Kind of a quiet day around the Lakers. Andrew Bynum did have a spectacular block against Von Wafer in practice that knocked Wafer off his feet and sent him tumbling to the floor. Without a doubt, Bynum has the best shot-blocking instincts on the team.
Tex Winter was in good form, preaching about the principles of the triangle offense, in particular hitting the first open man and not waiting for somebody else.
Sasha Vujacic tossed up a right-handed hook shot from about 50 feet as he walked off the practice court. He hit the shot and said he wanted to read about it in the paper Friday. Unfortunately, Vujacic couldn’t leave well enough alone and badly missed the same shot when he tried it twice more. That gets mentioned, too.
Kobe Bryant said he was still running three days a week on his injured knee. He’ll put in another morning of work Friday. “We don’t want to rush it,” he said. “We’re just taking our time, just getting stronger, letting the scar tissue heal.”
By Ross Siler
Staff Writer
EL SEGUNDO–About the only thing Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis can say with respect to the four ball-handing guards competing in training camp is that everything will be sorted out by opening night on Oct. 31.
The Lakers have four such guards in Smush Parker, Sasha Vujacic, Shammond Williams and Jordan Farmar, and only 48 minutes to divide each game between them.
Parker started all 82 games last season and established himself in the league after failing to stick with three previous teams. Vujacic, meanwhile, averaged 17.7 minutes off the bench and knocked down 9 of 15 3-pointers in the playoffs.
Williams has the most experience of the four, having played for six NBA teams before spending the last two seasons in Europe. And Farmar is the teams first-round draft pick who impressed during summer-league play.
“Were going to let them (sort) that out for themselves, Rambis said. “If theyre playing well, theyll deserve and earn time. If theyre not, then situations will have to be adjusted, whether thats the D-League or moving players on.
Parker was back on the court Thursday after sitting out practice the day before with a sprained shoulder. He spent the off-season working on his mid-range game and trying to forget about his playoff slump against Phoenix.
“Were going to be a better team this year because of it, said Parker, who missed 22 of 26 3-pointers in the first-round series, “and Im going to be a better player because of my experience last year.
Vujacic worked out in the mountains outside of Belgrade, Serbia, for part of the summer and weighed in for training camp at 205 pounds, up from 193 as a skinny rookie two years ago.
But Vujacic will find competition in Williams. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak approached Williams agent about signing him before last season but the two sides couldnt work out a deal. Williams led FC Barcelona to the Euroleague Final Four.
Williams is a career 36.3 percent 3-point shooter and can defend small guards. He has spent the early days of training camp picking up the triangle offense.
“What Ive been taking pride in is trying to create shots for other people, Williams said. “I feel confident that Im capable of doing that, getting people in position where they can get open shots.
Feeling better: Rambis said he heard from Jeanie Buss that coach Phil Jackson is walking with a cane and doing well after undergoing hip-replacement surgery Tuesday. Jackson also was described as being “more upright by Buss.
“Now hes like 7-foot-5, Rambis said, jokingly.