The Lakers will kick off the season Monday with a GM under fire (though perhaps more than he deserves?), a star player (more powerful than Arte Moreno!) who seems to reside in various states of gruntle, dis or otherwise, a No. 2 who most believe is best suited to be a Swiss Army No. 3 ... and not much else, at least according to Tony Mejia of CBS Sportsline.com. 

It's reasonable to take the sort of positional rankings Mejia does with a grain of salt.  You can always argue about where a guy might fit onto a list, and no question that a team is often more than the sum of its parts (see first half, '06-07).  Certain players fill certain roles that can help a team thrive, their relative talents vs. the rest of the league notwithstanding.  But there's no arguing that, despite an improvement at point guard, the Lakers are still a top-heavy and talent-thin bunch relative to other NBA teams with dreams of big things. 

Click below for the rankings, and where the Lakers fit in.

(UPDATE:  Not to distract from a fun trade debate, but there are a couple of good Laker links today. There's news on Andrew Bynum's summer and a Kobe/PJ/front office update as they head into camp.  Also, to remind everyone, our nowlive.com show, "Purple, Gold and Blue," will be broadcast at noon today.  To get in on it all, you'll have to register with Now Live, a process that takes about 20 seconds, give or take. Then click on our show.  Call in or join the chatboard.  The podcast will be available this afternoon (here it is!), but we'd love it if y'all were part of the action!)

I don't remember if there's a specific Lakers Blog bandwagon involving Shawn Marion, as y'all have started about 30 of them since this site's inception.  But if such a vehicle does exist, card-carrying members will love an article by Sporting News' Sean Deveney about the Lakers' and Suns' front offices discussing a trade that would send Lamar Odom and salary filler (were I Brian Cook, I'd start googling "desert real estate") to Phoenix for Marion.  Deveney raises some interesting points about LO as a primo fit with the Suns.  How his passing and ball-handling abilities could help provide Steve Nash some rest.  How his ability to snag a rebound and run a fast break is tailor-made for Mike D'Antoni's system.  Both salient points I wish I'd considered more before speculating in today's chat that the Suns wouldn't be quite as interested in this swap as the Lakers (since I was comparing them on pure talent and Marion, in my opinion, is the better overall player).    

UPDATE (6:45 pm):  Here's the transcript.  Wild fun had by all.

Hey, all:

It's Tuesday, and in what's hopefully going to become an "every other week thing," BK and I are hosting a live chat from 1 to 2 p.m. Pacific time.  Drop by and ask us some questions (no math!), and we'll do our best to provide a little insight.  Go to http://chat.latimes.com and enter a user name when prompted to enter the Sports Chat room.  No e-mail or password is needed.  We'll see everyone there (except those who don't enjoy the format, which makes the hour a fantastic time to get a haircut).

-- AK

With a week and change before training camp opens, the time is nigh to take a gander at what the offseason brought for the 2007-08 Laker season.  According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the answer would be "not a whole helluva lot."  More specifically, a 13th place finish compared to the rest of the West.  The Purple and Gold did manage to edge out a Clipper squad that softened the blow of Elton Brand's ruptured Achilles tendon by importing Brevin Knight and "the Kobe Stopper," along with the completely blown up Timberwolves.  So like Carl Spackler's relationship with "total consciousness," they got that going for them (which is nice).   And save the two revamped -- and still a few years from being any good -- Northwest squads, nobody in the conference made any particularly huge moves, which could serve as a source of comfort. 

Of course, many weren't as in need of radical fortification as the Lakers in the first place.

Dear Coby:

So here's the deal.  Mitch Kupchak has expressed a desire to cap the roster at 14, in case a veteran they'd like to add becomes available down the stretch.  There are 14 players with guaranteed contracts.  Yours is only partially guaranteed.  And while such deals have worked out for Lakers past (Smush Parker) and present (Ronny Turiaf), the roster makeup isn't nearly in your favor as it was for them.  Sure, you had a nice Summer Pro League in Vegas, complete with a 20-point game, a blazing 47% clip from behind the arc and some nice all-around skills. Then again, you battled the likes of former Lakers scrub Jelani McCoy, '06 Lakers SPL foul machine Eddy Fobbs and Lakers Blog icon Von Wafer, who was likely too busy mapping out his next five shots to guard anyone.  It would be understandable if the powers that be weren't necessarily convinced that showing merits clearing space for you via trade or waive.  Thus, you're gonna have to wow them in a big, bad way.

Here's the link to today's edition of "Purple, Gold and Blue" on NowLive.com.  Laker talk starts about halfway through.  (Now that the Blue seem determined to wind down by the end of the month, roundball could quickly start taking up a larger chunk of the show.)

-- BK

(PROGRAMMING NOTE: We'll be live on our NowLive.com show, "Purple, Gold and Blue," at noon Wednesday. Call in or join the chatboard.  The podcast will be available this afternoon.)

In what's among the more random places to find props for the Mamba, this week's Entertainment Weekly (featuring a dazed Britney Spears on the cover) contains an article about the rock band Foo Fighters.  In describing the genius of the band's singer/guitarist/songwriter Dave Grohl (who is indeed ridiculously talented), drummer Taylor Hawkins likens the experience of playing with him to "playing on a team with Kobe Bryant: You're in awe, but it brings up your game, too."  I must admit, I wasn't expecting the comparison, but I thought y'all would appreciate it. 

He's not injured Clippers superstar Elton Brand, nor ubiquitous Food Network host Alton Brown.  Instead, the Lakers have signed former Virginia Cavalier Elton Brown to a contract.  Like all training camp signings, absolutely nothing should be read into it, though Brown (Elton, not Alton) did have himself a nice little season last year with Colorado in the NBDL (18.4/9.2/2.1).  The only thing you can guarantee about LAL's "E.B." is that he'll get a free trip to Hawaii and probably a bunch of free T-shirts and practice shorts.  Not a bad deal, actually.

-- BK

a) He hasn't made the team, meaning any tank top in existence is just an unsanctioned knockoff, likely stitched together by a nefarious Hollywood Blvd. shop owner (or BK).

b) According to a liaison between the NBA and Chinese Basketball Assn., he hasn't even signed a contract, despite the Truehoop.com report to the contrary.  And no ink is expected to hit any paper before training camp opens, if at all.

Thus, your hard-earned dough is better spent on more sensible gear.  Like a Larry Turner jersey.  Or the "Parker" jerseys guaranteed to become increasingly pricey, nostalgia-fueled collector's items.

-- AK

Follow the link to today's podcast of "Purple, Gold and Blue."  The Lakers stuff starts about halfway in. 

-- BK

UPDATE (12:13 a.m.): Here's a Q&A from Lakers.com with Javaris Crittendon.  Thanks to TaosHum for the heads-up.

UPDATE III (9-12):  As a reminder, AK and I will be hosting our second edition of "Purple, Gold and Blue with Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky" on NowLive.com (www.nowlive.com) at noon today.  It's Dodgers/Lakers talk on interweb radio, complete with chat and call-in functions.  To participate, go to the NowLive site and register (takes about 20 seconds), then click on the "Purple, Gold and Blue" show icon.  Hope to see you there.  For those who miss it, we'll post the podcast later today.

UPDATE II: Here's the transcript from the chat.  Thanks to everyone who stopped in.

We'll be conducting our first Lakers Blog live chat on the site today at 1 p.m. Not entirely sure how to access it (I think the L.A. Times website has a function for it).  We're asking for clarification from the mother ship, but do what you can to get into the conversation.  Whatever we learn we'll pass along to make the process easier.  Don't forget, too, tomorrow is the second edition of "Purple, Gold and Blue," our Internet radio show on NowLive.com (www.nowlive.com).  That show also has call-in and chat functions.  Technology everywhere!

UPDATE: To get into the chat, go to chat.latimes.com, and click on Sports Chat.  That should do the trick.  No need to register or anything. 

-- BK

The last 18 months have been anything but a picnic for Chris Mihm, who's ready to resume his playing career after suffering a brutal ankle injury in March 2006.  In Part 1 of our interview, Mihm detailed what it's taken for him to get back on the court.  The second half focuses on the offseason madness, why things went bad for the Lakers down the 2007 stretch, and Mihm's predictions for himself and the Lakers for 2008.  Here's what he had to say:

Andrew Kamenetzky: What do you see as your role this season?  Having been out for a while, do you have expectations for playing time?

Chris Mihm: As far as I'm concerned, we're going into training camp and there's maybe one or two positions, starting-wise, that are filled.  Other than that, it's going to be a competitive training camp.  I'm going in there just like I did the first two years I was here, before I got hurt.  Just like I did my four years before that.  Come in and earn that starting spot.  That's where I want to be.  I definitely want to start, but at the same time I want this team to be a winner.  I want to win.  I want this team to be successful.  I think it can.  I'm not one to be a cancer on a team, but I'm certainly not going to relegate myself without a fight.

OK, back by popular demand.  There won't be a fresh one every week, so be sure to bookmark this one.  Now everyone can get back to monitoring their fantasy squads.

-- BK

It's pretty common for NBA players to talk about anxiously awaiting the start of training camp.  And save perhaps Kobe Bryant, I'm willing to assume every member of the Laker roster shares such sentiments.  But nobody might be champing at the bit more than Chris Mihm.  To say the least, dude is making up for some lost time.  In March 2006, Mihm suffered a horrific ankle injury after coming down on the foot of then-Sonics forward Rashard Lewis.  The original diagnosis was a severe sprain.  Eighteen months, two surgeries, two intensive rehab stints and countless bouts with aggravation later, Mihm is finally ready to resume playing.  How effective he'll be after missing so much time or how many minutes he can snag from Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum remain to be seen, but he's willing to put himself to the test.  I caught up with Mihm this afternoon in El Segundo during a strength workout break, and we discussed topics ranging from the injury's trials and tribulations, the offseason issues between the front office and Kobe, and his predictions for a season many have already written off as a disaster.  Here's Part 1 of what he had to say:      

Andrew Kamenetzky: Between the surgeries, the setbacks, a pretty grueling rehab, then having to reestablish faith around the league, what's this experience been like for you?

Chris Mihm: It was frustrating.  When I found out the full extent of the injury in November, that I would have to have reconstructive surgery on the ankle and realized the scope of time that it would take me to get back and get this ankle healthy, it was really tough.  I've never missed any period of time like that my entire athletic career, whether it was basketball or any sport I've ever participated in.  It was a real learning experience and depressing at first, especially the first couple of months when I was basically couch-bound, watching games.  But I decided to try and find positives out of it.  Try to work on making it make me more mentally tough.  Working on other parts of my body, my upper body.  That's all I did until I was able to start rehabbing the foot was upper-body weights.  I just found a way to be active and stay positive.  It's been a learning, growing experience for me.

So we thought you'd wanna hear what he's saying.  The shorter gabfest took place on SportsCenter and was conducted by Jim Gray (who, incidentally, is a member of Kobe's "circle of trust."  As opposed to the K Brothers, who reside, as BK famously put it, in his "square of indifference").  The Zen Master spent a little more time yakking on AM-570's PMS program, which meant the obvious Kobe topic could be mixed in with items like PJ's impending HOF induction, his time in the CBA ranks and the historical definition of a patroon.  (L.A. Times-centric UPDATE: Bill Plaschke took Jackson to task for his comments, opining that the Zen Master undermined a front office already working from a position of disadvantage.  Mark Heisler forgoes any harsh words for PJ, perhaps because it's hard to scold a guy he pictures living the "shuffleboard 'n' canasta" life fairly soon.)

Some highlights from Phil's conversations (in my opinion):

During the Jim Gray segment, I got the distinct impression that Phil might believe in Andrew Bynum's potential but would still "ship his ass out" in a second to build around Kobe. 

Phil would appear to second Kobe's public statements that coach and star player are on the same page.  That's never a bad thing, but considering how Kobe and the rest of the front office don't even appear to be reading the same book, much less the same page of said book, that really ain't a bad thing.

Your head coach isn't satisfied with the off-season roster changes as of press time, but in and of itself, he signed off wholeheartedly on bringing back Derek Fisher, Chris Mihm and Luke Walton.  And speaking of Walton, Phil experiences as much trouble listening to his old man's color commentary as I do.

You can describe a patroon as a "lord of the manor."

-- AK

Call it a great leap forward (or at least a bunny hop).  Wednesday at noon, AK and I will host our first edition of Purple, Gold, and Blue at NowLive.com (www.nowlive.com).  This would be Internet radio, and all are invited to participate.  Like any radio show, you'll have the ability to call in, and there is a chat function to the site as well.  To get in on it all, you'll have to register with Now Live, a process that takes about 20 seconds, give or take.  Then click on our show.  After that, it gets fairly self-explanatory.  When it's over, we'll be able to take the finished broadcast and link to it on the site as a podcast, so if you miss it, catching up won't be a problem. 

As you might be able to tell from the title, the Lakers and Dodgers specifically (and hoops and baseball in broader terms) will be at the center of the show.  Given that it's our first crack at this type of operation, we're not totally sure how it will go, but it should be a fun hour and will add a fresh wrinkle to the Lakers and Dodgers blogs.  It looks like Wednesday at noon will be our regular slot, as well.  Hope to see you during the broadcast.

-- BK   

Kidding.  Although there's nothing all that funny about Dr. Buss pleading guilty to misdemeanor drunk-driving charges.  He was fined 1,900 bucks and placed on probation for the next five years.  Once that duration ends, he'll officially be too old to date anyone under 23.  24?  Sure.  But not 23.

At least with legal matters behind him, Doc B. can concentrate on basketball issues, such as what to do about a star player who helped set a tone for Team USA but still doesn't seem all that thrilled with the squad cutting his paychecks.

-- AK

OK, I stole (then paraphrased) that line from a SportsCenter segue, but it does provide an excuse for readers to relive this classic, which I think is worth a little plagiarism.

SI's Marty Burns did some offseason report cards for the Pacific Division, and his Lakers grade wasn't all that hot.   A big fat D, to be exact.  For what it's worth, he didn't award anything resembling a gold star to anyone other than Phoenix, so he didn't consider the Pacific massively improved.  Burns considers all purple and gold acquisitions (Fish, Walton, Mihm, Critter) solid, if not necessarily guys who put the Lakers in the proverbial catbird seat.  But whatever good can be said about those reinforcements gets canceled out big time by Kobe's trade demand and the cloud of uncertainty after not backing off that demand.  He also said not getting KG was a bummer, even while acknowledging it was due to a lack of pieces and not a lack of effort.  His analysis is actually pretty similar to assessments BK and I gave Hoopshype.com a while back. 

If you're looking for a bright side, the Lakers were already overpaying Kwame Brown heading into the offseason, so at least they didn't further sully the summer by making that a brand-new factor.  Otherwise, Burns might have doled out a D- or an F.  It's a major stretch, but if that's what it takes to brighten the blogosphere's day, I'm always here for y'all.

-- AK