Not good seeing Aaron McKie on the sidelines Friday. This season is the last opportunity for the Lakers to get anything in return on their $12 million investment in Vlade Divac and McKie. Divac never was able to recover from a back injury and retired before last season. So far, Divac and McKie have combined to play 251 minutes, the equivalent of 5.2 games. They were both high-mileage players the Lakers used either all or part of their midlevel exception on and suffered hard-luck injuries. They’re also the reason that Mitch Kupchak opted to spend this summer on Vladimir Radmanovic, who is under contract from age 26 to 30.
McKie is listed as day to day.
By Ross Siler
Staff Writer
EL SEGUNDO–While the Lakers scrimmaged at the end of practice Friday, Aaron McKie sat on a giant inflatable ball on the sidelines, a sore back leaving him watching instead of playing once again.
There is no doubt that the Lakers benefit from the presence and professionalism of McKie, who is entering his 13th season and turned 34 on Monday. The issue is whether McKie is healthy enough to make a contribution on the court.
He played in only 14 games in his first season with the Lakers, suffering a torn left quadriceps tendon that wasnt fully healed until this summer. McKie has a guaranteed contract for this season paying him $2.5 million.
Assistant Kurt Rambis was asked whether McKie – – the oldest player on the roster – – was a known commodity to the coaching staff given how many games he missed last season.
“We have a lot of faith in his leadership capabilities, Rambis said. “He did a great job when he wasnt playing or when he was dealing with injuries last year in working with the younger guys and showing them how to be professional and how to train and how to keep working hard. He was fantastic in those areas.
“In terms of playing out there on the court, he shows all those good instincts that good defensive players have. He understands this offense. Now its just physically whether or not hell be able to keep up with everything thats going on and compete for a spot.
McKie was signed to a two-year, $5 million contract in August 2005 after he was waived in a luxury-tax saving move by Philadelphia, which still owes him more than $12.5 million through the 2007-08 season.
The Lakers originally hoped that McKie would be their finisher, on the court for critical late-game situations. But he averaged only 8.6 minutes in the games he played and had only three baskets all season.
Happy camper: After undergoing open heart surgery in July 2005, forward Ronny Turiaf attended the first part of training camp last October in Honolulu. He was around the team, but not quite on it, and returned to Spokane, Wash., to continue his comeback.
Turiaf made it back to the NBA only four months later and played in 23 games for the Lakers. Now he is happily taking part in his first full camp – – calling it a “dream for me – – and trying to win a spot in the rotation.
I definitely feel part of this team, feel part of what were trying to accomplish here, Turiaf said. “Im trying to have some fun and play hard, play tough defense, and hopefully when Im on the court, the offense runs smoothly.
The Lakers have put the emphasis on defense, which plays to Turiafs strengths. He said he wanted to be a communicator on the floor as well as an “enforcer, setting screens, boxing out and doing the dirty work not in the box score.
“I know for a fact my teammates will appreciate the work that I do, Turiaf said.
He played this summer for the French national team, which took fifth at the world championships in Japan. It was another step in coming back from a surgery that once was feared could end his career.
“I regained my confidence in myself, Turiaf said. “Everybody was kind of doubting me as far as me making the team and all that stuff. They thought, `Ronny Turiaf hasnt played many games this year, we dont know what he can do. So I went out there with a chip on my shoulder to show them that I could do it.