip for Wednesday’s game at Golden State.

``I don’t know about that,’’ said Jackson, who underwent hip-replacement surgery Oct. 3 and continues to walk with a cane. ``I’m still having a little bit of trouble getting a shoe on and a sock on that one leg.

``But my therapy’s coming along great. The last week I’ve made giant strides. So in three days, I could be in a position where I feel much more comfortable.’'

Assistant coach Kurt Rambis would fill in if Jackson did not feel comfortable enough to travel. The Lakers also will play on the road next Sunday against Seattle.

In the glare: The Lakers practiced Saturday at Staples Center to get used to a special lighting system they will debut Tuesday. The lighting is designed to draw more attention to the floor and bring a feel to the game like the old Forum.

``It puts the focus on the court,’’ Bryant said. ``It gives it more of a magical feel, more energy, more intensity.’’

Tim Harris, the Lakers’ senior vice president for business operations, said owner Jerry Buss has wanted the change for years. Jackson added that he liked the ``stage presence’’ the lights helped create.

The Lakers cannot keep the lights up for more than Tuesday’s game because of structural concerns at Staples Center. They would consider making a permanent change if fan feedback supports the new lights.

New feel: Although he won money from Lamar Odom by hitting a half-court shot at the end of practice, Vladimir Radmanovic said his injured shooting hand has forced him to change his entire game.

``I’m just trying to pretend like I was never a shooter and it’s really hard,’’ Radmanovic said. ``Your muscles have a memory. You don’t even think when you get on the court. It just comes automatically out of you. I’m trying to put that aside.’’

The news is probably more significant that the Lakers exercised the fourth-year option in Sasha Vujacic's contract than that they exercised the third-year option in Andrew Bynum's contract. When it happens on Bynum's 19th birthday, however, the story's going to be written a little differently.

It's a nice vote of confidence for Vujacic, who endured a terrible rookie season in which he played in only 35 games, made barely a quarter of his shots and struggled to prove himself to coaches Rudy Tomjanovich and Frank Hamblen.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak spoke positively about Vujacic's size, his outside shot and his ability to be a pesky defender. Where Vujacic has to improve, Kupchak said, is in continuing to get stronger in the weight room and making himself more of a threat to drive to the basket on offense.

By Ross Siler
Staff Writer

The timing was too perfect for Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak not to surprise center Andrew Bynum on his 19th birthday Friday with the news that the team would exercise the option in Bynum’s contract for the 2007-08 season.

Even though the Lakers took the day off, Kupchak had Bynum stop by his office at the team’s practice facility, where he presented the contract paperwork along with a cupcake as a group gathered for the singing of ``Happy Birthday.’’

``It’s a good birthday present,’’ Kupchak said, ``and definitely something he earned.’’

The Lakers normally would have waited until Tuesday’s deadline to exercise the option, but Kupchak said the decision was made weeks ago. The Lakers also exercised the 2007-08 option in guard Sasha Vujacic’s contract Friday.

``It was a good day for them,’’ Kupchak said. ``They both seemed appreciative.’’

Bynum was part of the NBA’s first draft class to have only the first two years of their rookie contracts guaranteed. He will make $2.17 million next season, with the Lakers holding another option for the 2008-09 season.

For his part, Vujacic had his hard work over the summer rewarded. Instead of playing for Slovenia in the world championships, Vujacic opted to work out at the Lakers’ facility and stay in close contact with the team.

He reported to training camp with a more muscular build and was one of the Lakers’ best guards during the preseason. Vujacic averaged 10.8 points and connected on 21 of 42 shots in five games.

``My goal coming to the Lakers was to become a starting point guard one day for them,’’ Vujacic said. ``I’m going to continue working hard, do what I am asked to do, follow the coaches’ instructions and try to get better.’’

Vujacic, who won’t turn 23 until March 7, will make $1.75 million next season. If the Lakers don’t sign him to a contract extension after this season, Vujacic would become a restricted free agent in July 2008.

Bynum, meanwhile, is expected to start at Tuesday’s opener as a result of injuries to Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm.

He had more turnovers (four) than points (two) in the Lakers’ first exhibition game Oct. 10 in Fresno but finished the preseason by totaling 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists Thursday against Denver.

``My opinion about Andrew has not wavered at all,’’ Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis said after the game. ``I think Andrew is going to be a terrific ballplayer in this league.

``It still may take a couple, three years, but I think down the road, the Lakers have a real fine player on their hands because he likes to play at both ends of the court.’’

The Lakers have asked Bynum to run the floor hard and post up early in possessions. He also has shot free throws with greater confidence than his rookie season, making 17 of 22 (77.3 percent) this month.

As for his birthday plans, Bynum said he was considering staying home and getting some sleep.

Injury update: Kobe Bryant was at the Lakers’ facility Friday to receive treatment on his right knee. He took a couple of jumpers but will continue to be listed as questionable to doubtful for Tuesday’s game against Phoenix.

One concern for both Bryant and Phil Jackson is the prospect of Wednesday’s game at Golden State. Bryant does not want to play with limitations in the second of back-to-back games while Jackson is not yet sure if he can travel after hip-replacement surgery.

Some odds and ends as the Lakers wrap up the preseason with a 4-4 record:

One of the things keeping Phil Jackson from committing 100 percent to coaching in Tuesday’s opener is the prospect of coaching Wednesday night on the road at Golden State.

Jackson doesn’t want to return to the job unless it's for good after undergoing hip-replacement surgery. He didn’t make the drive to Anaheim for Thursday’s exhibition game and might not be far enough along in his recovery to fly.

The Lakers are looking into ways to make travel easier on Jackson but the bottom line is that he is going to have to sit through charter flights and bus rides the next couple of months.

* * *

It’s worth remembering what Andrew Bynum did in the Lakers’ first exhibition game to measure just how far he came in a few short weeks.

Bynum finished with two points and four turnovers in 18 minutes against Utah in Fresno, losing the ball twice as Derek Fisher simply stole it out of his hands.

Compare that to Bynum’s 23-point, seven-rebound, five-assist game against Denver. He outplayed about $130 million worth of forwards in Nene and Kenyon Martin on Thursday in Anaheim.

Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis said Bynum is benefiting from being so unknown to opposing teams. But Rambis also could not have given a stronger endorsement of his (now) 19-year-old big man.

``My opinion about Andrew has not wavered at all,’’ Rambis said. ``I think Andrew is going to be a terrific ballplayer in this league.

``It still may take a couple, three years, but I think down the road the Lakers have a real fine player on their hands because he likes to play at both ends of the court.’’

In the third quarter, Bynum got more emotional than he has shown in his career. He had position and Sasha Vujacic could have passed him the ball. When Vujacic didn’t throw it, Bynum could be heard yelling, ``Get me the (expletive) ball.’’

What did assistant coach Brian Shaw yell at Vujacic during the next timeout? ``Get him the (expletive) ball.’’

Rambis also revealed that the Lakers coaches have told Bynum that his first priority whenever he catches the ball is to look for teammates. He found Lamar Odom for a couple of 3-pointers in the first quarter.

* * *

You can scratch McDonald’s off the list of potential endorsement deals for Bynum. He said after the game that part of the reason he’s playing better is because he has taken nutrition more seriously this season.

That means no more McDonald’s and more of his mother’s cooking. Bynum said he watched the documentary ``Super Size Me’’ and that changed his thinking.

``Actually, you feel a huge difference,’’ Bynum said. ``You’re not as sluggish as you would be. I’m just going out there and playing a little bit faster and quicker.’'

* * *

Odom was asked about how little the Lakers seem to hesitate in getting the ball to Bynum.

``You have to,’’ Odom said. ``He positions himself so well. It just so happens that he works every day with the best center of all-time. So he’s going to get better.’’

Odom was talking about Bynum’s special sessions with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

* * *

Sometimes you hear stuff over the course of an 82-game season that makes you wonder. Here was Rambis’ answer to the question of whether veteran guard Aaron McKie has shown enough in the preseason to prove he can still play:

``I thought he did a terrific job,’’ Rambis said. ``He still needed to get in good shape, he still needed to work on some strength/conditioning type things. But I thought he held his own out there.’’

Not only is McKie out with a back injury, his stats from October don't exactly scream ``held his own.''

Three games, 39 minutes, 1 of 2 from the field, two assists and four rebounds.

If they do decide to keep McKie instead of Devin Green, the Lakers run the risk of playing early-season games without 12 healthy players on the active roster.

They already will be without Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm. If McKie can’t go, that fills up the three inactive spots. The Lakers also are dealing with Kobe Bryant’s questionable right knee and Shammond Williams’ abdominal injury.

One positive in keeping McKie is that he has additional value in having a contract that expires after this season.

* * *

The Nuggets shot 60.6 percent against the Lakers and outrebounded them 51-31. Carmelo Anthony had 32 points on 11 of 16 shooting and was unstoppable at times.

The Lakers went 18 for 30 from the foul line (60 percent), which left them at 154 for 234 (65.8 percent) for the preseason. Odom missed 4 of 7 free throws and Brian Cook missed another after Denver was called for a defensive three seconds technical.

* * *

Vladimir Radmanovic finished the preseason having made 10 of 36 shots and 2 of 15 3-pointers. It’s a sign of how bad his hand must be when Radmanovic is shooting 13 percent from beyond the arc.

Every year, the NBA’s general manager survey comes out a couple of days before the season opener. There are questions about which teams will win the championship, which teams made the best moves over the summer and which players will be the best at each position.

One of my favorite questions is which player someday will make the best coach. This season, the top three players were Steve Nash, Eric Snow and Shane Battier.

There was another player who got a vote, namely Kobe Bryant. Yet Bryant looked like he would rather chew nails than consider the possibility of someday being a coach - - even though his father is coach of the WNBA Sparks.

``It’s just not for me,’’ Bryant said.

Lakers spokesman John Black, meanwhile, offered an alternate view.

``I’m sure he would make a great coach if he chose to do it,’’ Black said. ``But he’ll have so much money he won’t even have to get off his couch.’’

* * *

Bryant was voted the best shooting guard in the league, over Dwyane Wade, by the GMs. Bryant got 71.4 percent of the vote to Wade’s 21.4 percent.

He also was voted the best player in the league at getting his own shot and the player you’d most want taking a shot with a game on the line.

Where Bryant didn’t finish in the top three was in MVP favorites. He received a vote, but the top three favorites were LeBron James, Wade and Dirk Nowitzki.

Bryant received the second-most votes when GMs were asked which player forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments. Shaquille O’Neal was No. 1.

Phil Jackson was only No. 3 in voting for the league’s best coach, behind Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich.

Jordan Farmar received a vote as the most likely ``sleeper’’ rookie success story.

* * *

Remember when Andrew Bynum came to the Lakers and promised to be different from O’Neal because he would make his free throws? Then Bynum missed 19 of 27 free throws as a rookie, numbers that even O’Neal would laugh at.

That might not be the case any more. Bynum has made 12 of 14 free throws during the preseason. He has adjusted to standing at the line in NBA arenas, with fans behind the baskets that were never there in high school.

``That’s just something that we worked on all summer long with Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar),’’ Bynum said. ``In between the drills, we shot free throws. I just worked on my stroke. He helped me, he told me to get it up. He was a great free throw shooter, so just take that from him.’’

* * *

Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis talked about what is expected out of guard Smush Parker this season.

``As long as he’s initiating our offense,’’ Rambis said, ``and also being the front man in our defense and showing everybody that we want to get up and pressure, then he’s going to do well for himself and he’s going to do well for us.’’

* * *

Injury report for Thursday's game: Bryant is expected to be out, Vladimir Radmanovic is either questionable or doubtful, Shammond Williams is out and Von Wafer is available.

Veteran guard Aaron McKie - - who got a vote for making the best future coach in last year’s GM survey - - will return from Philadelphia sometime this weekend after celebrating the birth of a child.

Good to see Phil Jackson at the Lakers' open practice Tuesday at Staples Center. He pronounced himself pain-free coming off the court, which was something he hasn't been able to say much in the last two to three years.

The radiating pain caused by his arthritic hip is gone, but Jackson said he isn't ready to make the bus ride to Anaheim for Thursday's exhibition game.

The Lakers' schedule is loaded with home games early but even the shortest trips clearly are going to take a toll on Jackson. After the Lakers play opening night, he has to get to the airport, get on a plane, fly to Oakland and get on a bus to the team hotel.

If you can't sit through a drive to Anaheim, that first trip is going to feel like a cross-country flight in a middle seat.

By the way, Jackson said he hoped to start walking without a cane next week. It was amusing to see him use it Tuesday to pull a ball over to his seat and flip it up to one of the Lakers' players.

* * *

The Lakers have put up ``Lights Out'' billboards across town and have installed a special lighting system for the season opener. It's going to be similar to what the NBA uses for its All-Star Game, when the seating bowl is dark and the extra lights turn the court into a stage.

So far, the plan is for the Lakers to use the special lights only for the first game and see what the response is.

* * *

Kobe Bryant was handed a microphone at the end of the Lakers' practice and offered a couple of insights into his life away from basketball. He said his older daughter, Natalia, is a soccer player, not a basketball player. His youngest daughter, Gianna, born in May, sleeps through the night, which Bryant said was like winning the lottery.

Assistant coach Brian Shaw also said that the Lakers coaches debated putting Bryant back in for the fourth quarter of the December game in which he scored 62 points against Dallas. They wanted to give him a shot at 70, but Bryant said he would have the chance again. Sure enough, a month later, he scored 81 against Toronto.

Here's the report from Tuesday's practice:

The Lakers took the day off Monday, their first of the season. A couple of players went in for treatment but there was no change in anyone's injury status, according to a team spokesman. The Lakers will hold an open practice Tuesday for their season-ticket holders at Staples Center.

Here's a story for Tuesday about Brian Grant, everyone's favorite Laker. He's making more than Lamar Odom this season in the final year of a monster contract. It's remarkable that the Lakers are as competitive as they are when you consider that more than a quarter of their cap money is tied up in Grant.

The Lakers still have to pay Grant but at least were able to lessen the luxury-tax blow by waiving him two summers ago. It's questionable if they would have been able to sign a player like Vladimir Radmanovic without making that move.

Grant's cap number this season comes to about $14.9 million. He was owed $15.439 million by the Lakers for this season. The Lakers are entitled to offset some of his salary based on the contract Grant signed with Phoenix before last season.

Grant is due to make $1.8 million this season, which is subtracted from the league minimum of $664,209 for a second-year player and divded by two for the Lakers' calculations. That would give the Lakers back about $567,000. If there are any amateur salary-cap experts, please let me know if I'm wrong.

By Ross Siler
Staff Writer

If the NBA had not given teams the opportunity back in August 2005 to shed the contract of a player for luxury-tax purposes, veteran forward Brian Grant more than likely would be a member of the Lakers today.

Instead, Grant is collecting the second-biggest paycheck on the team after Kobe Bryant even though he hasn’t played for the Lakers since the 2004-05 season and isn’t even in an NBA training camp this month.

To understand the $15 million hole in the Lakers’ payroll, you have to go back to the Shaquille O’Neal trade. With O’Neal due to make more than $27 million, the Lakers had to take back a big contract to make the deal work under league salary cap rules.

The Lakers were able to get Lamar Odom and Caron Butler, two promising young players, from Miami but were left to take Grant and the $43 million he was owed over three years.

``It really came down to Brian,’’ Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said. ``He was a big man and we had to take somebody. If this (luxury-tax) amnesty rule didn’t exist, Brian would still be on our team.’’

Grant came to the Lakers having long battled tendinitis in his knees but also having missed just 16 games in his four seasons as a full-time starter with the Heat.

But Grant struggled with a neck injury during training camp, then spent 13 games on the injured list with tendinitis. He played in 69 games his only season with the Lakers and averaged a career-low 3.8 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Then the NBA allowed teams the one-time opportunity to release a player for luxury-tax relief as part of its new collective bargaining agreement. The Lakers would have to pay Grant’s salary but could avoid the dollar-for-dollar luxury-tax penalty on it.

In Grant’s case, the Lakers stood to save nearly $30 million. The decision to waive Grant was ``the prudent thing to do,’’ as Kupchak put it.

The Lakers are not alone in paying big money to a player no longer on their roster. New York still owes the retired Allan Houston $20 million this season while Dallas will be paying Michael Finley, a luxury-tax casualty, $35 million over the next two seasons.

Kupchak said Grant’s contract has no effect on the Lakers in terms of their salary-cap or luxury-tax flexibility. Even with Grant’s deal expiring after this season, the Lakers will be still be above the salary cap with what they owe current players.

``It doesn’t hinder our ability to do anything,’’ Kupchak said.

The Lakers have about $54 million committed to players for next season, not including free agents such as Luke Walton, Chris Mihm and Smush Parker. They will be limited in the signings and trades they can do by already being over the salary cap.

However, the Lakers will have more room under the luxury-tax threshold, which was $65.42 million this season.

Grant, meanwhile, signed a two-year deal with Phoenix after he was waived by the Lakers and underwent knee surgery in December. He played in only 21 games and was traded to Boston on draft night with the rights to rookie guard Rajon Rondo.

The Celtics have kept the 34-year-old Grant on the roster but ruled out that he will ever play a game for them. They will look to trade him or could release him to make room on the roster before the start of the season.

The Lakers started bringing back their starters with about six minutes left in Sunday's game, when Luke Walton and Lamar Odom got up from the bench and headed to the scorer's table. Sasha Vujacic, Smush Parker and Andrew Bynum soon followed.

How much the Lakers can take away from their 94-91 victory over Phoenix is hard to say because the Suns refused to follow suit down the stretch. They kept Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and the rest of their starters off the floor and nearly forced overtime before Jumaine Jones missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis wanted to give some of his players extended minutes - - Odom played 33:42 while J.R. Pinnock didn't play at all - - and get the Lakers a taste of victory against the Suns. That's no small thing with the teams playing again in nine days on opening night. They could play as many as 11 times this season, including a seven-game playoff series.

``I thought it was important for us to start seeing guys want to have the will to win,'' Rambis said.

There were a ton of miscues, though, some that showed up in the final box score and some that didn't. The Lakers went down 87-82 with 3 1-2 minutes left after Walton was called for an offensive foul and Odom was hit with a technical for arguing the call.

Not a smart play late in the game. Odom then compounded his mistake by fouling Jones on a 3-point shot. Jones hit two of three free throws to put the Suns ahead by 5.

Give credit to Vujacic for following up a miss by Walton and scoring while being fouled with 1:32 left. Vujacic couldn't convert the three-point play but his hustle was rewarded on the game's second biggest play.

Walton then hit a 3-pointer with 41.9 seconds remaining that put the game out of reach. The Lakers turned over the ball 32 times but survived by grabbing 17 offensive rebounds and scoring 26 second-chance points. They also probably won't see the Suns miss 19 of 23 3-pointers again this season.

The Lakers best stretch came at the end of the first quarter, which they ended on a 7-0 run. Odom swept to the basket with a nice drive, Jordan Farmar fired a pass to Walton for a 3-pointer and Walton knocked down a fadeaway as the Lakers held for the last shot.

In the meantime, Rambis has some work to do in raising the Lakers basketball IQ when it comes to playing the Suns.

``They're small, we're bigger than they are, and we're taking outside shots, which is playing right into their hands,'' Rambis said. ``Once our guys got the feel of attacking them and getting the ball inside, those type of things really helped them.''

* * *

A Spanish language television station asked Kobe Bryant after the game about his thoughts on Shaquille O'Neal winning a championship with the Miami Heat.

``We just try to do what we do here,'' Bryant said. "It doesn't matter who wins the championship. We have to focus on what we can do and how to play better together and try to get to that point ourselves.''

Bryant was asked how realistic it is for him to play in Thursday's preseason finale.

``I don't know,'' Bryant said. "We're just going to take it day by day and go from there.''

Bryant offered advice to his teammates - - particularly Maurice Evans, Bynum and Farmar - - during timeouts and throughout the game Sunday.

* * *

There was a funny moment in the second quarter as the Lakers coaches were encouraging Bynum to run the floor and keep building on the great half he was having. Bynum tried to throw his weight around and wound up decking Marion for an offensive foul.

It was a case of being overly excited. During the next timeout, though, Kwame Brown came up to Bynum and said, ``I like it.'' Brown probably was happy just to see Bynum going hard after somebody other than himself. Brown is out three to four weeks with a shoulder injury thanks to a play that involved Bynum in practice.

Back in his first season with the Lakers, Lamar Odom offered a four-word answer to our questions about what position he was best suited to play. It was one of those great moments when an athlete talks about himself in the third person.

``Odom is a player,'' he said.

That sums up his perspective but does nothing to end the debate about whether he is a small forward, power forward or a point guard in a 6-foot-10 body. In the new NBA, Odom might even be a center, which is something the Lakers will have to consider with Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm out.

According to the Web site 82games.com, Odom played 44 percent of the Lakers' minutes at power forward last season, 34 percent of their minutes at small forward and 2 percent of their minutes at center. Odom was most productive as a power forward and least productive as a center.

By Ross Siler
Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO--Even before learning that Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm would be out to start the season, the Lakers had been considering playing Lamar Odom at times as a center in a small lineup.

``We see the versatility of our team that we could put a lineup out there that’s almost the same size,’’ Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis said, ``where we can do a lot of switching, where we can do a lot of getting into our offense not caring who went to what spot, not caring who’s bringing the ball up because they could all do it.’’

The Lakers had the option of using just such a lineup in Friday’s exhibition game against New Orleans. The Hornets were playing without Tyson Chandler, who missed the game with a sprained ankle, and started 6-foot-9 forward David West at center.

Instead, Rambis decided to start Andrew Bynum, saying that getting the teenage center experience with Brown and Mihm out was the Lakers’ biggest immediate concern.

However, the Lakers will consider using Odom at center, especially as their Western Conference counterparts continue to follow the Phoenix Suns’ lead in going small and smaller.

As one example, Troy Murphy will move from power forward to center with Golden State this season. The Suns advanced to the conference finals last season with Boris Diaw, a converted guard, starting at center.

``It depends on the matchups,’’ Odom said. ``A lot of times right now, you’ve got a lot of these teams that are going smaller. Against them, probably so. Against a natural 7-foot, 270-pound center, probably not.’’

As one of the league’s most versatile players, Odom is at his best playing to mismatches on the floor. He handles the ball well enough that the Lakers had him initiate the triangle offense from the backcourt last season and lead the fast break.

With so many injuries this preseason, the Lakers have had Odom playing as a forward on the wing. He finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists Friday; Rambis liked seeing him attack the basket with a ``head of steam’’ on a couple of plays.

Odom said having a center who can handle the ball does wonders by dragging a big man away from the basket and opening up the floor.

``It’s kind of the perfect attribute to have when you’re playing center,’’ Odom said.

In the meantime, Odom is trying to regain his timing and conditioning after a summer away from basketball following the death of his infant son. Odom said he weighs 245 pounds and would like to get down to a ``strong’’ 235 heading into the season.

No Kobe: The Lakers said Kobe Bryant would not play in tonight’s exhibition game against Phoenix in San Diego. That leaves one exhibition game - - Thursday in Anaheim - - for Bryant to test his right knee before the start of the season Oct. 31.

Odom was asked if the Lakers needed to play a game with Bryant before the season, just to get everybody on the same page. His answer: ``I think when (Bryant) comes back everybody kind of knows what page to be on.’’

The Lakers will get guard Sasha Vujacic back from a sprained ankle. Forward Vladimir Radmanovic (hand injury) and guard Shammond Williams (abdominal strain) won’t play tonight.

The test for Andrew Bynum in Friday’s game was coming back with energy after playing 29 minutes the night before. Some of Bynum’s worst performances in the Long Beach summer league came in back-to-back situations.

Bynum finished with a quiet 7 points and 3 rebounds in 25:50 as the Lakers beat New Orleans 113-106. The Hornets were playing without Tyson Chandler, which meant Bynum matched up against forward David West most of the night.

With Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm out, Bynum is the player to watch the rest of the preseason, at least until Kobe Bryant returns to test his right knee.

Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis spelled out all that Bynum is expected to do on the floor, from racing to get back to the defensive end to posting up early on the offensive end to anchoring the defense and being a good communicator.

``There’s a lot of things that he has to do,’’ Rambis said. ``Sometimes he does things well and sometimes he doesn’t. It’s an awesome responsibility for a kid his age. But we’re expecting him to grow each and every day.’’

Bynum had only two baskets in the game, his other points came at the foul line. He posted up West early in the first quarter and flipped in a hook shot with his right hand. Bynum also finished a pick-and-roll with Lamar Odom.

Where Bynum’s play was most notable Friday came in passing the ball. He had four assists and did a good job locating shooters. Smush Parker hit a 3-pointer after Bynum was double-teamed inside and moved the ball.

* * *

Parker found out in the second quarter Thursday just how strict the NBA is going to be this season in enforcing player conduct on the court.

Parker thought he had stolen the ball from the Clippers’ Tim Thomas only to be called for a foul. He grabbed the ball in frustration and took two steps with it, a move the league has targeted in its points of emphasis to referees.

``The guys who play with emotion and passion,’’ Parker said, ``it’s going to be kind of hard for them to control themselves.’’

``Some of the things are silly little technical fouls, just the referees trying to clean up bad behavior,’’ Rambis added. ``But when you’re out there in the heat of battle, you forget all about the new rules.’’

Vujacic, meanwhile, was left scratching his head after a third-quarter technical. He was battling for position against Cuttino Mobley when he was called for a foul. Vujacic tried to demonstrate how Mobley was hooking him and drew the technical.

* * *

Second-round draft pick J.R. Pinnock continued to struggle, making just 2 of 9 shots in 20 minutes. Pinnock had the game’s lowlight as he was blocked at the rim by Cedric Simmons on a dunk attempt in the second quarter.

Pinnock is now shooting 5 for 28 (17.9 percent) in the preseason.

* * *

Jordan Farmar had to bounce back from two rough stretches in Friday’s game. He missed his first four shots, the last of which was rejected by Simmons, but didn’t hesitate in taking and making a 3-pointer in the second quarter.

The Lakers later gave back half of their 19-point lead in a matter of moments in the third quarter. Farmar was guilty of a couple of turnovers in the stretch, including an 8-second call.

Farmar did hit all three shots he took in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer, and found Luke Walton for a 3-pointer that was one of the game’s biggest shots.

* * *

Walton talked about the turnaround jumper he has knocked down all preseason.

``That’s my shot,’’ Walton said. ``The coaches don’t like fadeaways that much, so it’s something I’ve got show enough to where they start letting me shoot it. Coach (Lute) Olson (at Arizona) never let me shoot it until my junior year and senior year. Now I have to re-prove it again.’’

* * *

Maurice Evans introduced himself to the Staples Center crowd with 27 points Friday.

``Scoring is definitely something that I can do out there with our offense,’’ Evans said. ``It is funny because before I came to the NBA I was never known as a defensive stopper.

``But I think that your role evolves with each team that you go to and hopefully I can be more than just a defensive stopper or offensive player. Hopefully, I can just be a chameleon and do whatever the team needs.’’

We had the chance to sit down before the game with a referee as part of an off-the-record preseason media availability. It was really interesting to go over the league’s points of emphasis for this season, then to see just about every one of them called in Thursday’s game.

The NBA is emphasizing everything from traveling calls to offensive and defensive three seconds to making sure players have their jerseys tucked in when they check into games. Those are all things most casual fans will notice rarely, if ever.

Where they will see the difference is if the referees crack down on player conduct like they did Thursday. There were seven technical fouls called in the game and they give an indication of what won’t be tolerated this season.

In the second quarter, Smush Parker thought he came up with a steal against Tim Thomas only to be called for a foul instead. Parker picked up the ball in frustration and took two steps with it before being hit with a technical.

That call is one that will be made all season. There was another call late in the third quarter when Sasha Vujacic was whistled for a foul fighting for position inside with Cuttino Mobley.

Vujacic complained to referee Scott Wall about the call and a technical foul was added on. He looked dumbfounded at the technical. We were told the referees are drawing a harder line about what they will listen to this season.

The last technical of note came with 3:12 left in the fourth quarter of a one-point game. Shaun Livingston fought his way to a basket and said something that drew an immediate technical. It was not the call you expect late in a close game.

I don't think Livingston swore. But the referees are not going to tolerate any profanity on the court even if it’s directed at nobody in particular. There are just too many people sitting near the court who can hear such things.

Bottom line: The league is going to make allowances for things done and said in the heat of the moment and police just about everything else.

I’m not sure how much the fans are going to enjoy it. With the referees taking a hard line Thursday night, we had 59 fouls called, 78 free throws shot, seven technicals and a 2-hour, 45-minute exhibition game.

``We looked at the free throw shooting in the first half,’’ Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis said, ``and we went, `Wow, that’s usually a game’s worth of free throws that were shot.’’’

Reggie Miller, who was broadcasting the game for TNT, saw a couple of the higher ups from the NBA league office on his way out and said, ``I’d have lost all my money with the new rules.’’

* * *

The Lakers were hoping to run a pick-and-roll play with Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar on the final play of the game. They had success with a similar play at the end of the first half when Parker hit a 21-footer over Thomas.

It showed a lot of confidence to put the ball in Farmar’s hands in that situation. He couldn’t get the ball to Odom and hesitated in attacking immediately against Thomas.

That left Farmar isolated with the clock heading toward zero. He tried to drive the lane. I originally thought he had the ball stolen from behind by Daniel Ewing. Farmar said afterward that Thomas grabbed him by the arm.

``I’m always going to be aggressive,’’ Farmar said. ``I tried to penetrate. Things happened. I’m a rookie, I’m not going to get any calls down the stretch. I’m glad it happened, I’ll learn from it.

``Kobe came in here and showed me a different look that I could have done. I’ll definitely learn from it.’’

Said Rambis: “I thought he did a good job making an adjustment and then trying to attack, but it didn’t work out well for him.’’

* * *

Second-round draft pick J.R. Pinnock, who is fighting to make the team, had a nightmarish game in which he missed all seven shots he took.

Even when Pinnock made a nice play in the fourth quarter, stealing the ball from Corey Maggette, he couldn’t finish at the other end.

“Too eager, trying to do too much,’’ Rambis said. ``I think he’s a little frustrated that he’s not making the shots that he would normally make. All players want to play, all players want to get time. It’s got to be a frustrating situation for him.’’

* * *

Andrew Bynum had some good moments against the Clippers and Elton Brand. He used an up-and-under move to score against him in the third quarter and acrobatically tipped in a Farmar miss to start the fourth quarter.

But Bynum also had four turnovers and was slow with his hands to catch the ball on a couple of plays. He also has to get out of the habit of being so eager to contest shots that he leaves his feet too early.

``One bad habit he has is he always likes to turn baseline,’’ Rambis added. ``Then he can’t see his teammates, he can’t see where the defenders are coming from. It’s just a habit he’s gotten himself into.’’

* * *

Who was more upset with Thomas’ 1 for 11 shooting performance Thursday night? Was it the Lakers fans who remember Thomas’ shot at the end of Game 6 in last season’s playoffs or the Clippers fans who had to question the player they signed for four years?

* * *

For those who care about such things, Kobe Bryant said he is having the scar tissue in his right knee manually worked on daily. I assume that’s through some kind of massage. Bryant also said the physical therapists are making sure that his kneecap is tracking properly in everything he is doing.

* * *

This was the first game at Staples Center this season, and Lamar Odom is paying tribute to his son Jayden in a very personal way. Odom had two pictures of his son up in his locker as well as an oversized T-shirt with his son’s picture drawn on the front.

The Lakers sent out a decidedly grim injury report for tonight's game with the news that Kwame Brown will be out three to four weeks with a rotator cuff bruise and bursitis in his right shoulder. Vladimir Radmanovic is out a minimum of two games with a sprained ligament in his hand and Aaron McKie is out a minimum of three games with his back injury.

Not sure where the Lakers go from here at center, although Andrew Bynum has to be considered the first option. The Lakers also have given Ronny Turiaf and Lamar Odom minutes at center during the exhibition season. Chris Mihm is still struggling in his return from ankle surgery and is probably questionable at best to be available Oct. 31.

The Lakers' first two games are against Phoenix and Golden State, followed by a home-and-home with Seattle. Bynum started and matched up against Kurt Thomas in Sunday's exhibition game against the Suns. The Warriors are playing Troy Murphy at center, which would be a good match up for Odom. Seattle starts Johan Petro, whom the Lakers worked out against Bynum before the 2005 draft.

Brown said going into the season that the biggest key for him was staying healthy and avoid anything that could keep him out like last season's hamstring injury. He's looking at missing between six and nine games if the Lakers' timetable is accurate.

Also, the Lakers will have no chance to play as a unit with Kobe Bryant before the season opener, even if Bryant plays in one of the final two exhibition games. Radmanovic, especially, needs the chance to see where he's going to spot up with Bryant on the floor.

One other thing: Von Wafer is doubtful for tonight with a bruised left heel.

It's getting hard to keep track of all the injuries the Lakers are dealing with.

For starters, Aaron McKie was found Wednesday to be suffering from disc irritation and inflammation in his back. Whether he will need surgery has not been determined. The Lakers said they would monitor the situation and McKie wouldn't play at least the next couple of days.

The team also sent Kwame Brown and Vladimir Radmanovic to see doctors. Brown's right shoulder is still bothering him and Radmanovic had an MRI on his hand. That would seem to be an indication that Radmanovic's hand is not getting better. The Lakers weren't sure if they would get results back Wednesday night.

Here are the blog extras from Wedneday's practice:

The Lakers are less than two weeks away from their Oct. 31 season opener against Phoenix. They still have yet to play an exhibition game with Kobe Bryant, which has made evaluating their preseason play more difficult than previous years.

One thing that’s not too early to do is start speculating about who will be the 12 players on the active roster for opening night. The Lakers can carry up to 15 players on their roster but can activate only 12 each game.

It sounds as if Chris Mihm has a ways to go before his ankle is 100 percent again. I also would expect the Lakers to fill one spot on the inactive list with either Devin Green or J.R. Pinnock, depending on which player makes the team.

That leaves one spot on the inactive list. Barring further injuries, I see 11 players that have to be on the active roster:

PG: Smush Parker, Sasha Vujacic
SG: Kobe Bryant, Maurice Evans
SF: Vladimir Radmanovic, Luke Walton
PF: Lamar Odom, Brian Cook, Ronny Turiaf
C: Kwame Brown, Andrew Bynum

With Mihm injured, Bynum is the backup center. Turiaf also can play center if the need arises. Against the Suns, however, an extra guard might be preferable to an extra big man. The final spot on the active roster would appear to come down to a battle between Jordan Farmar and Shammond Williams.

Williams has been battling an abdominal injury but is a better shooter than Farmar. He hit all five shots he took against the Suns on Sunday night. Farmar, however, has impressed since the start of training camp and played the best defense of any guard against Steve Nash.

Another possibility is that Walton might start ahead of Radmanovic. Nobody would be surprised with the way Walton has played and Radmanovic has struggled with a hand injury. Would you have guessed before training camp that the 54.5 percent shooter would be Walton and the 25.9 percent shooter would be Radmanovic?

This is just one writer’s analysis of the situation. I’d be happy to hear yours.

* * *

Some notes from Wednesday’s practice, where the reporters were let into the gym just as Phil Jackson was making his exit:

I asked Farmar about the bank shot he missed in the last 2 1-2 minutes Tuesday with the Lakers trailing 92-89. He seemed a lot more bothered by that shot than the five turnovers he had in the first half. . . .

``I don’t miss that shot,’’ Farmar said. ``It’s killing me. That’s my favorite shot in basketball, the little floaters. It just wouldn’t go in last night.’’

During one timeout in the second half, Kobe Bryant got up from his seat behind the bench and talked at length to Farmar. Bryant has been a voice in Farmar’s ear throughout training camp.

``He’s very poised,’’ Bryant said of Farmar. ``He’s a savvy basketball player. For his age, playing at this level, that’s good to see. He plays with a lot of confidence. He’s just very poised. I just try to help him out wherever I can.’’ . . . .

Farmar nearly made a brilliant play in the first half Tuesday, beating Mike Bibby in the lane and floating in a shot to beat the 24-second clock. But Farmar was called for a late charge taken by Kenny Thomas on the play.

``I’m a rookie,’’ Farmar said. ``They didn’t give me that call.’’ . . . .

Kwame Brown said he would decide about playing tonight at the morning shootaround. Brown went through about half of practice Wednesday but is struggling to use his right hand to fend off players. . . .

Chris Mihm scaled back his workouts after his right ankle flared up again. He said he would increase his workload in the next couple of days in the hopes of being able to play Oct. 31. But Mihm described the process as ``very frustrating.’’. . . .

Brian Cook suffered a mild sprain of his left ankle . . . .

As an undrafted free agent last season, Devin Green never had to attend the NBA’s rookie transition program. He went to New York for the program in September, along with Ronny Turiaf and Farmar, and said he benefited greatly.

``I think it might have helped a little more if you go back after one year because you’ve actually been in it,'' Green said. ``A lot of guys that are there, they’re sitting there like it’s class. We took it a little more to heart.’’

The sessions cover everything from managing your money to media training to nutrition to learning how to handle family members and friends as a professional athlete.

We are probably guilty as writers of wasting too much ink on who gets the 15th spot on an NBA roster. Devin Green won the spot last season with the Lakers and played a total of 135 minutes in 27 games.

His biggest basketball claim to fame so far is being the player who checked in for Kobe Bryant at the end of Bryant’s 81-point game.

Even so, it was hard to watch the end of Tuesday’s 96-91 exhibition loss to Sacramento and not think that a job was there for the taking. It probably still is, judging from how things went.

Veteran guard Aaron McKie started the game and got hurt in the second minute. After playing only 14 games last season, McKie has to prove he is healthy to stay on the roster. A back injury is not a good thing for a 34-year-old player.

The two players with a chance to replace McKie are Green and J.R. Pinnock, the Lakers’ second-round draft choice. Green got the chance to play 10 minutes in the fourth quarter Tuesday while Pinnock played six minutes.

Green made one great play, driving for a three-point play that put the Lakers in front with 5:26 left. But it was all downhill for him from there.

Down the stretch, Brian Cook passed on an open shot in favor of Green, who missed a jumper from the left corner. He had a pass stolen and was tied up in the lane for a jump ball the Kings won.

With 2:38 left, John Salmons beat Green on a drive as part of a go-ahead three-point play. Green didn’t get the help he was looking for but said afterward, ``Bottom line, I’ve got to make the stop.’’

Green went on to miss a jumper from the wing with 41 seconds left and the Kings leading 92-89. He finished the game 1 for 7 with five points and three rebounds in 14:36.

You have to remember that Green was getting a rare taste of playing in crunch time, even though he has been in the NBA for a season.

He made only 6 of 28 shots last season and has to prove he can shoot well enough to stay in the league. He also has to make his mark as a defender, which is why the Salmons basket really hurt.

I asked him a couple of questions after the game, starting with how he thought he did.

``I think I did pretty good,’’ Green said. ``I think our team defense - - our communication - - has to get a lot better and that will make us excel and be able to take the next step in the playoffs as we continue to learn each other and build chemistry.

``Myself, you’re always your worst critic. Until I really go back and watch the tape, I feel like I played all right but I know I can play much better. It was a new experience for me, but at the end of the day it’s just basketball.’’

Do you feel more confident in your shot?

``I really do. It’s just all about being comfortable and being in that situation more often, so you’re familiar with it and just be able to calm down and knock down the shots.’’

Is it a tough situation playing for a job?

``I think it was tougher last year because it was all new. This year, I’ve already been through it. You just try to go out there and relax and leave it all out there on the court.’’

Pinnock, meanwhile, was less involved than Green. He missed everything on a 3-pointer from the corner that would have tied the game with two minutes left. He had a 3-pointer at the buzzer rim out as well.

Pinnock also had a bad sequence at the start of the second quarter when he picked up his dribble a step before the halfcourt line. The Kings trapped him, Pinnock coughed up the ball and Francisco Garcia scored on a layup.

The next possession, Pinnock missed a dunk. He finished with four points on 2 for 7 shooting in 12:08.

So who’s it going to be?

The Lakers already have invested a season in developing Green, although Pinnock’s athleticism has impressed the coaches.

There is another factor to consider: The Lakers have their own NBA Developmental League affiliate and probably would like to make use of it this season. Pinnock is the player who makes more sense for the D-Fenders than Green.

It’s a tough road to go from being undrafted (as Green was) or being taken late in the second round (as Pinnock was) to making an NBA roster. Both players still have a ways to go before it’s decided.

* * *

A couple of notes from Tuesday night’s game: Give credit to Jordan Farmar, who bounced back from a nightmarish first half in which he totaled five turnovers. Farmar had five assists and no turnovers in 17 minutes in the second half.

Farmar was the victim of a tough call in the first quarter. He beat Mike Bibby in the lane and floated in a shot as the 24-second clock sounded. But Farmar was called for a late charge on the play and the basket was erased. . . .

Vladimir Radmanovic fouled out in only 15 minutes. If only the game could have ended after the first minute for Radmanovic, who pounced on an entry pass for a steal and drilled a 17-footer at the other end. . . .

Assistant coach Kurt Rambis lit into Smush Parker after Parker somehow was called for an eight-second violation in the second quarter after the Lakers’ coaching staff had made clear the time situation to him. . . .

One great sequence in the first half - - it might have been the only one - - had Farmar lobbing a pass inside to Turiaf, who caught the ball and then fired a pass back outside to Brian Cook for a 3-pointer. . . .

Lamar Odom vowed this season to keep his comments to the officials to a minimum. But Odom was visibly frustrated at a call by referee Matt Boland in the second quarter and was assessed a technical foul early in the third quarter.

It didn’t help Odom’s state of mind that he missed three free throws in the first half.

Odom also paid tribute to his infant son Jayden on his sneakers Tuesday. Where Odom has written the names of his mother and grandmother in the past, he added the words ``Baby J’’ on his Nikes. . . .

The Lakers received a delay of game warning when Green checked in with his jersey untucked. The NBA has made it a point of emphasis for referees this season.

It’s amazing that you can walk into a 7-11 in Las Vegas and find people playing video poker in the middle of the day.

That’s one side of life here and the Lakers are going to experience the other side tonight with a host of activities that include a team dinner, gambling and a private party at a nightclub. It’s a slightly different definition of team-building than most people have.

Practice went long today at the Thomas & Mack Center and the Lakers had to get off the court to make way for UNLV. Lamar Odom didn’t take part in the scrimmage at the end, treating his bruised shin instead, but said he would play Tuesday.

I went in a little different direction for Tuesday’s notes. The D-Fenders are interesting to me because the NBA clearly is moving toward adopting a minor-league system along the lines of baseball and hockey and the Lakers are the team everybody is watching to see how it will work.

``We’re looking for that diamond in the rough or that hidden NBA talent,’’ coach Dan Panaggio said.

If you have any questions about the D-Fenders and how things work, feel free to e-mail. It’s not the easiest thing understanding that there will be players assigned by the Lakers to the team as well as players on the roster that can be claimed by any NBA team.

For those who are interested in Dan Panaggio’s triangle experience, he told me that he twice tried to get his CBA teams to run the triangle. He stuck with it for entire seasons but found it was too difficult to do long-term.

It takes a long time to learn the offense and the players leave too quickly at the minor-league level. That’s just one of the challenges facing the D-Fenders. But Panaggio attended a bunch of Tex Winter-run clinics when he was in the CBA.

The Lakers will have control over the D-Fenders, which wasn’t the case last season when their affiliate was in Fort Worth, Texas. General manager Mitch Kupchak said he wasn’t happy with what Von Wafer got out of his two trips there.

Panaggio said he thought players would be eager to come to the D-Fenders, even though they will play in a system different from most NBA teams. For starters, they will get scouted more extensively and they will have the benefit of being around a pro practice facility.

Although the Lakers are the first, other NBA teams are expected to own minor-league affiliates within the next season or two.

``The more time we can spend developing players,’’ Kupchak said, ``the more that bodes well for our franchise.’’

By Ross Siler
Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS--Dan Panaggio can remember the first time he saw the triangle offense, back when he was coaching Quad City in the Continental Basketball Association and watching the Chicago Bulls teams of the 1990s on television.

Now Panaggio has a seat next to Tex Winter for every exhibition game and the job of teaching the triangle to a new generation of players as head coach of the D-Fenders, the Lakers’ new minor league affiliate.

The Lakers are the first team to own and operate their own affiliate in the NBA Development League. The D-Fenders will play home games at Staples Center on the same days as the Lakers and will practice at the team’s El Segundo facility.

They also will run the offense that Phil Jackson helped make famous and Panaggio went on to run with two of his Quad City teams.

``I think it’s especially important for the Lakers,’’ Panaggio said, ``because they have a complex system they play that’s different from the norm. Hopefully, we can provide a pool of guys that are familiar with that system so that, if they do need a player, they have one that’s semi-trained.’’

The Lakers will have the ability to assign up to two players from their roster - - either in their first or second NBA season - - to play for the D-Fenders.

It was an option the Lakers would have considered last season with teenage center Andrew Bynum had their minor-league affiliate not been in Fort Worth, Texas, and had they known Bynum would get experience in the triangle.

``We’re going to run it exactly at that level like we do at this level,’’ Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said, ``because if we end up moving guys back and forth, then there’ll be no learning curve.’’

Panaggio coached in the CBA for nine seasons and won two championships. He went on to serve as an assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers for four seasons and saw how a minor-league system could benefit young NBA players.

The Blazers drafted Zach Randolph, who played one season at Michigan State, as well as high schoolers Sebastian Telfair and Travis Outlaw during Panaggio’s time.

``They drafted so many very, very young players and they would get 82 pre-game workouts once the season started,’’ Panaggio said. ``You knew it wasn’t enough. It was good that they were getting those workouts, but those young guys needed to play to fully develop.’’

The D-Fenders will draft players Nov. 2, after the conclusion of NBA training camps. They will open the season Nov. 24 at Anaheim and will play home games at 3:30 p.m. before Lakers games.

Even though the team is owned by the Lakers, the D-Fenders players will be treated no differently than their counterparts in the league. That means any NBA team - - be it the Clippers or the Kings - - could sign their players to a 10-day contract.

As a result, how the Lakers avoid losing out on their investment of developing players remains to be seen.

``We’re going to know him probably earlier and better than anybody else,’’ Panaggio said.

Kupchak also said he wasn’t sure how much the Lakers would make use of the D-Fenders this season. The Lakers have six players on the training camp roster who are eligible to be assigned, including Bynum and rookie guard Jordan Farmar.

``It all depends on how our roster ends up,’’ Kupchak said.

Option talk: Guard Sasha Vujacic was asked about facing an Oct. 31 deadline for the Lakers to exercise the fourth-year option in his contract. If the Lakers don’t exercise the option, Vujacic would be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

``Obviously, I chose not to go with the (Slovenian) national team,’’ Vujacic said. ``I chose to stay all summer long in L.A., working on my body, working on the triangle offense, working on my offense, defense, everything.

``What I was working for is simply to come into this season confident and what will happen, will happen. I want to stay here and we will see what will happen.’’

After missing two games with a foot injury, Vujacic is expected to play tonight against Sacramento.

Straight from the Wynn Las Vegas, here are the odds for winning the 2006-07 NBA championship. The Lakers are at 20/1 after opening at 30/1. The Clippers are at 20/1 after opening at 18/1. Perception has the two teams heading in different directions, I guess.

The favorites: San Antonio 7/2, Miami 4/1, Dallas 9/2, Detroit 5/1 and Phoenix 6/1

The middle: Chicago 10/1 Cleveland 10/1, New Jersey 15/1, Lakers 20/1, Clippers 20/1, Houston 20/1, Denver 20/1, Sacramento 20/1, Indiana 25/1, Memphis 28/1, Washington 35/1, Utah 40/1, Philadelphia 40/1.

The longshots: Orlando 50/1, Milwaukee 50/1, New Orleans 50/1, Minnesota 50/1, Boston 60/1, Seattle 60/1, Golden State 75/1, Charlotte 100/1, Toronto 100/1, Atlanta 150/1, New York 150/1, Portland 200/1.

It's pretty amazing to see the Knicks with longer odds than Toronto or Charlotte to win it all. The teams whose odds have dropped the most are Chicago and Houston. The teams whose odds have dropped since Oct. 1 are Miami, Chicago and the Lakers.

My gambling on this trip ended yesterday thanks to the Redskins. I really could have used the NFL to institute a new 14-point play for the fourth quarter of that game.

The last lead the Lakers had in Sunday night’s exhibition game against Phoenix came at the 8:56 mark of the second quarter. They trailed the entire second half, by as many as 14 points, and yet there still was a positive vibe after the 99-91 loss.

I’m not sure what you can take away from a game where Kobe Bryant and Kwame Brown didn’t play and Lamar Odom finished with nine points on 3 for 10 shooting with four turnovers, two of which were offensive fouls.

The Suns were playing their first game back in the United States after spending two weeks touring in Europe. There is a nine-hour time difference between Las Vegas and Italy, and Phoenix definitely had tired legs in shooting 7 for 28 on 3-pointers.

The good news for the Lakers was the play of Shammond Williams and Smush Parker, who combined to score 30 points and hit 11 of 13 shots and seven 3-pointers. Parker’s five 3s were one more than he hit in seven games against Phoenix in the playoffs.

Parker had 18 points on eight shots, Williams had 12 on 5. That’s the productivity the Lakers need out of both playing alongside Bryant. Parker averaged 11.5 points on 9.5 shots last season. For his NBA career, Williams has averaged 6.1 points on 5.4 shots.

Williams said afterward he was encouraged by the fact that the Lakers have had no trouble scoring with Bryant out. They have put up 94, 104 and now 91 points in the three exhibition games. That bodes well for the regular season.

On the other hand, Maurice Evans missed all six shots he took and Vladimir Radmanovic went 1 for 5. Radmanovic is now 4 for 20 in three exhibition games, although he is playing with a hand injury that makes shooting difficult.

Andrew Bynum had some growing pains in 22 minutes. He picked up two fouls in the first five minutes but not before scoring off a really nice putback in which he took the rebound on one side and finished with a layup on the other side.

The Lakers have been hoping to see Bynum put together sequential movements just like that. He came back in the second quarter and was called for a travel after holding the ball seemingly forever trying to make a move against Amare Stoudemire.

After that, Bynum picked up his third foul for flattening Steve Nash when he went to set a pick. In the third quarter, Bynum took a step back from Nash in the lane, leading to a short jumper. Bynum heard about it from Kurt Rambis in the next timeout.

But Bynum finished with eight points and had two good moments at the end. He blocked Leandro Barbosa off a drive and dunked off a pass from Parker.

Rambis on Bynum: "I thought Andrew did terrific. He did a lot of good things out there. We went into the playoffs last year and said, `This is a series that Andrew's not going to play.'

"It's a situation where Andrew has to learn how to be able to play at a much faster pace than he's used to. One of the things we encourage him to do all the time is run the floor. He kind of lopes sometime. He didn't have a choice in this ballgame.

"Even having said that, there were still times where he didn't run the floor as hard as we would like him to. But defensively he did some good things, offensively he did some good things. He's still a young kid. He's still got a long ways to go."

A couple of things worth noting:

The Lakers had a great sequence late in the first quarter off a pick-and-roll play that started with Williams. He gave the ball up to Ronny Turiaf, who sent a nice pass to Brian Cook for a layup. The ball moved quickly to the open man.

Devin Green came up with a nice steal in the second quarter only to blow a sure dunk at the other end. Some of us were wondering if the NBA’s new ball might have been an issue.

Referee Joey Crawford was worked up for a preseason game. He gave Rambis a technical foul at the end of the first half and barked at the Lakers huddle to get on the floor for the start of the second half. Remember that it’s Oct. 15.

Sure enough, Parker was whistled for an offensive foul 40 seconds into the third quarter, shot a look that said he was upset at the call, and was hit with a technical immediately. I guess that’s what the NBA wants this season.

Turiaf, lastly, led all players with 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. He might be a better alternative at center than Bynum, although the Lakers must develop their teenage project. But Turiaf has to shoot free throws better.

He is now 8 for 17 from the foul line in three exhibition games. The Lakers are at 45 for 79 (57 percent) as a team. That’s not going to get it done in the regular season.

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Sorry I couldn't post this last night. For some reason, the server that hosts all of our blogs was down.