Well, the score went the right way, but there wasn't much else about the Lakers' 101-98 overtime win against the Thunder in Oklahoma City that'll make them all giddy. For every good thing the Lakers did (forcing 21 TOs, for example) there was a negative counter (25 turnovers of their own, for example). Yes, the Lakers held Oklahoma City to 39 points in the second half (for example), but they only scored 38 (and so on).

Kobe finished with 31 points on 9-22 shooting and 12-14 from the line... and seven turnovers. Ron Artest had his best shooting night as a Laker and finished with 20 points, five steals, and six dimes... and four TOs. Just continuing to work a theme here, folks. Andrew Bynum was 10-15 en route to 22. Maybe they could have gone there a little more?

Chat box below. Remember, it's a Q and A style, with the goal of having a good conversation people can read and follow when it's over. Not every comment or question will go through. Ask about the game, about the season, and so on. Hopefully, this experiment works!

BK

Word is Kobe Bryant, steeped in flu-like symptoms (Is it flu? Flu adjacent? Scurvy? Pac-Man Fever?*) will be a game time decision. I bet he plays. Yes, flu can make a guy feel lousy, but it doesn't require being strapped to a gurney Hannibal Lecter style, generally what it takes to keep 24 off the floor.

FYI:  After the game, we're going to try something a little different than our normal road game routine:  Postgame chats, starting about 5-10 minutes after the game ends and running for about 15-20 minutes.  And it's a chat, not a continuation of the live blog.  Meaning more Q and A style. NOT every comment will go through. It's a postgame call in show, without the phones or radios.

Chat box below.

BK

*Lakers Blog. Where Buckner and Garcia happens.

This just in from the Times' own Mike Bresnahan-  Kobe Bryant is dealing with flu-like symptoms as we speak and is considered "questionable" for tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.  We'll keep everyone posted as we hear news, but Phil Jackson expects 24 to suit up. 

"He usually does," as PJ correctly notes of the infamous gamer.

By the way, is it just me, or does Kobe catch the flu, like, every other week?  Dude's aware medical science now features preventative shots, right?  I just got my shoulder stuck two weeks ago over at the CVS, and using my wife's insurance plan, the injection didn't cost us a nickel.  And I'll go out on a limb and predict the Lakers' health plan is better than ours.  Hell, I imagine shots would be on the house in exchange for an autographed 8X10 glossy.  Unless leaving himself vulnerable is part of some master plan to eventually top MJ's infamous "flu game," somebody needs to get himself in front of a doctor more often.  Particularly when you're a parent of two small kids.  Preschools, kindergartens and the like are nothing but germ factories.  C'mon, Mamba.  We're all depending on you. 

And speaking of shots, Manu's Ginobli's awesome turn as Batman didn't come without consequences.  Unlike a flu shot, this treatment ain't quick nor easy. 

AK

If you missed it, Monday evening reader NBA4ever left a very interesting take on the Lakers without Pau Gasol:

"...Andrew Bynum might be the Laker’s second leading scorer but he is not a 2nd option. Pau Gasol is the second option, the team flows so much more efficiently going into him. Bynum is too indecisive when he gets the ball in the post, and then once he makes up his mind he can’t make the adjustments. He will score more than Gasol because of Gasol, he will score from the attention given to Gasol and Gasol's ability to make the right play. We already have seen we can win with a limited Bynum, but we can’t without Gasol. Once Gasol comes back I think Bynum will become even more of a force..."

It's not a dig at Bynum, rather a recognition Gasol's role in the offense. Moreover, it gets at something about basketball commentary that probably should change. Too often, fans and media associate "first option" or "second option" with scoring. Here, though, NBA4ever points out that being an effective "option" in an offense, particularly one like the Lakers use, involves more than simply putting the ball in the basket. Argue about the semantics if you'd like, but there's no question Pau facilitates opportunities for himself and others in ways Bynum can't at this point in his career. Gasol's ability to either score or find open man out of any portion of the post is a fundamental to the team's success on that end of the floor. The same principle applies to Kobe Bryant. Take away his incredible court vision and ability to pass surgically out of double teams, and he's another high volume shooter/scorer in a league with a lot of those types.

A really good one, sure, but not an MVP.

I posted the big news- Pau Gasol's MRI- earlier in the afternoon. Beyond that, it was a reasonably light day in El Segundo, as the Lakers were quick getting off the court and to the airport for their flight to Oklahoma City. Still, there were a couple points of note from the head coach, to be presented with the aid of video pictures:

Phil Jackson, on Tuesday's game in Oklahoma City. On the matchup between Ron Artest and Kevin Durant: "He's so lanky, I don't know how that's going to work out. I haven't talked to Ron about it particularly. We went through some of the actions that they run to get our defense prepped, but we'll see how that goes." I would expect Artest to use his physicality to limit Durant's options in open space. While he's developed into a prolific scorer since being moved to a more natural small forward spot, the long, lean Durantula still isn't overly strong.  

I have no idea how the Rockets defended Durant last season but for those interested, in the three games OKC played against the Rockets, one of which Artest missed, he scored and shot well.

No results yet, but that's the big news from practice Monday in El Segundo, ahead of the Lakers' first road trip of the season. Phil Jackson used the word "tear" speaking to the media and a sonogram on Gasol's hamstring may indicate that possibility. "The last diagnostic test we did showed he had a slight tear, so we wanted to see what that progress was," Jackson said when asked if the MRI was precautionary in nature. "I think it's going to turn out really well."

It's not happy news, but without knowing the exact nature of Gasol's injury, shouldn't necessarily cause alarm. Or more of it at least. When it comes to muscles, "strain" and "tear" can be a distinction without a difference. Sports medicine types out there can weigh in, but most strains involve some form of tearing in muscle fibers. The question is of degree, not necessarily language.

We'll know more about Gasol's status when the results come in, but he's not expected to play Tuesday in Oklahoma City or Wednesday in Houston. More from practice to come.

BK

The polls have officially closed and we thank the Lakers Blog faithful for its participation in our most recent Lakers Blog survey. Unfortunately, "I voted" stickers will not be issued, as we simply don't have the budget for postage through snail mail, nor the manpower to send out that many emailed attachments.  However, those who made their voices heard know who they are and the difference they made. (And if you didn't vote, shame on you, because the electoral process is what makes America great.  They don't allow you to do this kinda stuff in certain countries. Or any planet under Death Star jurisdiction.)

When it comes to feeling confident about Ron Artest in purple and gold, 19% of our readership feels worse about the newest Laker two games into the season than they did when he inked the deal.  Granted, that was before last night's win over Atlanta and Artest's locking down of Joe Johnson, but given how our readership collectively experiences game to game mood swings rivaling those of a teenage girl (no offense, but you know it's true), I imagine that figure will remain relatively accurate this morning.  Particularly when compared to swapped out ex-Laker Trevor Ariza, whose most recent effort against the Portland Trail Blazers netted an impressive 33 points on an even more impressive 11-17 shooting clip. As ESPN's JA Adande has also noticed, Artest's slow start has naturally sparked some "buyer's remorse" comparison shopping for some Lakers fans, but for what it's worth, Ron Ron isn't concerned concerned about what TA is doing for his old team.

"He had 33?" asked Artest with a surprised tone. Then came a grin. "That's great. I didn't know he could score 30." Artest went on to express happiness for Ariza's big night and wished him a 20 ppg season, but reiterated his credo since arriving in Los Angeles: Points aren't his concern.

They say good teams can make a push at one or two points in a game that the opposition can't handle. It happened for the Lakers on Ring Night against the Clippers, and by any definition Sunday evening in LA's 118-110 win over the Hawks at Staples. Up by six at the half, the Lakers used an 18-0 run over five minutes in the third quarter to turn a reasonably tight (if oddly played) game into a blowout.

The box score shows Kobe Bryant finished with 41 points on 15-29 from the floor and 10-11 from the line, Andrew Bynum had 21 (and only three boards, something he said after the game wasn't going to cut it), and Lamar Odom- call him Lamar 2.0?- was two dimes away from a triple double. But as we noted last night after the game (from a very poorly lit corner of the arena) after the game, the big story centered around Ron Artest, whose defense against Joe Johnson over the final three quarters tipped the balance of things for the purple and gold. "It all started with 37," said Kobe. 

Johnson started red hot. 7-8 in the first quarter before Hawks coach Mike Woodson sat him down (a point of contention in that corner of the NBA universe) for a break. When he returned and with Artest on duty, Johnson only had one field goal over the final three quarters.

At best, it helps clear the memory of Friday's pre-Halloween horror show. At worst, it takes the edge off a Monday morning. Particularly one accompanied by an iconic Allman Brothers album.

More stuff below, filled with (as that cute kid from those new Windows commercial calls them) lots of happy words.

"We have to keep some bodies on bodies tonight... Against screen and roll, you're going to have to take a body off people, but you have to go back and get people in the process."

That was Phil Jackson on what the Lakers need to do tonight defensively. I think everyone expects a better effort in the wake of Friday's moldy breadloaf of a game. Chat box below.

BK

Nuggets from Phil Jackson's pregame press conference:

Pau Gasol will travel with the team this week, but playing is a different story. Asked if they're going to wait until Pau is totally healthy to get him back on the floor, PJ's response was interesting: "No, this isn't something you have to be (100% back). You can't be 100% on this unless you take forever and ever to let it heal. I think that's one of the things that is the issue right now is that probably his initial diagnosis was the fact that it takes six weeks for a hamstring to heal. We don't have six weeks. Right now, it'll be three weeks as of tomorrow. So that's half the time, supposedly. We just have to figure it out, and there are ways to come through this without having to jeopardize him. But he still has to have some security that he's not going to go out there and hurt himself." 

After Friday's loss to Dallas, PJ made a point to note how Thursday's practice leading into the game was poor. I asked if the team responded better Saturday afternoon. "I talked to the coaches, we didn't feel 100% about the practice but we felt better about it. The effort was there, but the lack of enthusiasm bothered us more than anything else."

What accounts for that?

"I don't know," he said. "We talked a little bit about it, where we lost a little bit of our enthusiasm for playing ball and getting it out there, and going after it. Some of it is just the malaise coming out. The ring ceremony is a high energy night, and then we come out Friday and there's no energy in the building and everybody's talking about something else other than basketball. There's the World Series going on, whatever. Whatever else is coming up. We just weren't focused to take care of our business."

They don't let us watch practice, so I don't know exactly how well things went. To some extent, we might find out based on Sunday's result against the Hawks. Either way, it's a public reminder to his team that focus and energy aren't givens, that the team must put in the work with an attention to detail to get where they're going. 

BK

I'm sure y'all are aware of this, as it's hard to miss a seven foot Spaniard in street clothes.  However, I thought it was worth tossing out a reminder, since Friday night's loss to Dallas (and Trevor Ariza's nice game against Portland last night) has led to reader anxiety.  Is this team on track to repeat?  Was it a mistake not to retain Ariza at any cost?  Will Ron Artest ever fit like a glove in the Lakers' system?  Your consensus opinion is being tracked as we speak, but should the numbers poll unfavorably, it's important not to lose sight of one very crucial factor.

Pau Gasol hasn't played yet this season.

Aside from the obvious tangibles forgone without an elite big men and any team's second best player, Gasol's absence affects the Lakers beyond his own contributions.  The Lakers become easier to defend.  Pau commands more attention than anybody not named "Kobe" or "Bryant," allowing defenders to be a little more honest with their assigned man.  You're no longer sporting the league's best 4/5 combo, which makes you considerably less threatening.  Not "non-threatening," mind you, as Lamar Odom is no slouch as a sub.  But it's not the same thing as Bynum-Gasol, especially since Drew and LO haven't worked together much as a tandem over the years.  You lose Pau's outstanding passing skills, making baskets that much harder to come by, the offense becomes less fluid and certain players ill-equipped to create their own opportunities will be forced to try more often.  Odom as a starter leaves the bench considerably less potent, a reality witnessed quite often last season.  And defensively, Gasol is a better all around defender than every big man save LO, which creates a void felt on both sides of the ball. 

In the meantime, we all knew Artest would require a feeling out period as he acclimated himself to a new system.  And that was fine, in theory, because the Lakers have so many weapons that his learning curve could be experienced in a way where mistakes and awkwardness would be softened.  Without Gasol, everything instead grows magnified.  The margin for any error decreases and can come to back bite hindquarters. 

In short, this is a bad time to properly judge where the Lakers are at, because they're neither fully intact nor able to grow as the unit pictured.  For now, patience must be exhibited and perspective maintained.  All joking aside, it's just two games into the season (another reason it's a bad time to properly judge anything), we have a long ways to go and if you recall, last season featured many a Laker fan throwing up his hands after a loss (or even a mediocre win), wondering if the team had what it takes.  Clearly, they did.  Let's see a little more evidence of problems at full strength before baby and bathwater end up splattered on the lawn.

AK

Off kilter from the opening tip, the Lakers were poleaxed Friday night against the Mavs. In the process (and with plenty of company), Ron Artest again struggled with his shot. Meanwhile, Trevor Ariza hung 33 on the Blazers last night, helping the Rockets to a win in their home opener.

Personally, I think the first week of the season is a little quick to make stark, sweeping judgments, and as we noted after Tuesday's win, the signs of what Artest can bring to the mix are there. But enough about my opinion- have you done any soul searching?

Call it a hunch, but I doubt this'll be the last time this question pops up, in one form or another.

It seemed like a longshot anyway, but Phil Jackson confirmed Saturday at practice that Pau Gasol won't play tomorrow against Atlanta at Staples, thanks to his strained right hamstring that again kept him on the sidelines this afternoon as it has since an exhibition game on October 9. As I wrote the other day, the Lakers are going to be exceedingly careful with Pau, and aren't likely to let him suit up for a game until he's practiced in full- at least once- and come back the next day without complications.

The following shouldn't be used for gambling purposes as it's purely speculative, but I wouldn't expect to see Gasol Tuesday in Oklahoma City, nor, considering the lack of a full practice day in between, Wednesday in Houston. Hopefully I'm wrong (wouldn't be the first time) but my read says Friday at home against Memphis is the next target for Gasol's return. 

BK

That'll take some shine off Tuesday's ring ceremony, no?

More commentary below.

You can't spell 82-0 without 2-0. True story.

Chat box below.

BK

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently perked ears by expressing thankfulness that Ron Artest was now in purple and gold.  The rationale:  The Lakers just inherited a powder keg waiting to blow up their title defending shot:

         "I tell you what, now that they've got Ron Artest, I couldn't think of anything better," Cuban told the radio station.  If you would have said, what one player -- and I'll get killed over this -- what one player would you like to see on the Lakers? Ron Artest.  Could you imagine? Ron Artest has got the ball, and Kobe's standing there, 'Throw me the ball.' Thank you, Ron Artest."

Naturally, Ron Ron was asked about these words before the game and he was mostly amused.  He likes Cuban and thinks he's entertaining (if one that perhaps puts undue pressure on his players by being so front and center), but mostly, he was curious about where the better fit would be.  "I want you to ask him what team best fits me," said Artest with a grin.

Ask and ye shall receive.

As few of us later caught up with Cuban and asked which team he thought was in fact tailor made for Artest.  No specifics were named- "I don't know the culture of every team"- but he stood by his original statement.  Cuban thinks the threat of implosion remains, reminding us that Artest was once a bad teammate by his own admission, and sometimes spots remain unchanged.  "There's always a possibility, if history repeats itself." 

Mind you, Cuban respects Artest as a player.  "Amazing talent."  But that volatility can't be ignored, in the owner's eyes.  I asked Cuban if he would ever take a chance on a player with Artest's past.  "At a minimum contract," nodded Cuban, using Shawne Williams ("put out to pasture," as Cuban phrased it) an example.  They knew Williams came with baggage, so they're sequestering him from the team at a relatively cheap price.  Granted, the comparison doesn't entirely work, in that Artest is considerably more talented than Williams, whose on-court production/off the court issues was so out of whack that it arguably wasn't even worth taking a chance on him in the first place.  But I understand what Cuban meant, conceptually.

Of course, if Ron does some damage tonight, Cuban might be wishing Artest arrived in L.A. as a mid-season pickup.  But we shall see.

AK

Funsie Stuff (like our new Twitter handle, latimesKBros, and Part I and Part II of our 710 ESPN PodKast)

• Ball Don't Lie has some sweet pics of/details about the Lakers' 2009 championship rings.  I actually watched Sasha Vujacic's bling revolve in the box, and while kinda over the top, it was pretty cool.  And like Skeets, 10 K strikes me as very low for a starting point estimation.  I realize Brez qualified this sum with "at least," but as someone not too far removed from engagement ring shopping/pricing expeditions, I can't picture plunking down less than 20 G's for that many diamonds.  Plus, all the little details. 
  
  Oddly enough, before Wednesday meeting over at LA Live across the street from Staples Center, I randomly bumped into Andrew Bynum walking through the plaza with a couple of friends.  And yes, kid was wearing his ring.  Drew let me take a close gander at the facial inscription and I must say, my compliments to the artist.  Very nicely done.  Because I ran into AB on foot, however, I didn't get to see if he rolled up in his new Bumblebee. (That ride, by the way, is a fairly good indicator that the "extension money" era has officially kicked off.)
• And speaking of rings, you may have heard Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian exchanged a pair.  Well, they also got some commemorative ink as well.  You can get the backstory from "KO" herself.  Thanks to True Hoop for the Heads up.
• When Jordan Farmar made his second appearance on NUMB3RS, I tried to cajole a diss on his one-time co-star Pau Gasol's thespian skeels.  Jordy didn't bite, and El Spaniard apparently wasn't malo.  He'll be making an upcoming appearance on CSI: Miami.  Unlike Farmar, his second time on the boob tube will not be playing himself.  Dude is STUH-RETCHING his craft.
• Nuggets VP Mark Warkentein has a pretty cool idea to prevent tanking among the bottom feeders.
• The Cavs are stumbling out of the gate (which is funsie if you're a Lakers fan).
• Chuck Hayes didn't know he's a Rockets captain.

Not As Funsie Stuff

• The Bench Mob realizes it's just a one game sample.  But that one game sample kinda, well, sucked.
• Tony Gaffney had a contract with the Israeli roundball team stating that were he cut by the Lakers, he'd hoop for them dudes.  Thus, he's overseas. 
• CelticsBlog laments the sad state of Antoine Walker's economic affairs.
• I can't imagine the Clips are thrilled with these Chris Kaman vids making the rounds.  Guns give franchises the willies.  They're probably not even wild about fireworks.  (Tip of the hat to BDL)
• Ex-Laker Javaris Crittenton will miss a month or so after exploratory surgery on his left foot.

AK

Lakers consultant Tex Winter receives his championship ring during the 3rd quarter at the Staples Center Tuesday. (Wally SKalij/Los Angeles Times)

Divvied up into two shorter sections.  Easier for our listeners to digest.  Double the clicks for the K Brothers.  Everybody gets a plate of "winner winner" chicken dinner on us!*

Part I

• Brian and I explain how Ron Artest can add versatility to the Lakers on both sides of the ball and enhance the Lakers' already dominant life in the paint.  Terrific as Trevor Ariza played last season, he's not much of a threat in the paint outside of a dunk or a putback.  But as we saw on Ring Night, Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom now have another Brother-In-"Post up Opponents To Death"-Arms.
• It would obviously be nice for the Lakers to capitalize on a home-heavy early schedule consisting of largely quite winnable games.  But is it crucial?  We both say no, save one Northwest based caveat. 
• Is a 73-win season attainable?  On paper and pure talent... maybe.  In reality and "bigger picture perspective"... not likely.

Part II

• BK and I talk with ESPN.com's Eric Neel about a team's "repeat" mentality and how competitive these Lakers are.  He's also pleased with Artest's play thus far.   
• How amused are we by Adrian Wojnarowski's report that Mikhail Prokohrov is seeking a summit with Jay-Z to strategize "LBJ in 2010?"  Amused enough that we do bad Russian accents.
• Bo and Luke Duke: Actual hillbillies or merely part of the moonshine industry?

AK

* - Chicken dinners will be high on imagination, low on actual chicken.

NOTE: The official Lakers Blog Twitter Feed has moved! Find us now at latimesKbros.

Pau Gasol will miss Friday's game against the Mavs, thanks to the same strained hammy that kept him out of the opener. The LAT's Broderick Turner with the report.

The way things are looking, Sunday is probably a long shot as well. Gasol didn't practice Thursday, and the Lakers likely won't let him on the floor until he gets at least one full speed run under his belt and responds the next day without pain. Hamstrings are too temperamental to mess with. Until then, it's a question of playing the waiting game, which sucks relative to Hungry Hungry Hippos.

BK

Photo of Pau Gasol and his new bling by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images