With Kobe already recovering from offseason knee surgery, the Lakers learned that coach Phil Jackson will need hip replacement surgery, and will undergo the procedure on Tuesday, Oct. 3.  If that date sounds familiar, it should.  Tuesday is the first day of training camp.  He'll theoretically be back before the season opens on the 31st, but there's no guarantee.  Jackson had hoped rehab would help calm his ailing hip, but it didn't happen.  A gaggle of assistant coaches, all with plenty of experience, will divide the coaching duties. 

I'm not surprised this came up.  Watching Phil move around last season was, pardon the term, painful.  So it's pretty clear to me that if things are worse now than they were at the end of the Phoenix series, something had to be done.  Better now than later in the year when P.J. would miss a big chunk of the regular season.  It's hard for me to say how much this sets back the team.  Fortunately, they have a group of coaches well versed in the system, and players with a year of the triangle under their belts.  Had this happened last year, it would have been a bigger issue.  Assuming Jackson's back at or relatively near the start of the season, I think Kobe's recovery will have a larger impact on how strong L.A. opens the season.  Jackson's been around long enough to where it won't take him long to catch up. 

If Kobe and Phil both start the year on the shelf?  That could justify some nail biting.

BK

Click below for the reaction of ESPN.com's Marc Stein, from his Insider Blog. 

Denver Nuggets: 44-38 (Third-ish in the Western Conference)
Big Gains: Extended Carmelo Anthony.  Resigned Nene and Reggie Evans (reportedly on the verge of bringing back DerMarr Johnson as well) . Traded for Smiths Joe and J.R.
Big Losses: Traded Ruben Patterson.  Greg Buckner and Francisco Elson (Free agency) 

The Portland Trailblazers have rightfully staked their rep as the NBA's most dysfunctional squad, but if I'm Oregon's finest, I'd be peeking in my rear view mirror for fear of getting lapped by the Nuggets.  That squad appears nothing short of a freakin' mess (albeit a reasonably talented one).  I attended all three Clippers-Nuggets playoff matches at Staples last season, and after each demoralizing loss, half of Denver's roster wandered around like shellshocked Vietnam vets.  The other half just looked ready to kill each other.  The Nugs' topsy turvy nature was illustrated by two ugly, bizarre incidents: The always hotheaded Kenyon Martin getting suspended throughout the postseason for launching a profanity laced tirade during halftime of game 2 and Reggie Evans grabbing Clips center Chris Kaman's junk during game 4 without even holding Caveman afterward so he'd feel safe.  Martin will permanently reside on "the block," but his bloated contract, questionable attitude and gimpy knee make him a tough sell.  It's likely no coincidence, however, that fellow Cinci Bearcat (and vocal supporter) Patterson is no longer with the club.  K-Mart and Karl claim everything now is behind them.  Can the same be said for the team, which is in desperate need of getting on the same page (and finding a reliable shooter)?   

Bonzi Wells, who passed up on a five-year, $36 million offer to stay with the Sacramento Kings, has ended up in Houston for the grand total of two years, $5 million. The new deal gives Wells a player option for '07-'08, and has every intention of using it, meaning we'll likely be watching this story again next summer. So if you're keeping score at home, Wells currently is down about $33.5 million in the guaranteed money ledger. He ain't poor, but still, that'll gnaw at a guy, I'd think. It's hard not to play the "If I had a guaranteed $33.5 million coming in, what would I spend it on?" game.

But unfortunately for the purple and gold, that Wells landed in Houston essentially on a one-year deal — the only kind of deal I'd ever give him — with every incentive to play well isn't a good thing. Much worse than say, Charlotte or Boston, both also interested in getting into the Bonzi business. The addition of Wells gives Houston more depth and firepower. With T-Mac on the mend (AK and I heard this week in NYC that he says he's feeling great), a hopefully healthy Yao and the importation of Shane Battier, a team that had a shot to be pretty good just got better.

—BK

Obviously, there's no way he's lapping Luke Walton, but just coming close would be a major accomplishment. And either way, it sounds like Kobe's having a good time these days, whether shooting a commercial as the new NBA '07 cover boy or, as we reported earlier this summer, hanging with the kids at the Watts/Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club.

I am a little troubled, however, at Sasha Vujacic's sudden amnesia with the English language. I've talked with him a few times about both basketball and stuff like movies and "24" (the TV show, not Kobe's jersey) and never noticed any issues. If anything, I thought he spoke it great. I'm hoping this was just a bad case of camera fright gone wild. The kid does not need to be wasting much-needed shooting practice toiling away at Berlitz.

—AK

As some of you may already know, the Lakers inked Devin Green to a deal going into camp. And with the announcement of an already swollen roster's expansion, the natural speculation for many readers will be that something is indeed a-brewing. Well, not necessarily (and second opinion Eric Pincus would agree).

Yeah, the powers that be obviously want to take look at how Green's much improved Summer League play translates while mixing with the big boys. And if Green (or J.R. Pinnock, or any other "bubble guy") impresses, perhaps an Aaron McKie buyout or a roster space creating trade will be pursued.

But you only can make such decisions by bringing them in for some round ball sessions. And while the cats in question can obviously play — I'd be happy if either made the squad — with all due respect, this is not the biggest decision Mitch Kupchak is gonna make as GM. If Pinnock or Green's presence mostly amounts to a more competitive preseason vibe, that's nothing to complain about. Dudes often get brought in to eventually get cut. That's the nature of the bidness. So in the end, while it's hella fun reading into this stuff (and I dig it as much as any member of the blogging nation), a grain of salt should always be kept on hand.

Very few sodium-heavy substances are required, however, when it comes to Kwame Brown's presence at training camp. Here's Ross Siler's article about the center that came from the interview published earlier.

—AK

Lakers Blog will be on the road today (in the air, technically). We've contacted the Mother Ship, so hopefully things will flow smoothly and comments won't be unduly delayed before posting. 

—BK

Ross Siler from the Los Angeles Daily News had a lengthy convo with Kwame Brown. Here's what the Lakers' most yoked dude had to say about his offseason workouts, the pressure of wearing a purple and gold uni, and his odds of a breakout season (assuming he can, as he puts it, "catch this damn ball").

—AK

Andrew Bynum has only been an NBA player for one season, but already carries a few distinctions.  The last high school kid drafted as a lottery pick (and unless the league changes its recently implemented rules, that ain't changing anytime soon).  A definitive symbol of the Lakers rebuilding for the future.  A would-be heir to the throne held by a string of dominant purple and gold big men.  It's a lot to throw on the shoulders of a project more raw than a side of uncooked beef, but that's about the size of things for Bynum these days.  The kid who hasn't spent a year as a legal voter has an undeniably full plate as he prepares for his second season.

Bynum's rookie campaign was a mix of occasional highlights (those three minutes against Shaq trail only "81" and the Lakers-Suns series as the 2006 season's most exciting moment), typical rookie lumps (not much meaningful action from March on) and learning (basically every minute he was awake).  His sophomore effort will be closely watched as the kid gloves slowly get removed in evaluating Bynum's progress.  Fans will still need to show patience, and in turn, the young center will need to show more consistency.  We caught up with Bynum by phone on Tuesday to find out his thoughts on a rookie season passed, his expectations for 2007, and the pressures involved with picking up where the Big Fella left off.  Here's what he had to say.

Andrew Kamenetzky: So how's your offseason been going?

Andrew Bynum: My offseason's been going pretty well.  I had a decent summer league and I've been working out hard all summer.  I took only four weeks off the whole summer.  Two in the beginning and two when I went to Aruba. And then I came back and started working out again.

AK: How was Aruba?

AB: Aruba was really nice, what everyone talks about.  It was nice weather and everything.  White beaches.  A nice little getaway.

AK: How hard was it to get back into the gym after a couple weeks in Aruba?

AB: It wasn't very hard.  I have to admit, I was missing the gym a little bit.  There was no way for me to really work out in Aruba.  I was in great shape and then I kind of lost it a little bit, so I was anxious to get back in the gym.

Here's the link to yesterday's AP story on Kobe.  Good news for the Lakers- his recovery seems to be right on schedule.

BK

Memphis Grizzlies: 49-33, 5th in the Western Conference
Big Gains: Drafted Alexander Johnson and Kyle Lowry, traded for the rights to Rudy Gay along with Stromile Swift, resigned Chucky Atkins.
Big Losses: Shane Battier, Bobby Jackson, Lorenzen Wright

By now, those of you who have followed the blog know I'm a big fan of Shane Battier.  While I understand the logic behind Jerry West's decision to move the former Dukie to Houston- Rudy Gay has enormous potential, moving Battier helps open up some serious cap space heading into next summer, and the Grizz needed to get younger at key positions- in the short run it will not make the Grizzlies a better team.  Nor, really, does importing Stromile Swift for a second go-round in Elvistown.  He'll replace Lorenzen Wright, at least in roster slotting terms.  Frankly, I get those two confused all the time.  Lanky dudes who have never really fulfilled their potential.  It's an easy mistake to make.  But with the young talent they added in Gay, Kyle Lowry, and Alexander Johnson (who, for what it's worth, looked like a seriously bad man in SPL play) to go with Mike Miller, Eddie Jones, and Damon Stoudamire, losing Battier might be something Memphis could overcome.

After all, they've always got Pau Gasol. 

Oops.  What's that they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?

I know we spend a lot of time on this site discussing the perception of a media bias against Kobe.  Some feel it doesn't exist, others trace the conspiracy to the highest levels of government (or at the very least, ESPN).  But that doesn't mean Kobe isn't getting any love from other important and influential groups.  As this clip, courtesy of the folks at www.thebasketballjones.net (via YouTube) shows, the Guys Who Make Homemade Top 10 Packages Out of Saved Video Game Footage crowd thinks 8/24 is the bee's knees.  Bryant is featured not once, but twice in the "highlight" package, and even claims the top spot.

At least we can put to rest any notion of anti-Kobe bias among this group.  One less thing, right?

BK

ESPN's Mark Stein has ranked each Western Conference team's offseason moves. I'll go out on a limb and say you won't be happy with his take on where the Lakers shook out.

Personally, I'm not sure bringing Jackie Butler and Francisco Elson into the fold without breaking the present/future bank merits the Spurs such high praise, but what do I know? After all, I'm the guy who thought Aaron McKie was a better pick up last season than Derek Anderson. Clearly, the correct answer was, "Don't waste your money on either."

—AK

Los Angeles Clippers: 47-35 (Sixth in Western Conference)
Big Gains: Signed Tim Thomas (inducing head shaking from both K brothers) and Aaron Williams. Drafted Paul Davis.
Big Losses: Vladimir Radmanovic.

Labeling 2006's "Clippers ahead of the Lakers" finish as a sign of the impending apocalypse might be an overstatement, but it justifiably unsettled many an NBA fan. Among other reasons, chew on this subsequent development: From May 8-22 (the Western Conference semifinals), the Clippers were playing basketball while the Lakers were playing golf, which kinda made Billy Crystal cooler than Jack Nicholson. And I don't blame anybody who finds such results terrifying.

Granted, Jack is about to appear in a Marty Scorsese gangster flick and Billy Crystal is apparently directing himself in a movie nobody will give a crap about. So in that sense, a natural order of sorts has been restored. But just because Hollywood regained its equilibrium doesn't mean the NBA will follow suit. Yes, the Clips have a history of messing up every scattered bit of progress they've made throughout their illustrious history. But they've also never had so much progress to wreck. Nor as many good players to ensure said progress. Like it or not (and I'm guessing most of you vote "not"), in terms of the immediate future, the Clippers are likely here to stay, which will spark quite a battle for L.A.'s best hoops record.

Not that we're intentionally trying to steer traffic away from the Lakers Blog (seriously, none of you people are allowed to leave our little family, and we will find you if you do), but it's always worth checking in with Roland Lazenby's blog. Here's his newest post, on an interesting omission from Tex's "All Winter Team." Enjoy.

—BK

So where were we? Throwing around the multitude of reasons why Michael Olowokandi would be a horrible Laker? Discussing the virtues of their potential 15th man? How much Kwame needs to improve this year?

First come, first served!

—BK

Hey all,

BK and I are starting to notice more and more dissatisfaction over the increasing amount of football chatter mixing in with the Laker talk. And it's a tricky situation. On one hand, we understand that there's no L.A. Times NFL blog, thus people are looking to find a haven for their smack yakking/team pride. And we certainly want to avoid "restricting" comments, so to speak. Plus, BK and I both love football as much as the next guy.

On the flip side, this is a Lakers blog, first, second and tenth. We totally get why some readers feel annoyed sifting through a discussion about the Niners while trying to follow a Lakers discussion on a Lakers blog. Therefore, we have created this new thread for all pigskin-fueled mayhem.

Despite Team USA's recent bronze-medal finish, Kobe's feeling good about the prospects of adding some '08 jewelry to match the stuff on his fingers. That makes sense, since, should everything go as planned, he'll be a part of the action. And while Kobe's presence in Japan may not have guaranteed a first place finish, it goes without saying that he would have provided the team one hell of an ace in the hole. One suspects he'll bring a similar edge to China.

Also, the next bit of news has nothing specifically to do with the Lakers. But as many of you know, I'm not above mocking the Kandi Man. Thus, I giggle at the idea of a 7-foot, former No. 1 overall pick  worming his way into a tryout with a team with whom he'd appear to be an odd fit at best. And the Suns being like, "Yeah, whatever, dude. But don't send us any receipts or nothing." Classic. Mike's done well for himself in the NBA.

—AK

With this set of cats, including Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins, Joe Dumars and famed Italian national team coach Sandro Gamba (don't even tell me you didn't have his picture on your wall growing up), set to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame tonight, I started thinking. Never a good thing, for sure, but there's still lots of time left in the offseason, so I figured, why not? There's endless debate about who should or shouldn't be in the HOF of any sport. We've even wondered if there should be a role player's HOF. So here's today's question:

What Lakers player not currently enshrined do you think belongs in Springfield?  Why? 

—BK

By the way, your "in" Laker list includes Kareem, Magic, Baylor, Chamberlain, West, Goodrich, Mikan, Worthy, Slater Martin, Bob McAdoo (in a short but important stint) and Connie Hawkins (in a short and less important stint), as far as I can tell.

It's official. Second round pick Danilo Pinnock has himself a genuine NBA contract. Not to say he'll make the team, but he'll have a shot. That battle for the 15th spot on the roster should be a fun one.

—BK

Sacramento Kings: 44-38 (8th in the Western Conference)
Big Gains: Acquired John Salmons and Loren Woods, drafted Quincy Douby
Big Losses: Bonzi Wells is still a UFA, but ain't comin' back; Jamal Sampson, Sergei Monia.

Should you be interested in drawing up a services contract for an explosive guard with a questionable attitude, you'll need more than $38 million spread over five years. Or at least you will for this particular guard. That's the figure Bonzi Wells turned down from the Kings, and while that seems like more than enough to feed his family (and Latrell Sprewell's, for that matter), it apparently isn't good enough for the Bonzinator. Or wasn't at least. Now, Wells looks like he might have had a change of heart (an apathetic response to your free agency will do that), but the Kings have moved on. They're in the John Salmons business now. Seriously. So Sacto loses some scoring, and very likely loses more 'tude. Given the money he wanted initially, I don't blame Basketball Operations chief Geoff Petrie for passing. But still, it's a net drain in talent.

But hey, why dwell on the negative? Well, because for Laker fans, when it comes to Sacramento, that's more fun than a barrel of monkeys. (By the way, can anyone explain what's so fun about a barrel of monkeys? That just seems cruel.) But I digress...