As he begins rehabbing from a procedure that reduced the tendonosis in both of his knees, Lakers forward Pau Gasol has immediately penciled himself out of the Spanish National team during the FIBA European Championship taking place Sept. 4-22 in Slovenia.

“My priority aim is to recover myself [of] next season [with the Lakers],” Gasol said on his personal website. in the next season and to be ready, if I’m asked to, for the next challenge with the national team, the World Cup of Spain 2014.”

The Lakers expect Gasol to stay sidelined at least for 11 more weeks before participating in basketball-related drills. He underwent the so-called “Fast Technique” procedure Thursday, involving a probe going into both of his knees to eliminate scar tissue without damaging the healthy tissue. Gasol missed 33 games due to various ailments, including knee tendinitis that sidelined him for eight contests in early December. Gasol, who’s slated to earn $19.3 million in the final year of his contract, averaged last season a career-low 13.7 points on 46.6 percent shooting and 8.6 rebounds.

Gasol led Spain to a silver medal after losing to Team USA in the final of both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. He also guided Spain to three gold medals (2006 FIBA World Cup, 2009 and 2011 FIBA European Championships), two silvers (2003 and 2007 European Championships) and one bronze (2001 European Championship). Gasol last sat out of competition with the Spanish national team in the 2010 FIBA World Championships where it finished in sixth place, opting for rest because of fatigue and injury concerns.

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Before he’d gush about becoming the D-Fenders’ head coach, former Lakers reserve Mark Madsen had a score to settle.

Madsen fondly recalled first driving to the Lakers’ practice facility in 2000 in a Toyota minivan and sporting khakis, only for Shaquille O’Neal to rip his fashion choices and force him to go shopping. Apparently, the tables have turned after Madsen saw O’Neal recently on set as a TNT analyst.

“Shaquille, I saw that last suit you were wearing on TNT,” Madsen said Tuesday at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo. “Let’s just say your wardrobe needs a fresh set of eyes. I’m happy to be that guy.”

Madsen sounded more than happy to earn his first head-coaching gig after spending two assistant coaching stints both at his alma mater Stanford (2012-13) and with the Development League’s Utah Flash (2009-10). But considering he became a fan favorite during the Lakers’ 2001 and 2002 championship runs partly because of his goofy dancing in team parades, it was inevitable plenty of the press conference would center on that facet.

Namely, would Madsen dance again if the D-Fenders win a championship?

“I’m not going to divulge what’s going to happen,” Madsen said with a smile. “That is the goal to win a championship with the D-Fenders. But if I see some media members out there dancing, it could motivate the coaching staff more.”

Or perhaps backup center Robert Sacre could convince him. It’s likely the Lakers will resign the second year center because of his cheap price tag. If he returns, Sacre would likely play in at least a few D-League stints. He became a fan favorite this season for his colorful celebrations on the bench.

“He’s at a nice level,” Madsen said. “I’ll have to text my contacts with Dancing at the Stars and send them along to Robert.”

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This is the tenth in a series grading the Lakers’ efforts on the 2012-13 season.

Player: Jordan Hill, Lakers forward

How he performed: Averaged a career-high 6.7 points and career-high 5.7 rebounds in 15.8 minutes through 29 regular-season games; Averaged 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in only 10.3 minutes per game through three playoff games

The Good:When Hill was actually on the court, he fulfilled the exact job description that made him a pleasant surprise in the Lakers’ 2011-12 season. Hill provided tons of energy on the boards and on defense. He became a critical piece in giving the Lakers’ frontline in Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol some rest. Hill even showed some signs he could expand his mid-range game.

But those good signs suddenly evaporated once Hill injured his left hip in the Lakers’ loss Jan. 6th against the Denver Nuggets, keeping him out for nearly the entire season. Hill conceded in his exit interview that it’s possible he will only recover to about 90-95 percent because of the seriousness of an injury that required surgery. But assuming he can stay healthy, there’s no reason to think Hill can’t duplicate what he’s consistently provided in the past 1 1/2 seasons for the Lakers. After all, Hill initially convinced a skeptical Mike D’Antoni to convince him to play after siting out for three consecutive games in December.

The Bad:It’s impossible to tout Hill’s season as successful when he missed 53 regular-season games because of his injury. He returned for the Lakers’ Game 2, 3, and 4 losses in their first-round matchup against San Antonio. But Hill appeared in only limited minutes and remained a non-factor. Hill also hasn’t shown a consistent track record that he can become the mid-range player he’s aspiring to become.

Grade:B. Hill showed plenty of promise. But like everything surrounding the Lakers, injuries derailed his season.

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This is the ninth in a series grading the Lakers’ efforts on the 2012-13 season.

Player: Jodie Meeks, Lakers guard

How he performed: Averaged 7.9 points on 38.7 percent shooting from the field and 35.7 percent from three-point range in 21.3 minutes through 78 regular-season games; scored four points on 25 percent shooting in 20 minutes through one playoff game.

The Good:Even on a veteran team where shots are hard to come by, Jodie Meeks never showed any hesitation to shoot. That mindset had its consequences. But it also helped Meeks provide the service that he was supposed to provide when he signed a two-year, $3 million deal last offseason. That enabled him to score in double figures in 25 games. He shot above 50 percent from three-point range in 14 games. Even on off shooting nights, his mere presence significantly spaced the floor better, making it easier for Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol move more inside. It also helped that Meeks kept a positive attitude and showed hustle on defense.

The Bad: Meeks’ gun-slinging mentality hurt him more often than it helped him. He went through 25 games where he shot 25 percent or worse from the perimeter. Meeks’ fast-breaks usually ended in catastrophe. And he didn’t appear willing to temper his shot selection or his fast-break execution despite the results usually going against him. It didn’t help that Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni openly encouraged him to take such an approach.

It would’ve been possible for Meeks to diversify his shooting by finding opportunities on mid-range jumpers or looking more for Howard and Gasol inside. Even if he had done that, it wouldn’t have compromised his rhythm or confidence to shoot the ball. But that didn’t happen.

He also proved to be a non-factor in the playoffs, missing the last three games of the Lakers’ first-round sweep to San Antonio because of a partially torn ligament in his left ankle.

Grade:C. Meeks had the potential to be an X-factor every game. But he was too unreliable with his streaky shooting. The Lakers will likely bring Meeks back by exercising his $1.6 million team option. So it’s imperative that Meeks alters his shooting approach so he becomes more consistent.

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Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford interviewed Monday with the Milwaukee Bucks for the vacant head-coaching position, according to a league source familiar with the discussions.

It wasn’t immediately clear if any offer was made or if Clifford will have a follow-up interview. But ever since the Bucks decided not to retain interim coach Jim Boylan, Milwaukee has also interviewed Nate McMillan and Houston Rockets assistants Kelvin Sampson and J.B. Bickerstaff, according to a league source.

Clifford also plans to interview soon with the Charlotte Bobcats for their head-coaching spot.
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The obstacles facing Kobe Bryant no longer consist of healing from a torn left Achilles’ tendon.

Lately, it involves something far more suffocating than navigating a double team.

Bryant’s mother, Pamela, and father, Joe, filed statements in federal court in Camden, NJ. on Monday suggesting the Lakers’ star has lied during his recent efforts to stop Pamela from giving a New Jersey-based auction house more than 100 of his basketball memorabilia from both his high school and early portion of his Lakers career.

In a declaration filed in federal court in Camden Monday, Pamela insisted sworn statements from Kobe and his wife, Vanessa, “contained many false statements.” That included Kobe’s account of a May 2 phone conversation, in which she allegedly agreed he had never told her she could have his belongings.

Pamela Bryant claimed sworn statements by her son and daughter-in-law contained “many false statements.” She rejected Kobe Bryant’s account of a May 2 phone conversation, in which she allegedly agreed that he had never told her she could have his belongings.
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In a sign that they didn’t exactly put the ‘D’ back into Mike D’Antoni’s name, none of the Lakers earned any spots on the NBA’s All Defensive teams.

Instead, the first team honors went to the Clippers’ Chris Paul, Miami’s LeBron James, Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka, New York’s Tyson Chandler, Chicago’s Joakim Noah, Memphis’ Tony Allen. The second team included San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, Indiana’s Paul George, Memphis’ Marc Gasol, Boston’s Avery Bradley and Memphis’ Mike Conley.

Not that any of this should be surprising.

The Lakers lost to the San Antonio Spurs in first-round sweep. They finished the regular season ranked 21st in total defense (101 points per game), 29th in fast-break points allowed (15.9), 15th in opponent shooting percentage (45.3 percent) and 14th in opponent three-point field goal percentage (35.7 percent).
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Somewhere, Mark Madsen might be dancing.

The popular former Lakers reserve has been named the head coach of the D-Fenders, the team’s Development League affiliate. The Lakers recently lost Reggie Theus, who left to take a head-coaching job at Cal State Northridge.

Madsen, who spent last year in his first season as an assistant at Stanford, played nine years in the NBA and was on the Lakers’ 2001 and 2002 championship teams. He earned a place in Lakers lore both for his constant hustle in practice and for his unique dancing style during championship parades. Madsen also spent two seasons in the D-League as an assistant for the Utah Flash.

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This is the eighth in a series grading the Lakers’ efforts on the 2012-13 season.

Player: Earl Clark, Lakers forward

How he performed: Averaged a career-high 7.3 points on 44 percent shooting and 5.5 rebounds through 23.1 minutes in 59 regular-season games, including 36 as a starter; Averaged 3.5 points on 36.8 percent shooting and 3 rebounds through 20.5 minutes in four playoff games.

The Good: So much for the Lakers initially considering Clark no more than just a throw-in involving the trade that brought them Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic. Clark emerged as a surprisingly reliable stretch forward that provided plenty of energy, length and an occasional jumper. Clark may not have received such a chance if not for injuries to Howard (shoulder), Pau Gasol (concussion) and Jordan Hill (regular season-ending left hip injury). But Clark’s season-high 20 minutes against Houston on Jan. 8 soon morphed into career-highs in points (22) and rebounds (13) the next day against San Antonio. Even when Gasol returned, D’Antoni granted Clark the starting spot after because of his preference for a smaller lineup.

Clark took advantage of that opportunity. He posted 11 double doubles. Clark made a key basket in a win Jan. against New Orleans. He scored on a lob with .04 seconds left before the first half in a win Feb. against Detroit. And in two must-win games in April against Memphis and Dallas, Clark averaged 15 points, 8.5 rebounds and three blocks.
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This is the seventh in a series grading the Lakers’ efforts on the 2012-13 season.

Player: Antawn Jamison, Lakers forward

How he performed: Averaged 9.4 points on 46.4 percent shooting and 4.8 rebounds in 21.5 minutes through 76 regular season games; Averaged 7.3 points on 43.5 percent shooting and 1.8 rebounds in 19.8 minutes through four playoff games.

The Good:Team accounts described Jamison as the Lakers’ second best off-the-ball player behind Kobe Bryant for a number of reasons. Jamison seamlessly snuck through the cracks of any defense so well that Bryant affectionately described him as a “cockroach.” Steve Blake marveled at how quickly Jamison slipped off of screens to set himself up for an open shot. Everyone mused how Jamison’s ridiculously ugly flip shot usually remained effective.
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