The Lakers overcame a terrible first quarter and basically kicked the tar out of the Suns from the second quarter until the end of the game to win 114-106.  L.O. had a monster game- 34/13/6, and was supported by solid performances from Andrew Bynum (18/9), Mo Evans (17 points), and Smush Parker (9/6/7), just to name a few.  Lakers shot 55% from the field.  Not bad.  Notes/quotes to follow.

UPDATE: Obviously Phil Jackson was pleased with the effort, at least the parts that came after the end of the first quarter.  "They started out like a house of fire, and just looked like one of those kind of games that Phoenix gets on that you think they'll never miss," he said.  "Fortunately we had a little resurgence.  The second unit came out there and gave us some life back and we got back into the ballgame.  Second half, I was pleased with the way we controlled the game.  We were much better at controlling the pace."  Audio clips are below the jump.

Just so y'all know, on the white board in the Suns locker room is written the message "Luck the Fakers."  Thought everyone would find that just delightfully amusing.

Enjoy

AK

First Quarter (Courtesy of AK)

FYI - This year, they've switched the starting lineup intro music from Van Halen's "Right Now" to the Who's "Baba O'Reilly."  Some of you may call it "Teenage Wasteland."  Anyway, it's a great choice.  Much more urgent and less cliched.

Very nice pass from Bynum to Smush.  For all the talk about Bynum's interest in O, D, rebounds, blocks, his confidence passing the rock has flowmn under the radar.

Great job by Bynum beating the shot clock.  Terrific awareness, too, because Smush put him in a tough spot giving him the ball with 3 seconds left. 

Good job drawing the charge by Smush.  But the Lakers need to settle down the pace considerably.  This is very much a Phoenix tempo this far.

Gonna be interesting watching Bynum.  He's obviously got the size on Thomas, Diaw or anyone Phoenix puts on him.  But the flip side is that everyone he guards can take him away from the rack (as Kurt Thomas did sinking that long 2), where he's clearly less comfortable. 

The debut of the new number is going to have to wait a couple nights.  Wearing what can only be described as a "You better be Kobe Bryant to pull this off" pink button down, 24 told the gathered media that his surgically (almost) repaired right knee isn't quite ready to start the season. He'll sit tonight and tomorrow in Golden State, skipping the trip to get some treatment.  For those of you with tix for the weekend, Kobe did say he's "extremely optimistic" that he'll be ready for Friday night.  Apparently, he felt some pain doing some lunges at home.  Not on the first one, but on the second.  It's always the second one that gets you.  The problem?  Scar tissue.  "That's the most frustrating thing," he said.  "The scar tissue has a mind of it's own.  If you asked me yesterday, (I thought) I'm playing today.  It's such a day to day thing."  That ought to make everyone feel better, right? 

A few of you have already started making them, but in the spirit of the day (that would be the first day of the season, for those of you just emerging from your cave dwellings), why not a few more predictions? We've covered the Western Conference, we've covered the Lakers. But that doesn't mean there isn't more to discuss. You've got your MVP, scoring title winner, defensive player of the year, sixth man award, and all the other randomness that makes the NBA fun. So click below the jump for my take, and feel free to continue posting yours (and pointing out why I'm likely to look like an idiot in June. Please try to keep your answers to that question basketball related).

—BK

Everyone goes to work today. The post office will be open, the mail delivered. But for Lakers fans, it feels like a holiday. Yep, tonight, the purple and gold play their first real game since the Great Collapse in last year's playoffs, somewhat ironically against the Suns, the hyperactive bunch that eliminated them.

Maybe the NBA sensed they could get a little opening night theater out of Kobe and Raja Bell? Anyway, there are plenty of questions facing the purple and gold as the season kicks off, hoping (okay, needing) to take advantage of a cushy early season schedule that gives them 15 of 20 at Staples before racking up the frequent flier miles later this winter. The biggest one right now? Health. Then there's health, and then health again (wait, that's not for L.A. After this preseason, it's force of habit.). Not that the Lakers are the only team keeping sports med doctors busy.

But speaking of injuries, the Lakers are finally getting some good news, in the form of Kobe Bryant's healing right knee, which will allow him to slip on his brand new 24 jersey and start tonight. Maybe the beginning of an MVP campaign? (Who says the Globe and Mail never shows Kobe love?) Continued bonding with L.O. could help take the pressure off. Whether Phil Jackson's new hip will allow him to coach beyond next season remains to be seen.

Throughout the offseason, BK and I have posted a series called "Know Thy Enemy," where we break down Western Conference teams and predict if they'll finish better or worse than the Lakers. We didn't realize, however, that the biggest "enemy" was actually the injury bug. The Lakers head into tomorrow's season opener against Phoenix hurting like Keith Closs after a club-hopping spree. How out of control have things gotten? Bad enough that we can break down patients into categories.

Coming off a season where many — OK, not necessarily you guys, but media types — wondered if the Lakers would win more games than they lost, the Lakers notched 45 victories and as you may remember, were one now infamous nonrebound from advancing to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. The growth of Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown, and Luke Walton conspired with a soft schedule down the stretch to push the Lakers to an 11-3 finish.

This offseason, L.A. added shooting in Vladamir Radmanovic, defense in Maurice Evans, a dude with a big noggin' (literally) coming off a nice season overseas in Shammond Williams, and they drafted their point guard of the future in Jordan Farmar. Andrew Bynum is a year older, L.O. has a year of the triangle under his belt, and Walton seems to be evolving into a poster child for Tex Winter's O. (Seriously, if the EPA covered basketball, they'd protect the triangle offense from extinction, because it's the natural habitat of Walton. If it goes, Luke might follow. He's the spotted owl of hoops.)

That's the good news.

Here at Blog Central, we're still trying to figure out how to score one of those Hollywood Walk of Fame stars down on the boulevard.

One possibility? Help build a TV sports network, because it worked for Jerry Buss. The good doctor with the funny hair will be the 2,323rd recipient of the honor today, and while he's certainly pleased as punch — who wouldn't want one of those? — anticipation of a new Lakers season is currently No. 1 on his mind.

Buss met with reporters on Sunday, discussing everything from extending Phil Jackson beyond next season to his hope that Kwame or Bynum can develop and dominate to the slow transition of power to Jim and Jeannie Buss. Some of that comes down the road, but what the dude wants now is to win. On that note, the possible return of the NBA's leading scorer for Tuesday's opener would probably be a good place to start.

Sorry for the late start, but we figured a few extra hours of waiting might lead to a definitive decision of Kobe Bryant's status for Tuesday's game. As it stands, there's still nothing written in stone, although Phil Jackson's spreading gossip that Kobe said he'd be on the court. As for the player himself, No. 24 is still taking things 24 hours by 24 hours, with no comittment yet as to whether he'll be playing under the Staples Center mood lighting.

As Kobe puts it, the ambience will be "old school." Know who else is old school? KG, The Big Fundamental, T-Mac, Vinsanity and Kobe himself, all of whom are often compared to the new school era of players. But whether you're talking young 'uns or vets, there just aren't a lot of players like Lamar Odom running around. And there are even fewer players who understand the pain Odom's feeling right now.

Longtime L.A. Times NBA writer Mark Heisler predicts the Western Conference final standings. We predict you won't like his predictions.

History may not recognize a person more deeply intertwined with Lakers history despite never having played for or coached the team. Red Auerbach's Celtics of the 1950s and '60s had some of the most epic battles in the history of roundball with the Lakers before the Aurbach constructed teams of the 1980s rekindled the rivalry with the purple and gold. I don't think I'm overstating it to say that for many people at or around my age (especially those in non-NBA cities), those Celtics/Lakers matchups of the '80s, whether they came in the regular season or the playoffs, were basically NBA 101.

Toss in the Auerbach/Phil Jackson rivalry that would develop as P.J. piled up rings, and while Auerbach was Celtic green through and through (and hated by many Angelenos), he was never more than a degree or two of separation away from the Lakers.

Auerbach died Saturday at age 89.

—BK

Yesterday was Andrew Bynum's birthday and he got himself one hell of a birthday gift.  And no, not a pair... wait for it... Socks.  The Lakers picked up the option on his contract, meaning he'll be kicking it in L.A. at least through 2008.  Wet behind the ears as Bynum is, even he probably wasn't too shocked by Dr. Buss and Mitch Kupchak's decision.  A call that may or may have seemed like a given, however, was the extension of Sasha Vujacic's contract, which the powers that be also gave a thumbs up.   Apparently, the front office is out of thumbs, because there doesn't seem to be one to spare for Brian Cook.  But no matter who does or doesn't end up sticking around long term, Phil Jackson being there to coach them doesn't seem quite the long shot it used to be.  Certainly not the long shot that Kobe Bryant playing opening night is starting to look like.  Vladdy Radmanovic will likely be on the court, but his effectiveness will be a crap shoot.

It sucks when a guy of Brian Grant's character is forced of out the game by injury.  Of course, it really sucks that the Lakers are still paying him.

The preseason ended with the Lakers paying salute to the Nuggets' old ABA days. At least, that's what we'd like to assume is the reason behind L.A. allowing Denver 126 points, only 108 of which they decided to match. But while the D on display was softer than a cotton candy pillow, there were a few bright spots decorating the box score. Namely, the performance of Andrew Bynum, who racked up 23 point, seven boards, and rather impressively, no turnovers.

Unfortunately, the evening didn't go as smoothly for Vlad Radmanovic, whose bum hand could require a foam thingamajigee and patience. In the meantime, some consider Brian Cook to be a Radmanovic clone, but patience isn't a virtue he can practice. At least not in the case of his contract extension talks, which appear to be stalling while under the gun. The Lakers would likely extend Kobe Bryant to 2020 right now if they could, but for now, getting him on the court throughout 2006-2007 remains the prime goal. He's a given to play at some point, but his availability on Halloween remains a mystery. But while missing the season opener would likely bug Kobe, that's not what scares the bejesus out of him (and no, it's not "spiders," either).

Get your last taste of preseason action.

—AK

And then there were 16. The roster dwindled down today with an announcement that J.R. Pinnock and Von Wafer have been waived. A little ironic, considering they represented two of the scarce healthy bodies available — I think the Lakers now sport a three-man rotation — but you didn't have to be Nostradamus to see this turn of events coming.

Pinnock definitely has the athletic ability, but just didn't seem ready to play at this level. Whenever he got into games, you could see flashes, but it mostly felt like he pressing while desperately trying to make an impression. That's never the ideal approach. I imagine his decision to leave early was prompted in part by the desire to provide for his two kids, but all things being equal, he'd have been a lot better off spending another year at GWU. Pinnock told me after a Summer League game that he was prepared for the possibility of playing overseas, so unless he lands on another NBA (or NBDL) roster, he'll likely be updating a passport. I wish Pinnock the best, because he seems like a nice guy and a hard worker.

It's getting down to crunch time, which means the fates of monetarily guaranteed (and often guaranteed to be hobbling) Aaron McKie and the contractually uncertain Von Wafer, Devin Green and J.R. Pinnock will quickly be decided. It's basically a question of keeping McKie (if nothing else, he's a potential trade deadline throw-in) or cutting ties in favor of a younger, healthier body. But whatever direction the Lakers choose, one can reasonably expect to see Andrew Bynum's name on the roster. And that works out rather nicely, since he's slated to start at center in the season opener. The kid will likely get his share of feeds from wicked good distributor Lamar Odom, but the staff wants LO to get his at the rack too. Regardless of what style Odom employs this season, it will hopefully help provide an outlet during a very difficult time.

The 2006-2007 media guides were given out today after practice. This year's cover? A No. 24 jersey, illuminated against a stark, almost pitch-black backdrop. Pretty cool photo. Granted, it's the front of the jersey, so I can't say for sure if it's meant as a goodbye to Jim Jackson (the last Laker to wear No. 24), a salute to Shea Seals (the last Laker to wear it for an entire season), or an acknowledgment of Kobe Bryant's new digits. But the next chance I get, I'll see if I can get a definitive answer.

Unfortunately, more than a few dudes in the guide's pages remain on the shelf. While Von Wafer (Media Guide Factoid: Lost the McDonald's All-American slam dunk contest to LeBron James by a mere four points.... Who knew?) will be available for preseason action tomorrow against Denver, Shammond Williams (MGF: Nickname is "Schoolboy.") will be watching in a suit. Aaron McKie (MGF: High school jersey was retired in 2002) won't be back from Philly until Friday, but if I had to guess, wouldn't have been playing anyway. Chris Mihm (MGF: Ranked among Texas' top tennis players for his age group at age 14) did some light running, but spent the tail end of practice walking with his foot inside a plastic bag of ice. I imagine the experience was about as much fun as it looked.

If you hit the Staples Center for the Halloween rumble against Phoenix, no need to come dressed in a Phil Jackson costume, because the real deal will be representing on the bench.

Talking publicly for the first time since receiving a new bionic hip, Jackson confirmed he's mended up enough to man the white board from the sidelines. Judging by his practice demeanor, he won't be limited to writing instructions for the players on that white board in lieu of barking them out. He also plans on walking around on two legs instead of three, the result of ditching a rather despised cane.

If Kobe Bryant weren't more grown up these days, he might be tempted to grab said cane from the trash and utilize it in nefarious fashion. But he's instead focusing his energy towards being ready for the opening game, which is looking more and more like a dicey proposition.

We're sure y'all will find an anti-Lakers bias in this ESPN Poll. No clue what or where or how, but we imagine it's there, since that's apparently always the case. Haha.

The Lakers practiced at Staples today as a treat for suite holders (like they don't already have a good gig?). Each fan received a snazzy white Lakers hat, which many lobbied to have signed by players after practice. I heard a lot of "We want Lamar!" "We want Ronny!" "We want Kobe!" No, "We want Shammond!" but that's likely because I had to head back to hear Phil before Williams was off the court. I'm sure he got some love. Given the pushing and shoving to claim a wristband Sasha flung into the crowd, I think everyone in a Lakers uni did.

The fans did get a chance to see Kobe run, albeit gingerly. Bryant was taking it easy, but was pleased with how he came through. Still, he's not going to suit up Thursday, and the season opener is in doubt. He's not going to push the knee beyond where it can go. How it responds to a little rest, ice, and elevation tonight will be a big clue as to how much longer it'll take 24 to round into form. Meanwhile, Kobe is trying not to think about the possibility of missing opening day. "I try not to think about it. I just try to stay the course," he said. "If I get caught up in that, I might end up rushing things. I just try to take it day by day and stick to the program. Just listen to my body and try to react accordingly."

He said other things, too, which you can hear thanks to the magic of MP3 technology. In his first answer, he seems to be trying to take some of the pressure off producing the fast start many (including me) think is pretty important. Nice little poke at Ron Harper at the end, too.
Download kobe_10.24.mp3

Unfortunately, we can't record the purple Grateful Dead tie dye Walton wore leaving the locker room. Perhaps he rocked a bootleg from the Hollywood Palladium back in '71 on his way home?

If you're not pleased with the options provided by your HMO plan, head on down to the Lakers training facility in El Segundo. Gary Vitti's working on so many bodies at the moment, you could easily blend in with the crowd and snag a free physical. One only imagines how many Red Bulls Vitti would be drinking to maintain this pace were the ever-dinged Brian Grant still donning purple and gold. But assuming the squad gets itself back in the collective pink, a heated battle for L.A. bragging rights can get into full swing. Last season marked a switch in typical playoff prowess between them. For that to end up a one-time outcome, L.A. will have to perfect a switch of its own. And as you're reading this, a familiar face is likely riding the boys to get it right.

USA Today takes a close look at the team. CBSSportsline.com makes it Pacific Division prediction, which is remarkably similar to Steve Kerr's for Yahoo (with no membership in the 55-win bandwagon for either party).

A guard spot opening up in Atlanta will keep Jordan Farmar from potentially getting hit up for money by a former teammate.

San Antonio Spurs (63-19, 1st in the Western Conference)
Big Additions: Jackie Butler, Matt Bonner, Francisco Elson, Jacque Vaughn
Big Losses: Nazr Mohammed, Rasho Nesterovic, Nick Van Exel

If ever there was an NBA franchise with gravitas for the serious basketball fan, those types who diagram plays at home and speak reverently of purity and form, it's San Antonio. In a league that generally isn't, the Spurs are fundamentally sound in a way that seems so old school you half expect them to arrive on the court wearing satin unis, Chuck Taylors, and shorts that require belts. They play team defense more suffocating than the pillow Chief Bromden used to put a lobotomized McMurphy out of his misery in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." But they're far from stodgy. San Antonio was so far ahead of the international players curve it should be named for them, and guys like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, when teamed with The Big Fundamental in Tim Duncan, make them a fun team to watch, especially for hard core-hoop fans. Not so much to play, which is why they've remained a player in the Western Conference year in and year out for a while now. This season? Just one more of death, taxes, and the San Antonio Spurs.

I'd like to think I'm reasonably on top of the various developments in both the NBA and the entertainment industry. But I have to admit: didn't see this one coming.

Should Steph's dreams of becoming the next Maury Povich become a reality, I got four words for his producers: Sweeps Week. Larry Brown.

—AK

The Lakers went into last night's preseason game against Phoenix with enough hurt guys to fill out a starting lineup, "+1" (Von Wafer would presumably come off the bench), meaning those who actually are able to put on a uni would need to contribute that much more. And that's exactly what happened during the 94-91 victory, which featured a box score where everyone brought a little something to the (somewhat ragged) table.

One of the evening's stars was young Andrew Bynum, manning the middle by his lonesome while Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm heal up. Bynum's elders (including Jordan Farmar) may still treat him like a kid, but his 16 points and nine rebounds were nothing if not mature. Using his size to get position against Suns "center" Boris Diaw, Bynum took ownership of the paint whenever possible. A few more efforts like this might even be enough to erase the worry lines of perfectionist Tex Winter. The old man is always seeking out a triangle with perfectly straight sides (metaphorically speaking) and a guy like Luke Walton is good at keeping those sides connected at a proper angle. Will he be doing it in a purple and gold uni for years to come? Tune in and find out.

As long as Raja Bell keeps playing in the NBA, Kobe and Ron Artest will never be lost for conversation topics when they meet up for coffee.

Enjoy your preseason action, people!

It's a light day for clips in Lakerland, though it's heavy on ink on Lamar Odom.  Despite finishing one dime short of a triple-double in Friday night's win over the Hornets, L.O. wasn't thrilled with his performance.  He's still getting his timing and fitness back.  When those sea legs return, where he'll be playing is still a bit of a mystery, since nobody's quite sure who will be ready to take the court with him on Oct. 31. 

After the game Friday night, I had a chance to talk to NO/OKC's ROY point guard Chris Paul.  Naturally, the topic of conversation was Lakers rookie Jordan Farmar.  Paul was impressed with Farmar's play, and had plenty of good things to say about him.  He also said the rook is in line for an eye-opening once the regular season starts.  It's just a totally different gig.  Every time he steps on the court, Farmar should expect to be challenged by an opposition looking to pick on the new kid. 
Download paul_on_farmar_10.20.mp3

Be that as it may, the OC Register's Steve Bisheff thinks he should play .

BK

When an 0-2 record in the prestigious Staples Shootout is staring you in the face, it's best to yank up the bootstraps, fill up those lunch pails, and get to work.  That's exactly what the ludicrously shorthanded Lakers did in Friday night's 113-106 win over New Orleans/Oklahoma City.  Lamar Odom, who has been working to get into basketball shape after a summer of tragedy, broke out with a big game to lead the way, but says he's still got a ways to go in getting his legs underneath him.  Download lamar_odom_10.20.mp3 (Note the laughter in the clip when a helpful media member removes a piece of lint from the side of L.O.'s head. It's crazy in there!) One guy who's been money all preseason has been Luke Walton.  A summer developing his shot (and means to get it) is paying dividends.  As for Smush Parker, a summer bulking up to handle the punishment of 82 games may have backfired for the time being.  Finally, injuries up front mean it's time for Andrew Bynum to go swimming.  Remember, kid, don't eat for a half hour before getting in the water, keep those hands up underneath the hoop!  And don't complain too much.  The refs are watching (that goes for the lot of you).   

Thankfully for the Lakers, both Phil and Kobe are working their way back, though 24's return is still a bit up in the air (maybe that's why Kobe's not on this list of significant injuries).  When he finally arrives, he'll be ready to erase the last game in which he played. 

Opening night against the Suns isn't the only event of significance on Halloween. 

Yes, it's what you've all been waiting for, the consolation round of the Staples Shootout!  We'll get cranking in a moment, but in the meantime, comment away!

BK

Okay, minor technical issues out of the way, Smush hits a three for a seven point Laker lead.  Both Smush and Devin Green have come out of the gate much stronger tonight than they did yesterday.  Especially for Green, that wasn't exactly a hard one to top. 

There was the bad pass in the lane to Bynum, but overall, S.P. seems a little more focused. 

5:36- Timeout on the floor.  They're showing a package of the wierd and wacky on the Jumbotron.  I'm waiting for that great clip where a tiger mauls the second baseman.

Not a ton to report before other game, other than that Brian Cook's ankle has healed up well enough for him to play.  He said he's played through worse pain before, so an agonizing effort on the court didn't seem like a particular concern of his.  When I asked Cook about his thumb's progress, he smiled and bent both, showing how the right still doesn't go down quite as far as the left.  It's also got a honkin' bump on top, swelling that's noticeable immediately.  I can relate to what Cook's going through, since there's a bit of swelling at the base of my right wrist from typing so much.  Seriously.  I'm not kidding.  And I feel like a mutual respect was formed today, since we both can appreciate how the other is "playing hurt."  I jokingly asked Cook how the thumb injury affected his video game prowess and he laughed that those and his Blackberry had been part of his therapy.  Digital age, baby!

Interesting words from Kurt Rambis on Luke Walton, and how the team is trying to build a rotation, the play of Smush Parker, and a little on how he and others are reacting to the new T rules.

Download rambis_on_luke_rotations_10.20.mp3
Download rambis_on_smush_10.20.mp3

AK

The cliche is that where Kobe leads, the Lakers follow.  Well, apparently that includes health issues as well.  After getting a second opinion on his bum shoulder, Kwame Brown is set to make a monthlong appearance on the injury parade, joining Bryant, Chris Mihm, and Vlad Radmanovic (among others), the purple and gold had more suits on display in Thursday's 91-90 loss to the Clippers than your average Brooks Brothers.   Still, despite the short bench, the Lakers had a shot to win, but Jordan Farmar's last second drive was foiled by Daniel Ewing. The box score shows 29 minutes for Andrew Bynum, a good thing because with Brown and Mihm out, Kurt Rambis says the kid is now knee deep in accelerated adult education classes.  He doesn't have much choice, since a lack of healthy bodies is putting a damper on the team's development.

An scout's take on the Lakers for SI.com.

Some nice things happened in the Lakers' 91-90 loss to the Clippers.  Jordan Farmar had 11 fourth quarter points.  Sasha Vujacic played an aggressive first half.  Andrew Bynum flashed some decent post moves here and there.  Yeah, they didn't win, but on a night when half the team was basically laid up at Cedars, L.O. wasn't particularly good, and Danilo Pinnock tried so hard to make the team he may have earned his walking papers, you find the good and focus on it.  After the game, we snagged a little audio.  Kurt Rambis broke down the performances of Jordan Farmar (and the last play of the game) and Andrew Bynum, and then a little bit of sound from Farmar and Bynum themselves. 

Download rambis_on_farmar_10.19.mp3
Download rambis_on_bynum_10.19.mp3
Download farmar_10.19.mp3
Download bynum_10.19.mp3

More on the game tomorrow.

BK

How do you know it's preseason?  There are abou 3,000 people here, I think.  Not a lot of folks, as the Lakers have put out what may be the least intimidating starting lineup ever. 

8:10- Nice dump off by Smush in the lane to Bynum, who makes a free throw.  Who says he hasn't made strides since last year.  Baby steps.  By they way, it's BK currnetly typing.  AK will take Q2.  We're going to switch off, hopefully making it easier for us to watch the game and for you to follow along.  Preseason innovation. 

6:58- Green draws a foul on his way to the hoop.  Big game for D.G., who is literally campaigning to get on this team.  I've never had my hand shaken by a pro athlete in my life.  I'm not sure he knows I don't actually get a vote.  But if I did, that steal might help!  Right there, you saw what's good about him (quickness, athleticism, defense) and what's bad (finishing around the hoop... or anywhere for that matter).

Needless to say, the preseason Staples debut is a little heavier on dudes in street clothes than what might be considered "preferable." As of now, here's a list of who's officially "out":

Kobe (knee)
Kwame Brown (shoulder)
Aaron McKie (back)
Chris Mihm (ankle)
Vlad Radmanovic (hand)
Shammond Willliams (ab strain)

Von Wafer's the "healthy" guy, with his heel status a relatively optimistic "doubtful."

Yikes! As for some returns, Mihm still doesn't really know when he'll be back, but is hoping it's less than a month off. He's felt a little progress, the result of some anti-inflammatory and rest. He's also been more or less keeping his ankle taped 24/7, which has left it pretty raw and torn up. To say the least, he's getting frustrated, but is trying to stay positive.

Chris Mihm is still on the shelf, recovering from ankle surgery, and now Kwame Brown will miss three to four weeks. Turns out his sore shoulder was a little more than that. A bruised rotator cuff and bursitis, to be specific. To say this is bad news for the Lakers frontcourt would be an understatement. But hey, at least Andrew Bynum will get some early season minutes.

Is it too late for Kurt Rambis to come out of retirement? Is Boniface N'Dong still available?

—BK

Should you be an alum (or just a SuperFan) of the Hampton Pirates or G.W. Colonials and have a hankerin' to watch Devin Green and Danilo Pinnock respectively try to make the roster, tonight's preseason Staples Center debut should be phenomenal.

If you're a fan looking to watch guys who will play significant roles in the Lakers rotation this season, you might be disappointed. Heading into the first night of the annual Staples Shootout — like March Madness except not really — about half the purple and gold are either questionable to play or are guaranteed to be wearing suits, putting a damper on the preseason. That would include Kobe, who is still hoping to get a preseason game under his belt before the real ones start.

Maybe missing games isn't so bad. Those who managed to find their way onto the court for Tuesday's tilt in Vegas heard it from Phil Jackson, who wasn't pleased with their effort. One guy who has played well is Luke Walton, which isn't a bad thing, considering it's his contract year. Vlad Rad has his money, but blazed a new trail to get it.

Yes, we are. Specifically, Wednesday's practice. First of all, it's very possible that Smush's bad night in Vegas Tuesday extended to his Wednesday. When I arrived at the facility, it appeared the Smushcalade was in trouble, in the form of what looked like a tow truck. I didn't get a chance to ask him what was going on and I spent about fifteen seconds taking in the scene. Thus this lil' bit of reporting wouldn't stand up to even the lightest of editorial/fact checking scrutiny, but it is a nice metaphor for Parker's game last night. Just never got started. Anyway, moving along to the injury update:

• No Kobe Thursday or Friday, but he's hoping to get a game in before the season starts.
• Aaron McKie was at the doctor getting his back checked out. No word yet as to what they learned, but as soon as we know, you will.

UPDATE: McKie went to see Dr. William Dillon at Kerlan-Jobe. No word if he got a little Tommy John surgery while he was there, but we do know the vet is suffering from some disc inflammation. He won't play Thursday or Friday, and they'll have to keep an eye on him. Sounds like wait and see... which sounds like last year.

• Brian Cook didn't practice because of a mild sprain in his left ankle, suffered last night in Vegas (during the game, as opposed to some sort of exotic incident at the Pai Gao table).
• Chris Mihm said he's making progress, and should be able to crank up his activity level this week as the slow, frustrating healing process continues. He told me at this point, they want to make sure he's totally healthy before pushing it to game levels. Better to come back a week to late than a week too soon.
• Kwame Brown participated in half of Wednesday's practice, until his sore shoulder started barking at him and he shut it down for the day. Asked if he would play if this were April, he wasn't sure. "I can't hold a guy off with my right arm right now," he said.
• No report on Shammond Williams, but he running in the scrimmage (at least the part I saw), and Von Wafer was patrolling the sidelines wearing one shoe. I took that as a sign that his heel isn't quite ready to go.

In other news, I'm blogging with a hangnail and a slightly bruised right thumb. Camp is tough on everyone.

Phoenix Suns (54-28): 2nd in the Western Conference
Big Additions: Marcus Banks and Jumaine Jones (free agency). Amare Stoudemire with a (hopefully) healthy knee.
Big Subtractions: Other than Tim Thomas, unless you count letting Eddie House walk — which I don't — or trading Brian Grant — which I really don't — none significant.

Ah, the team that puts the "Enemy" in "Know Thy Enemy!" Last season's playoff series against Phoenix was originally billed as a seemingly innocuous showdown between two-time MVP Steve Nash and Kobe "scoring champ" Bryant. Then came enough skirmishes to make Enter the Dragon look candy ass. Thus, the Suns may have lapped the Kings, Spurs and Pistons as every Laker fan's favorite team to despise the crap out of. Between "Raja-Gate," "The Rebound," and that game 7 fiasco, pinpointing a #1 reason the Laker Nation now resents everything Phoenician might be impossible. But if focusing hatred on Steve Nash and Co. is the M.O., extreme concentration will be required, because it's hard giving the evil eye to a blur. Phoenix's game plan is equal parts Bruce Jenner and Colin Farrell. Lots of running. Lots of scoring. And this year, Coach Mike D'Antoni has apparently added another wrinkle. Defense. And between a couple new roster members and some other guys returning healthy, the concept may become more than just lip service. Which would spell trouble for the rest of the league.

Hopefully the Lakers did well at the black jack and poker tables during their two game trip to Las Vegas, because their performance on the court was basically craps.  That would include Tuesday night's raggedy 96-91 loss to Sacramento, as notable for the number of Lakers who didn't play as for the performance of those who did, since the guys that were there- especially the youngsters- struggled to distinguish themselves.  Getting Kobe back will obviously help, and P.J. is on track as well.  Anything to help turn around a box score with some ugly percentages from the field (at least the freebies went down). 

Here's SI's season preview.  Lakers?  Third in the Pacific, seventh in the West. 

2006-2007's first look at "The Blog vs. Sonny Belfast."

Enjoy.

AK

For those with ESPN Insider accounts, John Hollinger has finished his PER rankings for (more or less) the entire NBA, which would include a rundown of the Lakers roster. PER ("Player Efficiency Ratings") measures productivity per minute in very stat-heavy and technical fashion. Intangibles are considered but obviously difficult to truly "measure" and Hollinger himself admits it isn't the uber-evaluation standard. And bottom line, this is definitely not a traditional "best player" list, so don't allow your panties to bunch over a certain someone topping it.

If you don't have Insider access, Hollinger's breakdowns for Kobe and LO are cut and pasted below — a taste, if you will — but the post would start getting ridiculously long including more players.

For those without an insider account, the day is not lost, because you don't need one to read Roland Lazenby's newest blog entry detailing some Tex Winter training camp observations. Judging by Roland's report, Winter doesn't seem to think October's biggest development was the waiving of Marcus Douthit. Or the coaching legend turns into such a sobbing mess simply revisiting it that verbalizing his thoughts becomes impossible. We'll leave it up to you to do the math.

—AK

As the Lakers prepare to crank it up again tonight in Vegas (Vegas, baby!) against the Kings, it's getting close to decision makin' time for Mitch Kupchak, who has until Halloween to extend Sasha Vujacic and Andrew Bynum, as well as negotiate a new deal with Brian Cook. Not that Bynum has to hold his breath, but just in case, he's working hard earn some minutes this year, something that'll get easier once he remembers to keep his hands in the air. (And just in case he needs some D-League seasoning, his would-be coach is getting triangle lessons.)

Another guy having a very solid camp isn't technically on the team yet. Ronny Turiaf's contract doesn't become guaranteed until opening day, but given his progress and performance thus far, that's about as bankable as death and taxes.

Kobe says this season, he doesn't think he'll need to lead the league in scoring for the Lakers to win. So if 24 doesn't, who will? How about putting up numbers for your fantasy team? How many purple and golds should you draft?

No, this is not the same Slava.

I'll be on with Mason and Ireland for their "Spanning SoCal" segment this afternoon at about 4:25 or so. Perhaps we'll revisit WackJobGate (hahaha). Blog = fireworks!

—BK

When it comes to the notion of "most popular" Laker, worldwide jersey sales pretty much confirm that Kobe Bryant holds the title. But if you're talking "favorite Laker," whether defined as "sentimental favorite" or just "most damn likable," Ronny Turiaf may very well be the people's choice.  Between rejoining the Lakers a mere seven months after undergoing open heart surgery as a rookie to the unbridled passion (and frenetic dancing) displayed every second he's on the bench (much less while playing), it's no real mystery as to why.

Health issues put Turiaf behind the eight-ball last season, but he got up to speed enough to earn some scattered minutes, most of which were solid, if pretty foul-prone. But if his preseason efforts are any indication (last night featured 7 points, 10 boards, 3 blocks and nice defensive work while battling Amare Stoudemire), Turiaf may be ready for an expanded role in the rotation. I caught up with Turiaf during Friday's practice (the day after another nice effort vs. Seattle) and talked about everything from regaining confidence this summer to "the it." Here's what he had to say.

Andrew Kamenetzky: Well, for starters, nice game against the Sonics.

Ronny Turiaf: Yeah, it was alright. If I had gotten a few more defensive rebounds and made my free throws earlier in the game, I wouldn't have so many to (shoot) in the end. That's the bad thing. But I played hard, tried to do positive stuff and I'm very happy with the outing that we had. We played good as a team, so it was a good team effort.

Throughout the summer, when the workouts are long, the sweat pours off foreheads and down legs, and jump shot after jump shot is hoisted towards the net in an effort to achieve perfection, the motivation is crystal clear. An undefeated preseason.

Alas, three games into this year's before-the-real-games-games, that dream is dead courtesy of a 99-91 loss to the Suns in Vegas. With some guy named Bryant (knee), Chris Mihm (ankle), and Kwame Brown (shoulder) watching from the sidelines, the box score shows production from the Lakers backcourt thanks to Smush Parker and Shammond Williams, who finally saw some shots go down. Perhaps his efforts to suck up to Phil Jackson (A hip problem? Why not just bring teacher an apple?) haven't helped his performance thus far. At least his injury wasn't caused by a member of the Lakers staff. But a healing Amare Stoudamire and his mates were too much. But if you'd like to revenge the loss, or just feel like bugging the crap out of Raja Bell, broach this subject should you ever run into him.

While the Lakers prepare for one more in Sin City, the City is already gearing up for All-Star weekend, which we're sure will be a low key, tastefully understated event.

Hopefully, everyone's not too tuckered out from doubling down on 11 until the wee hours of a Sin City morning. Although I imagine the sight of Raja Bell will wake up even the most tired of players.

Enjoy.

—AK

Dallas Mavericks (60-22): Fourth (sort of) in the Western Conference
Big Additions: Austin Croshere, Anthony Johnson, Devean George, Mo Ager, Greg Buckner,
Big Subtractions: Keith Van Horn, Marquis Daniels, Darrell Armstrong, Rawle Marshall, Josh Powell, Adrian Griffin

Remember that scene in The Naked Gun when that lab guy is showing off all the cool, Bond-esque gear he has for Leslie Nielsen? One of the best was "The Swiss Army Shoe", with any number of contraptions folding out from the sole. That's basically the Mavericks. A big centerpiece — Dirk Nowitzki — with a head spinning array of useful tools working off him. It's a formula the Mavericks used to push into the NBA Finals last year, and though the cast of characters has changed, it'll be the formula they use to try to snag the Larry O'Brien this season, too. Sure, they weren't quite as fun to watch under Avery Johnson than the go-go Don Nelson days when the Mavs tossed threes like rice at a wedding, scored more than Scott Baio, and had a weaker defense than your average Law & Order defendant. But in the end, they won more games, and were it not for a few rough bounces, a couple questionable whistles, and a sick, sick Dwyane Wade, had a shot at a title.

This year, they should be just as good.

The Lakers may call Los Angeles "home," but over the years, Las Vegas has developed into a nice surrogate crib when traveling outside the "213." Sin City's got nothing but love for the purple and gold, which is why the players try to give back when they can.

As far as the game itself, though, there's a fairly good chance a match against the Suns will kill any lovefest feelings created by the locale. Kwame Brown will do his best to play, even if his sprained shoulder keeps from playing at a full tilt boogie. But as long as Ronny Turiaf is on hand, a all-out whirlwind is basically guaranteed. And speaking of what can be considered reasonable expectations, Cbssportsline's Tony Meija offers his for the Lakers this season. CNNSI's Marty Burns would also deem the dollars Brian Cook's camp will likely request for an extention somewhere in the neighborhood of "levelheaded."

One man recovers while another man ails.  Kobe Bryant participated in practice yesterday, moving at a pace somewhere between "energetic" and "cautious."   When Bryant's health finally does reach 100% again, Phil Jackson has made it clear he'd prefer Kobe not play at 100% of his scoring capabilities.  Kobe says he's down with the program and the first two preseason games have provided him with some positive insight as to how his teammates can help carry the load.

Unfortunately, the fist pumps upon seeing Kobe do his thing turned into folded prayer hands after Kwame Brown sprained his shoulder during practice.  He's listed as day-to-day for now, but his and Chris Mihm's injuries leave Andrew Bynum as the team's only true center not illing.  Ronny Turiaf, Brian Cook and even Lamar Odom could find themselves playing minutes at the 5 on Sunday against Phoenix, although at this rate, "starting center Shammond Williams" is starting to sound inevitable.

Not a ton to report today.  I arrived in El Segundo at the usual time media enters practice, but they had finished up early.  Most of the guys had already left the court (and perhaps Kwame Brown a little earlier than others, having hurt his shoulder during practice, which has left him "day to day.")  But a few of us writers were talking with Luke Walton a bit, who was reminded that he (along with Brian Cook) is now the second-longest tenured Laker.  Walton smiled, saying that he was recently laughing with Cook about their days in "the bench mob," whose membership included Walton, Cook, D.Fish, Devean George, and Slava.  "Now it's just me and Cook," nodded Walton, agreeing that an era had indeed passed.  When I wondered if Walton would lend insight to the new generation of guys coming off the Laker pine, he said yes, but they'll never be true "bench mob" members or learn the secret handshake (assuming there was one, which I seriously doubt).  "That was the old crew."  I also asked Walton if this O.G. status made him feel old.  Not yet, as it turns out.  Give it time, my man. 

They say the preseason doesn't mean much (and they're right), but given the options of "win" or "lose," most coaches rarely if ever choose the latter.  Thus, last night's 104-101 win over the Seattle Supersonics strikes nobody as having a downside.  Brian Cook was the leading scorer and is looking for an even bigger score these days.  Team Cookie and Mitch Kupchak are in talks to drum up an extension for the sharpshooting power forward, the prospects of which Cook deems a coin flip. 

"Full circle" alert!  When Sasha Vujacic first arrived in L.A., he was taken under the wing of fellow former Yugoslavia native Vlade Divac.  The Lakers now features Vlade II, one that they're hoping could be "all new" on a lot of levels.   For his part, Vujacic is now serving as a mentor, but the mentee is pretty surprising.  As for Kwame Brown, being mentored by MJ clearly didn't work out, but the damage from that relationship may finally be healed up.  For those with ESPN Insider access, click here to read Ric Bucher's assessment of camp (and give him his hits).  For those without, it's cut and pasted below.

And finally, if you purchased a "N'Diaye" or "Douthit" jersey, you'll have to make the best of a hasty purchase and dye it the colors of whichever team they play for next.  Both were waived yesterday.

BK and I couldn't make it down to Anaheim, but since the game is being broadcast on the picture box, no reason for a lack of chatter.

Enjoy!

AK

It's a day removed from the preseason win over the Jazz, but the Lakers are hoping to carry some of that momentum — the good stuff, at any rate — into the early October followup against Seattle (7 p.m., KCAL). And while Lamar Odom likely isn't in good enough shape yet to jog to Anaheim for tonight's match, it was nice to see the necessary time away from the court all summer didn't seem to rusty up his game. Nor did moss seem to gather on Maurice Evans after falling prey to Detroit's short rotation. And should Jordan Farmar find himself stagnation casualty, it will only be due to lack of opportunity, not effort.

Some of you (well, one of you... haha) have bandied Farmar's name about for Rookie of the Year talk. Should that turn out to be the case, here's a look at the current careers of every active ROY winner.

Not much to peep at today down in El Segundo, as the purple and gold wrapped up today's practice about seven seconds after letting the media into the gym. Although the one play I did see? Looked like Aaron McKie abused Vlad Radmanovic at the top of the key, driving past him to the hoop for a bucket (2/7 of last year's season output). Seeing that gave me mixed feelings. Yeah, it's nice to see McKie moving around a little better, but distressing to see Radmanovic beaten so badly by a guy who isn't exactly Allan Iverson out on the perimeter. I know it's guard vs. forward, but I'd feel better if it turned out it was Pinnock or Evans on the drive. I think it was McKie. Maybe I just need better contact lenses.

As you might suspect, nobody was ready to raise a championship banner for '06-'07 based on last night's preseason win over the Jazz, but hey, it's always better to win if you're going to bother playing the game. Kurt Rambis was generally pleased with the effort, but given this is the preseason- Jerry Sloan played 18 dudes on Tuesday- he wasn't just looking at the score to evaluate the Lakers. He saw plenty of room for improvement, in ball movement for example. Download rambis_10.11.mp3

For those fans on "The 8 Preseason Win Bandwagon," things got off to a nice start. The Lakers took a trip to F-Town last night and left with a 94-79 win over the Jazz. Just about everyone logging significant minutes brought something to the table (and box score), including a teammate who'd get Lamar Odom's Heisman vote. Some folks are making a thing out of notching the victory without Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant or Chris Mihm. But in a way, the real news may have been doing it without Aaron McKie, since it's a scenario with a chance of becoming permanent.

The new NBA ball could be going the way of New Coke.

Kobe's on the shelf for the time being, and there's no doubt that if his absence extends into the regular season, it's not a positive thing. Every game he misses is one the Lakers are far more likely to lose (the same can be said for L.O.). Given the dogfight that will be the Western Conference this season, the Lakers' easy early schedule and their rough stretch at the end of year, they can't afford to give anything away. But assuming 24 is good to go once the season starts, is it such a bad thing that he sitting now?

When I first heard the news this summer about the Lakers signing free agent Shammond Williams, my immediate reaction was, "Dude! Blast from the past!" I hadn't thought much about the guy since around 2001, when his solid play off Seattle's bench led to a multiyear deal. From there, Shammond bounced around the league for a bit, eventually opting to play in Europe (where, among other achievements, he was the 2005 FIBA Europe League All-Star game MVP). He's now sporting the purple and gold, but the amount of minutes he'll be logging in an already crowded point guard rotation remains to be seen. Williams doesn't have all the answers, but he was more than willing to take my questions. Here's what he had to say.

Andrew Kamenetzky: How happy are you to be both back in the NBA and with the Lakers?

Shammond Williams: Well, being back in the NBA, it's not like I was, "Aw! I gotta get back to the NBA!" That was not something that I felt like was gonna make me or break me, because it was my decision to go play in Europe. But being here in L.A. is great. First and foremost, you get to run for one of the best coaches that ever coached a game. I've had opportunity to learn from great coaches from high school to college. And now you get Phil Jackson and that's great in and of itself. When you're a basketball fanatic and you love the game, that's great just having an opportunity to obtain knowledge from these guys. Tex Winter. Jim Cleamons. Coach Frank (Hamblem). B-Shaw. It's just a great atmosphere. And a great stage to play on. I'm just taking on as much as I can to help this team go to the next level.

It's the best of both worlds for Phil Jackson. His hip is mending quickly enough to allow yesterday's cane-assisted return to practice (where Kobe took part in some light drills). His hip is mending quickly enough to allow the requisite energy to implement an offensive scheme. His hip is not mending quickly enough, however, to allow a trip to scenic Frenso for tonight's exhibition game against the Jazz. Thus, the team will remain coached by Kurt Rambis, who definitely enjoys holding the white board.

Hopefully, the refs won't start interpret Ronny Turiaf's sideline convulsions as a mocking act. Otherwise, dude may