Kobe Bryant's 27, Steve Blake's 3 help Lakers edge Yao Ming, Rockets
LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers' emotions ran high when the lights went down at Staples Center. They walked to center court one at a time, accepting a gaudy ring before saying something heartfelt about the next teammate in line.
The two-time NBA champions needed every bit of that family bond just to survive the first test in a season that's sure to be full of them.
Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, newcomer Steve Blake hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18.8 seconds left, and Los Angeles rallied late for a 112-110 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.
Pau Gasol had 29 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who hung the golden banner celebrating their 16th NBA championship and handed out their impossibly ostentatious rings in a surprisingly touching pregame ceremony.
"It's always fun when this night comes and there's a chance to enjoy it," said Bryant, a five-time champion along with Derek Fisher. "And tonight it was a little more special because we all introduced each other. It's special. We know the bond that we share, and for (Fisher) to bring me out there, that was great."
But the champs then fell behind by 15 points before rallying for a fourth-quarter lead behind a 3-point barrage by Shannon Brown, who scored 14 of his 16 points in a 6½-minute span.
The clubs traded the lead four times in the final minute, but Houston's Luis Scola missed a difficult scoop shot with 3 seconds left. After officials used a lengthy video review to award possession of the loose ball to Houston with 2.4 seconds to play, Aaron Brooks' layup attempt at the buzzer was blocked by Lamar Odom.
"Getting those rings, you're definitely on a high," said Brown, who turned down significant free-agent offers for a shot at a threepeat. "You have to come back down, because that's history. That's something nobody can take away from you ever, but it doesn't help us in the next game."
Kevin Martin scored 26 points and Brooks had 18 of his 24 in the first half of Houston's eighth loss in its last nine regular-season meetings with the Lakers.
Yao Ming had nine points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 6:30 left in his first NBA game since the 2009 playoffs, also against the Lakers. The Chinese center missed last season after surgery on his left foot, yet the Rockets were in position for a stunning win until the buzzer.
"They're the world champs, and we knew it was going to be tough," Houston coach Rick Adelman said. "But I thought we responded pretty well. I think (for) about seven minutes, we just didn't play the way we're capable of, and they got back in the game."
Brooks blamed himself for the Rockets' failure in the final seconds after he curled underneath the basket.
"When I caught the ball, I didn't know exactly where I was on the floor," Brooks said. "Then I took a dribble and realized where I was, and I tried to drive, but my leg kind of slipped."
The Rockets didn't make the celebration easy in the Lakers' first real home game since that gut-wrenching, come-from-behind victory in Game 7 of the NBA finals four months ago. Los Angeles trailed by 11 points late in the third quarter before a 21-4 run featuring 12 consecutive points.
The Lakers understandably had a little trouble focusing after the pregame festivities.
The nine remaining Lakers' rings are small asteroids of excess designed by owner Jerry Buss. They feature 16 oversized diamonds for each Lakers title, a three-dimensional rendering of each player's face, and even a small piece of the leather from a basketball used in Game 7 of the NBA finals.
In contrast, the ring ceremony was all heart. NBA commissioner David Stern and Lakers executive Jeanie Buss stood at center court waiting for coach Phil Jackson, who accepted his 11th ring and said a few kind words before introducing forward Luke Walton, who introduced Odom, who introduced Ron Artest -- all the way to Fisher introducing Bryant to thunderous applause.
"I think that the players were emboldened by the ring," Jackson said. "I think they were excited about it, so that part of it, I thought was good. I just didn't think we played with the right speed and tempo in the first half. We got a lot of shots, not a lot of them good."
The Lakers hung in with scoring from Bryant and Gasol, and Blake hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute of the third quarter to trim Houston's lead to five points entering the fourth.
Brown's layup put the Lakers ahead 88-86 with 9:08 left near the end of the Lakers' big run, but Houston took a 108-107 lead with 53 seconds left. Gasol and Scola traded baskets before Blake came open on the perimeter and confidently drained his third 3-pointer.
"It feels great to contribute in your first game, but it's even better to win in your first game," Blake said.
NOTES: Walton missed the opener with a strained hamstring, while Houston F Chuck Hayes played through a sprained right ankle. ... Houston earned a season-opening win at Staples Center three years ago, before the Lakers acquired Gasol and began their run to three straight NBA finals. ... For the 27th straight year, Jeffrey Osborne sang the national anthem at the Lakers' opener. Courtside fans included Denzel Washington, David Beckham, Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith. Shaquille O'Neal's estranged wife, Shaunie, watched from one row behind Jeanie Buss.
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Charges Dropped
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento prosecutors won't file charges against the Los Angeles Lakers' Matt Barnes over an alleged altercation with his fiancee during the summer.The district attorney's office said Monday that there wasn't enough evidence to file domestic violence charges against him.
Barnes' attorney, Tom Johnson, said prosecutors made the right decision. Barnes was arrested Sept. 8 after deputies responded to a disconnected 911 call from his home. Sheriff's deputies said they found visible injuries on his fiancee, Gloria Govan. Govan later denied the accusation, saying Barnes never physically abused her.
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Breaking down the Lakers' roster
Lakers forward Ron Artest:2010 preseason stats: Artest appeared in all eight games, averaging 10.8 points on 43.8% shooting in 26.9 minutes per contest, and went 10 of 24 from three-point range (41.7%).
Outlook: Artest entered training camp weighing 250 pounds, and the decrease in weight has benefitted his mobility and speed. It's almost a given Artest will thrive defensively, but what stood out this training camp was his improved shooting stroke and greater understanding of the triangle.
Artest mostly likely will be looked upon to lock down the opponent's top scorer, but it should be comforting for the Lakers that he seems to understand better what he's doing on offense. It doesn't look as though the championship, the off-season celebrations or the recent accolades regarding his work on behalf of mental-health causes have distracted or drained him. Though Artest seems to feel more confident than last season, he's just as hungry and determined.
Lakers forward Matt Barnes:
2010 preseason stats: Barnes appeared in all eight games, averaging 6.4 points on 44.4% shooting in 19.9 minutes
Outlook: Barnes' self-criticism that he hasn't grasped the triangle as fast as he wants to speaks more to his pragmatism, honesty and hunger than any glaring weakness in his game. Sure, Barnes is still learning. But he has shown he's capable of filling a jack-of-all-trades role in terms of making hustle plays, playing physical defense and occasionally hitting the outside shot.
He's going to be an important piece, considering Bryant will be limited to some degree at the beginning of the season, and Barnes could play either the two or three. That versatility also will help give Artest some rest.
Lakers guard Steve Blake:
2010 preseason stats: Blake appeared in all eight games, averaging 5.5 points on 38.8% shooting, 25% from three-point range as well as 3.6 assists in 21.6 minutes per contest.
Outlook: Blake was right when he described his preseason performance as up and down. He's the best newcomer at grasping the triangle, but his shooting percentage (38.8%), including a zero-of-seven showing last week against Utah, left a lot to be desired. Though Blake is fine-tuning his chemistry with teammates, most of his missed shots came from open looks. This isn't a huge issue. Blake was brought in because of his passing abilities, and he's on the right track in that department. But the Lakers lacked in three-point shooting last season, so it'd be nice to have that additional cushion.
Lakers guard Shannon Brown:
2010 preseason stats: Brown appeared in all eight games, averaging 12.3 points on 49.3% shooting in 24.3 minutes per contest. He started in the Lakers' 105-102 overtime victory Friday over Golden State, finishing with 18 points on six-of-nine shooting in 27 minutes.
Outlook: Brown already has shown this preseason that his outside shot and decision-making have improved, suggesting that his wish to become more than just a dunker may come true. Brown has improved each season in his four-year career, and I'd expect the same this season.
Aside from his thumb issue and still-developing decision-making, part of his game waned last season because he played alongside Jordan Farmar, who provided an energy boost off the bench but often played to pad his own stat sheet. Playing alongside Blake will make it easier to adopt the team mentality.
Brown and Vujacic are currently competing for the definitive backup-shooting-guard spot behind Kobe Bryant, but Lakers Coach Phil Jackson suggested Sunday that that role will be filled based on unspecified matchups and game situations.
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant:
2010 preseason stats: Bryant appeared in seven of eight exhibition games (sat out in the Lakers' 120-99 victory Thursday to the Golden State Warriors in San Diego to rest his surgically repaired knee), averaged 12.6 points on 28.2% shooting, 17.2% from three-point range as well as three assists in 21.6 minutes per contest
Outlook: Jackson plans to limit him to an unspecified number of minutes at the beginning of the season, although he suggested after Sunday's practice that Bryant would play Tuesday against Houston somewhere in the 30-minute range. I anticipate that Bryant will be 100% by December, but over the next month, the focus will be on rehab rather than shooting percentage.
As much as Bryant's determined attitude will help him recover, he'll have to take a pragmatic approach, playing to his current strengths (working the post, driving to the basket) and avoid his current weakness (outside shooting).
Lakers center Andrew Bynum:
2010 preseason stats: Bynum missed the entire training camp while rehabilitating his surgically repaired right knee.
Outlook: Will Bynum be fully healthy and manage to stay healthy this season? That's the million-dollar question that Laker fans wish they could confidently answer. Jackson hinted Sunday that he expected Bynum to return around Thanksgiving but anticipated that catching up on his conditioning and on-court chemistry would take time.
Bynum showed in the 2010 playoffs that his presence and sheer will alone paid dividends in close putbacks and rebounds, made opposing players think twice before driving into the lane and helped the Lakers' defensive rotations. But that won't work as a long-term strategy. It's too long of a season.
Before Laker fans start clamoring for the team to trade him again, consider this: It's tough to think of a team that can combat a starting lineup that boasts two 7-footers in Bynum and Pau Gasol. That's a rare asset to have and is something the Lakers will need should they match up with Boston or Miami in the NBA Finals.
Lakers rookie forward Derrick Caracter:
2010 preseason stats: Caracter appeared in five exhibition games, averaging 6.6 points on 43.9% shooting in 12 minutes per contest. He sat out the other three because of back spasms.
Outlook: Caracter's work around the rim and size make him a threat inside. But he still has a lot of work to do improving his ball handling and knowing the triangle. It's unclear if Caracter will play many minutes this season, and if he does, it's probably won't be for a good reason (prolonged injury to Bynum or another front-court player). But in the time he plays in practice and in garbage time, improving the aforementioned variables will make him a more valuable reserve.
Lakers guard Derek Fisher:
2010 preseason stats: Fisher appeared in all eight exhibition games, averaging seven points on 43.2% shooting in 21.8 minutes per contest.
Outlook: I've been a pretty staunch Fisher supporter since taking over the L.A. Times Lakers blog in January, but even I was surprised by how efficient his shooting stroke looked in the preseason. That doesn't mean I think Fisher will be lights out in the regular season. But it appears he'll at least be lukewarm. His value will increase once the playoffs hit, but Fisher in the regular season will need to temper his shot selection and ensure he has enough help on defense to back him up when he gets beat off the dribble.
Lakers forward Devin Ebanks:
2010 preseason stats: Ebanks appeared in all eight exhibition games, averaging 6.6 points on 43.9% shooting in 12 minutes per contest.
Outlook: I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Ebanks became a regular in the reserves rotation. He's looked that good in preseason, impressing the likes of Jackson, Bryant, Artest and Odom with his quiet nature and relentless work ethic. He's been consistent defensively, making hustle plays and knocking balls loose. Ebanks also improved his shooting stroke on the offensive end and has appeared more comfortable in looking for his own shot without playing selfishly.
Part of the reason Ebanks is likely to get decent playing time is the Lakers' injuries. Jackson already has floated the idea that Ebanks could play some backup shooting guard and backup power forward in addition to his typical position at small forward. Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak mentioned that he drafted him with the 43rd pick because of the uncertainty about Walton's back, and Jackson currently doesn't have a timetable on Walton's aggravated right hamstring. For these reasons, the Lakers' draft pick was essentially a steal.
Lakers forward Pau Gasol:
2010 preseason stats: Gasol appeared in eight games, averaging a team-leading 17 points on 46.5% shooting and 7.8 rebounds in 29.6 minutes per contest.
Outlook: On paper, Gasol's numbers looked impressive. On selected portions of film, Gasol looked great. But he entered training camp with a lot of question marks. No doubt he'll display the efficiency, footwork and mid-range game that have made him the league's best power forward, but Jackson is calling on him to make this his team as Bryant rehabs. In that respect, Gasol so far has fallen short, with a poor shooting percentage, sluggish rhythm and questionable effort on defense. Obviously, Gasol will play better once he gets into a routine after, rightfully, sitting out competitive basketball this off-season. But the Lakers are going to need someone to carry the team with Bynum out for at least a month and Bryant not 100% after his surgery.
Lakers forward Lamar Odom:
2010 preseason stats: Odom appeared in seven of the eight exhibition games, averaging 10.9 points on 46.9% shooting and a team-leading 10.7 rebounds in 31.7 minutes per contest; missed the Lakers' 105-102 overtime victory Friday over the Golden State Warriors because of a sore left thumb and tight back.
Outlook: Odom posted the best numbers, displayed the most effort and seemed to arrive in training camp in the best condition of anyone on the team. And Odom doesn't plan on resting anytime soon. I had wondered whether his busy off-season with the 2010 FIBA World Championships would elevate his game or lead to burnout. He's shown this preseason that his game has improved tremendously since playing with Team USA, but there's still the possibility that Odom will hit the wall. He sat out Friday because of the thumb, his back and a beat-up nose, injuries he told reporters that during the regular season he would play through.
Still, it's something Odom will have to monitor throughout the season. I liked his approach of laying everything out in practice and exhibition games because it tested his limits and probably helped him realize he had more stamina and energy if he simply paced himself. There may come a time when he'll need to rest and reenergize, but I'm sure Odom will recognize that. Expect big things from Odom this season. The Lakers will need it.
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Bynum increases workload, runs on treadmill
Lakers center Andrew Bynum has started running on a treadmill, the latest step in his gradual recovery from off-season knee surgery.
Coach Phil Jackson said he had "kind of" pegged a return date for Bynum around Thanksgiving.
"I think the basketball part is going to be easy," Jackson said. "I think the conditioning and the strengthening and those things will take time. He's going to need [only] two or three practices and he'll be back up to speed where he can go play. Reactive time, I think that's an issue, where he can react to the speed of the game."
Bynum did not talk to reporters Sunday but was eager to come back, perhaps even a little too much, Jackson said.
"I think he wants to ramp it up a little faster than we want him to," Jackson said. "We want him to be able to go in and sustain that effort when he does get back. We want him back tomorrow, but if he's back in two or three or four weeks, we understand what it's going to take."
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Derek Fisher reacts to contraction talk
Nine times out of 10, Fisher has deflected the questions, preferring to leave the talking for the negotiating table. However, after NBA commissioner David Stern's recent comments detailing how the league is seeking a reduction of player salaries by $700-800 million and the possibility of contraction, Fisher didn't keep quiet on Friday -- even if he didn't agree with Stern's methods.
"I heard about his comments and the other comments that were made regarding certain elements of the collective bargaining agreement, and some comments won't pull a comment in return," Fisher said. "Some things aren't comment-worthy."
Fisher said that the player's association and the NBA had been operating under an implicit agreement to keep the CBA conversations out of the media.
"Details of where things stand and what exactly respective sides were looking for, we were going to keep in the room and behind closed doors," Fisher said. "We don't plan to negotiate through media, through public forums. We'll continue to negotiate behind closed doors and continue to focus on resolution. There's really no need at any point to just throw out something that is not based in [the question], 'Is this something that is going to help us get a deal done?'"
Fisher admitted it is "fair to say that contraction would be on the table" but added that the suggestion of such a dramatic change by the league is purely posturing at this point with the CBA not set to expire until June 30, 2011.
"I can't speculate on what his intent with the comment was," Fisher said. "It may be accurately how he feels, but for us -- myself and my players -- we're steadfast and focused on finding resolutions and continuing to create and come up with ways that we can actually get a deal done."
If the league does, indeed, continue to talk contraction, it would put the two sides even further away from an agreement than they are now, thus making the possibility of a lockout even stronger.
"We have a responsibility to protect as many jobs as we can," Fisher said.
With more and more players around the league, including highly compensated All-Stars Chris Kaman and Rajon Rondo, telling the media about plans to save money this season as a war chest in the wake of a potential work stoppage, Fisher said the NBPA is also telling players to prepare for a lockout.
"Planning for the worst is kind of a part of our DNA," Fisher said. "At the same time, when there are potentially rare, abnormal circumstances, I think we increase the number of messages and the way we get those messages out.
"We're trying with every avenue we have to make sure players understand, actually lockout or not, to take your financial future seriously. Regardless of what next year looks like, next year isn't guaranteed for any of us. The decisions you are making now should always be based in that fact. Next year is in some ways irrelevant if you do the right things you need to do right now."
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Pau Gasol leads Phil Jackson-less Lakers past Warriors
Jackson missed the game because of flulike symptoms. Assistant coach Brian Shaw directed the team, the first time he has served as a head coach in an NBA game.
"To tell you the truth, it felt the same," Shaw said. "My demeanor isn't one where I'm demonstrative on the sideline. I did have to rattle a couple of guys at halftime to get them going. It felt like we were kind of going through the motions in the first half."
Kobe Bryant was in uniform, but didn't play as he was resting his surgically repaired left knee.
"He's coming along, working diligently every day," Shaw said. "The main thing for us is to have him as strong as possible Tuesday night when we open the season."
Sasha Vujacic, who said before the game that he's engaged to tennis star Maria Sharapova, had nine points in his first action since sustaining a concussion last week. He missed three games.
Steve Blake had 18 points and six assists, Lamar Odom finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Shannon Brown had 13 points, five assists and three steals. Luke Walton had five points in 11 minutes in his first game of the season. He has been sidelined by a strained hamstring.
Los Angeles took an 11-0 lead and led 55-52 at the half, with Gasol leading the Lakers with 13 points. The Lakers had an 86-76 lead after three quarters went on a 28-8 run over the first 8 minutes of the fourth quarter.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 19 points, and David Lee had 17.
Both teams are 3-4 in the preseason.
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Kobe Bryant unlikely to play Thursday
The bad news is the reason his percentage will stay stagnant is because Bryant is unlikely to play.
"I think that Thursday's very possible he would not play," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.
The 15-year veteran is officially listed as questionable, according to the team. Bryant has played sparingly through six preseason games thus far, averaging just 19.5 minutes as he recovers from offseason surgery on his right knee, his third procedure on the knee since 2003.
Once the regular season tips off Tuesday against the Houston Rockets, Bryant's minutes will not suddenly increase dramatically.
"I don't anticipate he's going to be playing heavy-minute games to start this season," Jackson said. "So, we'll have to find a pattern out there so he has the greatest influence in the amount of minutes he gets."
Jackson said he doesn't have a specific minute limitation in mind for the regular season, abandoning the practice of putting anything like a 16 to 18 minute range on Bryant's playing time as he did at the start of the preseason.
"It may vary from game to game," Jackson said. "Back to back, our second and third games to start the season, I think there will be a difference between Game 3 and Game 2, obviously."
While the strength of Bryant's knee continues to be monitored by the team, the accuracy of Bryant's shot is not as alarming as his low shooting percentage would suggest.
"I'm not that concerned about his shot as I am about just having an overall ability to play with the kind of energy that he wants to play with," Jackson said. "His shot will come as soon as that happens. He's the best caretaker I've ever seen of his own personal physique so I anticipate he's got this measured as to how he wants to do it."
Or, as Bryant put it after the Lakers' 102-95 win over the Denver Nuggets last Saturday: "I feel silly even talking about shooting percentage, it's the damn preseason."
Ron Artest has picked up the slack while Bryant's shot has gone awry, upping his field goal percentage to 47.2 percent (up from 41.4 percent last season) and his 3-point percentage to 42.1 percent (up from 35.5 percent).
"I just think the rhythm of his game and also the cement shoes he's not wearing," Jackson said. "He's got those two things down."
Artest is a free agent on the sneaker market, but has been testing out a new low top shoe by an emerging company during the preseason.
With Bryant out, the Lakers will welcome back to the lineup two reserves in Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton. Vujacic has been sidelined since last Thursday with a concussion while Walton has yet to appear in a preseason game after straining his right hamstring when the team was in London at the start of training camp.
Both players participated in a full practice Wednesday.
"Go home in front of the home fans," said Walton, who played his prep ball at University of San Diego High School. "Throw that new jersey on for the first time."
In other injury news, rookie forward Derrick Caracter is questionable after suffering back spasms against Utah on Tuesday.
"Probably another day or two," Caracter said.
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Trey Johnson, Andrew Naymick waived
The team announced Thursday it has requested waivers on guard Trey Johnson and center Andrew Naymick.
Johnson and Naymick played sparingly in the Lakers first six preseason games but provided backcourt- and big-man depth during training camp as starters Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum recovered from offseason knee surgeries.
Johnson, who once played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and is a former D-League All-Star, averaged 2.8 points and 1.2 assists in 8.8 minutes in five preseason games with the Lakers. Naymick, a college teammate of Lakers guard Shannon Brown at Michigan State University, collected two rebounds in 16 minutes of play during the preseason.
The Lakers' roster now stands at 14 players. Los Angeles has two preseason games remaining on Thursday and Friday against the Golden State Warriors before tipping off the season on Oct. 26 at home against the Houston Rockets.
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Phil Jackson eyes Magic Johnson move
"What I'm interested in is what he's going to invest in the next time around," Jackson said. "I think that's going to be an interesting thing."
It has been widely speculated Johnson is looking for a larger ownership role with an NBA team, an interest that he acknowledged over the summer and would require him to sell his shares of the Lakers. Jackson wondered if Johnson is also driven in part by seeing the opportunities offered to another legendary contemporary.
"He sees Michael Jordan now at the head of a franchise, kind of directing the course of the Charlotte team, so it'll be interesting to see where he goes with this plan that he has," Jackson said.
"I really don't know. It depends on how well they take care of their money and how much they can possibly accumulate over the course of their career. In this past decade, a lot of players made tremendous amounts of money in the market of not only playing, but advertisements."
That Johnson has enjoyed so much success as a businessman and investor in his post-basketball career comes as no surprise to Jackson, who pictured the 12-time All-Star as a future mogul even as a rookie.
"Magic was a marketer from the day he came," Jackson said. "He was marketing the Lakers, and then he moved in the Starbucks and theaters. That seems like it's natural for me. Someone out there, a businessman, said, 'Hey, this guy is gonna be great for a business.'
"He's just great with people and with a microphone in front of him. It's something that was great for him."
Should Johnson take the helm of another NBA franchise, he shouldn't count on Jackson as a partner down the road. As it stands, the coach has no interest in eventually owning a basketball franchise.
"No, I haven't considered that as a possible career move at all," Jackson said with a smile. "I'm trying to hang on here, just hold this cat."
A team in Anaheim?
With the Lakers playing an exhibition game at the Honda Center, the question was posed to Jackson about the notion of Anaheim one day having its own franchise. The notion struck the coach as realistic, if not immediately perfect.
"In thinking about it, the possibility is there," Jackson said. "It's oversaturating the market, obviously, but this is a big enough metropolitan territory that they certainly could have a team. I'm not so sure the Honda Center is in the form that modern-day NBA arenas are like in this day and age. But they can renovate that.
"It's a market now that's probably not gonna expand and teams that are going to move here would have to probably take their team from another metropolitan area and move it to this place."
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Lakers Fall To the Jazz
Williams and the Utah Jazz feel much better about the way they got to 7-0: with promising play from their starters and two victories over the defending champs.
Al Jefferson scored 13 points in three quarters before leaving with an injured right hand, C.J. Miles added 14 points and the Jazz stayed unbeaten in the preseason with an 82-74 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Utah took the temporary court atop the Anaheim Ducks' home ice with its expected starting five for next week's season opener. All five made contributions and worked on their chemistry, taking a lead the Lakers' scrubs couldn't overcome.
"Our first group is playing pretty good," said Williams, who had 10 points and five assists. "The timing is still not there, but for the most part, we played hard and played together. We're in a good position for this point in the season."
Williams sat out the Jazz's back-to-back games at Staples Center last weekend, including Sunday's 99-94 win over the Lakers, with a strained right calf. The star point guard also is expected to skip Utah's preseason finale against Sacramento on Friday, which means this game was the last chance for the starters to work on that chemistry.
Utah is off to its best preseason start in franchise history, but Jefferson winced in agony during the final seconds of the third quarter after apparently injuring his hand while driving to the hoop. The Jazz said he has a bruised knuckle, and Jefferson stayed on the Utah bench for the fourth quarter
Jefferson said he aggravated a bruise on the knuckle of his index finger just above his palm.
"I hurt it the first preseason game, and it never healed because the ball is always going to hit right there," the Utah newcomer said. "I just bent it back real good. I can play with it. It's just something I have to deal with."
Kobe Bryant can relate to that mentality: He led the Lakers to last season's title while playing most of the season with an injured index finger, which still bothers him.
Bryant scored seven points on 2-for-13 shooting, missing eight of his nine shots in the third quarter. Two days earlier, Bryant scored 19 points in the third quarter against the Jazz.
Neither set of numbers means anything to the two-time NBA Finals MVP, who was pleased by his unusually short drive back to his Orange County home.
"We're just moving on, game by game, day by day," Bryant said.
Shannon Brown and Matt Barnes scored 13 points apiece for the Lakers, who finish the preseason with back-to-back games against Golden State before beginning their defense of their two NBA titles. Pau Gasol had 11 points while playing 31 minutes.
"We have really good stretches, and we have some where we're not as sharp as we need to be, especially defensively," Gasol said. "Once we clean that up, we'll be fine. The real deal doesn't start until the 26th. That's when we can start making judgments."
The clubs played before a healthy crowd of Orange County fans at Honda Center, which still aspires to have an NBA team as a full-time tenant in the future.
While Utah's starting five purred, the Lakers' starting five went just 5-for-18 while playing most of the first quarter, including a 1-for-5 effort by Gasol and four misses by Derek Fisher. Los Angeles made just 12 of 40 shots in the first half, but trailed only 38-32 after Utah made 10 turnovers in the half.
Steve Blake and Matt Barnes picked up first-half technical fouls for the Lakers, with Blake getting into a scuffle with Utah's Francisco Elson.
Los Angeles pulled within 73-69 using a lineup led by Gasol and four reserves with 3½ minutes to play, but Kyrylo Fesenko and Earl Watson came up with key baskets to maintain Utah's lead.
Game notes
Lakers F Luke Walton sat out with a strained right hamstring. He hopes to play again in the preseason. ... Utah G Raja Bell had yet another testy night guarding Bryant, who tried to recruit Bell to the Lakers during the offseason. Bell signed with the Jazz, and the Lakers signed Barnes, who scored eight points while playing big minutes in the second half. ... The 6-foot-3 Blake didn't hesitate to mix it up with the 7-foot Elson, earning dual technicals. "For some reason, I always get into it with the big guys," Blake said. "It's fun. It gets me going."
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Andrew Bynum cleared for non-basketball activities
Laker fans should feel a little more at ease.
Center Andrew Bynum told The Times' Mike Bresnahan late Sunday night that he's made enough progress with his surgically repaired right knee to get cleared for non-basketball activities.
"I can start running next week, and then maybe start practicing in two to three weeks," Bynum told Bresnahan. "But the important thing is the doctor cleared me." Bynum then told Bresnahan his hope is that he'll play in a competitive game by late November.
Certainly Lakers fans will embrace this new development, considering the controversy surrounding his off-season surgery on his right knee, the uncertain timetable and the Lakers' sluggishness during the preseason. There will surely be new developments, particularly once he starts playing.
But there's a few things to consider. First, don't set your expectations to a specific timetable. The language Bynum outlined to Bresnahan is very conservative in that he definitely will start running next week and then possibly practice two to three weeks afterward. The progress that he makes once he begins his non-basketball workouts will surely determine when he'll begin to practice and, subsequently, when he'll play in a game.
Although there's been new developments since then, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson expressed similar sentiments after Bynum went through a personal workout, including exercises Friday with Lakers physical therapist Alex McKenchie.
"It's going to take him awhile before he's on the court with us," Jackson said at the time. "We hope it's within a week or two he's on the court with us. It doesn't mean he'll do a full practice, but he can do some of the things."
Second, the Lakers should still operate as if they'll play without Bynum for an extended period of time. That doesn't mean I have reason to believe Bynum will experience more set-backs. But just considering the unpredictable timetables involving all his injuries and the fact he'll miss at least a month of the season, it'd be beneficial for the Lakers to still go about their business.
That means Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest should be ready to handle the load. The Lakers have already made steps in doing that with Jackson prodding Gasol into taking more charge of the team in case Bynum's gone and Kobe Bryant's still rehabilitating his knee. Odom and Artest have surely looked the best this preseason, with Odom showing his experience in the 2010 FIBA World Championships kept him in game shape and Artest demonstrating that his slimmed-down 245-pound frame makes him more mobile. The two also lead the Lakers in field-goal percentage, with Odom and Artest shooting 53.3% and 48.9%, respectively. They each should still psychologically feel like they need to make those big contributions.
But with all that said, Bynum's revelation to Bresnahan surely provides a dose of good news with a litte more than a week before the season opener.
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Luke Walton's return to practice should help newcomers' grasp of triangle offense
Heading into his first practice since straining his right hamstring two weeks ago, Lakers forward Luke Walton on Monday took an evenhanded approach.
He participated in a full practice, and plans to increase the intensity in each ensuing day. Both Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and Walton are leaning toward his sitting out the Lakers' exhibition game Tuesday against Utah, and are hoping he could play Thursday against Golden State. And after going through an off-season in which he's rehabbed his back, Walton hopes to reach that fine line between continuing to strengthen it without causing negative effects.
"Probably," Walton said when asked if the back injury that limited him to 29 games last season related to his recently strained right hamstring. "Everything's related. The back feels great, but the hamstring went on me. So I don't know if it was too much doing back exercises that was putting too much pressure on my hamstring and what-not. The positive out of it is my back has felt great all training camp. Now the hamstring is starting to feel better again, so maybe it's about just finding that good balance between doing my back stuff, but not doing too much of it and doing hamstring work as well."
Walton's injury history shows he's met that approach with mixed success. But as far as taking that even-headed approach toward the triangle offense? Walton's nailed it. Before training camp began Jackson pointed toward Walton's absence as a significant factor in the bench's inconsistency last season, because the forward's team-first mentality and knowledge of the triangle would've helped keep the unit fluid and focused more on execution than individual production.
Although the Lakers surely face more pressing issues, such as how soon Kobe Bryant will fully rehabilitate his surgically repaired right knee or how soon Andrew Bynum will return to the court, Walton's return could help address another issue the Lakers face this training camp -- helping newcomers Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, Theo Ratliff, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter fully understand the triangle.
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Magic Johnson sells his share of the Lakers
Magic Johnson will forever be connected with Lakers history, but he can't be called part-owner of the team any longer.
Johnson sold his ownership stake in the Lakers, about 4.5%, to influential season-ticket holder Patrick Soon-Shiong, the team said Monday.
Johnson, who holds assets in many business sectors, including commercial real estate, health clubs and restaurants, said in a statement that his decision was reached after "heavy deliberation and a weighing heart."
"Dr. Soon-Shiong is a super Lakers fan, an outstanding businessman, a dedicated philanthropist and one of the most active community leaders in Los Angeles,” Johnson said. “I am truly humbled to have been a Lakers player for 13 years and an owner for over 10 years. I thank Dr. [Jerry] Buss from the deepest part of my heart and soul for allowing me such an incredible opportunity. I will continue to work alongside Dr. Buss, Jeanie Buss and Mitch Kupchak in their efforts to continually build and maintain the best NBA franchise in the league.
"This was a bittersweet business decision made on behalf of my family and myself, and I want to assure all the wonderful and loyal Lakers fans that my decision will in no way affect my dedication and support for the Los Angeles Lakers. I am and will always be a Laker for life.”
Based on a valuation by Forbes magazine that the Lakers were worth $607 million last December, Johnson's stake was worth about $28 million, though exact terms of the sale were not disclosed.
"The sale of Earvin’s share of the team is a business decision which will not change our relationship," Lakers owner Jerry Buss said in a statement. "Our friendship goes well beyond business. Patrick is a long-time and passionate Lakers fan and we are delighted to have him as a partner.”
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Luke Walton could return Thursday
Lakers reserve forward Luke Walton practiced Monday for the first time since sustaining a strained right hamstring two weeks ago and was targeting Thursday’s exhibition against Golden State as a return to game action.
“It felt good,” Walton said Monday. “It’s not tugging on me, which is great. I still didn’t really like explode and didn’t ever really go as hard as I could to the basket, but I was running, sprinting, passing and cutting, and all of that felt great. A very good sign.”
There’s a small chance that Walton could play Tuesday in the Lakers exhibition against Utah, but Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said he didn’t envision “throwing him out there” after only one day of practice.
Walton sat out most of last season because of recurring back problems but he hasn’t reported any major issues with his back this fall.
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Caught in the Web: Shannon Brown reportedly engaged to Monica
Shannon Brown confirmed Monday after practice he is engaged to R&B singer Monica.
“I’m happy,” Brown said. “It’s great. She’s a great girl. Everything is great.”
Monica said via her Twitter account: “We realize people will have their opinions. That’s the way of the world.But we know who we are&who’s we are.We pray 2 an awesome God 2gether… And that is what keeps us strong. So for all my real supporters who are happy for me. I thank u, I love u, & I’m realistic enough about life… To know my journey has just begun. I don’t have anything else to say about it.2 people who judge. If u worked on self u wouldn’t even see me.”
The Lakers already have one celebrity marriage in Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian — plus Sasha Vujacic is dating tennis star Maria Sharapova.
Brown, 24, appeared in with Monica, 29, in her music video “Love All Over Me” last year. She has two sons: Rodney, 5, and Romelo, nearly 2. Brown has a 1-year-old son, Shannon Jr.
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Lakers forward Pau Gasol gradually phasing back into form
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson has prodded Pau Gasol all preseason, saying just last week that he's "been on vacation" ever since the Lakers began training camp nearly a month ago. He's repeatedly pushed Gasol into preparing for what may become an inevitable scenario once the Lakers start the season Oct. 26 against Houston. Despite the progress Kobe Bryant showed in the Lakers' 99-94 preseason loss Sunday to the Utah Jazz, there's still uncertainty over how much strength he will have in his right knee by the season opener. There's also, of course, uncertainty on when Andrew Bynum will return from rehabilitating his surgically repaired right knee.
I documented in detail Jackson's expectation of Gasol becoming the team's leader in case Bryant and Bynum aren't up to speed at the beginning of the season. The post also looked at how Gasol might adjust fitting into that role. As with any preseason game, it's necessary to take Sunday's result, and more importantly the team's development, as simply a non-definitive snapshot that could change as early as the next exhibition. Gasol's performance against Utah, for example, showcased gradual progress, while still revealing there's more work to do.
"Not bad, getting better," Gasol said after posting 28 points and nine rebounds on eight of 15 shooting. "Rhythm feeling a little stronger and testing a couple things. Overall, not bad."
Not bad, considering he led the team in scoring. Not bad, considering he went 12 of 14 from the free-throw line after entering the contest shooting 60% from the stripe. Not bad, considering Gasol showcased his usual nifty footwork and length in the post.
But it wasn't great either. Gasol started out two for eight, with Jackson saying he had "close shots, but he just didn't have good shots." Gasol struggled matching up with Utah newcomer Al Jefferson, who had 14 points on five of nine shooting and beat Gasol a few times on quick drop steps. And he doesn't look close to the player who Jackson called the team's MVP for the last 30 games of the regular season, nor is he as sharp as when he averaged 18.6 points and 11.6 rebounds in the 2010 Finals, including a 19-point, 18-rebound performance in Game 7.
Jackson understands that will come, his tone changing Sunday with more encouragement.
"I think he's starting to get in game shape," Jackson said. "There's some empathy for him, not sympathy."
And in return, Gasol seems to be embracing what the team expects from him. His preseason 29.2 minutes per game ranks second behind Lamar Odom (33.6), and he played 36 against Utah partly because rookie forward Derrick Caracter sat out with back spasms.
"It's important that I deliver, that Lamar delivers," Gasol said. "Pretty much everybody needs to step up. Theo [Ratliff] needs to be ready also. Obviously we understand the situation."
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Kobe Bryant's increased mobility a good sign in Lakers' 99-94 preseason loss to Utah Jazz
The Lakers almost came within striking distance in unseating the Utah Jazz in an exhibition game Sunday night at Staples Center, and the 15,690 spectators wanted Kobe Bryant to reenter the game so he could provide the typical theatrics.
The crowd didn't care that the result of the Staples Center Shootout meant very little, with it being a preseason game. The crowd didn't care that Bryant has spent the first five exhibition games mostly interested in how much strength he can build in his surgically repaired right knee than improving his shooting percentage, let alone winning a game. And the crowd also didn't care that Bryant sat on the Lakers' bench with ice on his knees with 3:27 remaining in the contest.
They wanted to see the Black Mamba put on a show after an electrifying third-quarter performance. Instead, the Lakers lost, 99-94, Sunday to the Utah Jazz, another preseason game that's brought more significance to Bryant's rehabilitation process than any results.
"I'm surprised they chanted," Bryant said after scoring 19 points on seven-of 12-shooting. "Come on it's the preseason. They'd much rather see me in June, but I still appreciate it."
In return, the crowd also appreciated what Bryant brought against the Jazz. After going zero of four in the first quarter and sitting out the entire second quarter, Bryant's 19 third-quarter points on seven-of-eight shooting significantly reflected the team's increased energy level, his improved shooting stroke and his progressing mobility and strength. The latter factor has always served as the appropriate variable in measuring Bryant's rehab process than his shooting numbers, which entailed a nine-of-41 clip (21.9%) entering the Sunday's game against the Jazz.
"Not much," Bryant said when I asked him what he draws from the third-quarter performance in terms of his progression. "We're playing well. We're moving the ball well. We just had a few stretches where we put them on the free-throw line too much. But other than that, I think we did a good job."
So even if Bryant's shooting percentage in the third quarter signified little in terms of his knee, the improved aggression and mobility helped get him to that point where it looks like he's on the right track. Even so, it still made for some entertaining moments, a performance Lakers forward Pau Gasol described as "hot."
He grabbed a rebound one-handed and converted an easy dunk. He successfully made a turn-around jumper on the far side, a sign that Bryant's post work looks strong. And he essentially made three consecutive three-pointers, though one of them was discounted because of traveling. To top it all off, Bryant scored his points mostly against long-time foe Raja Bell, who still received boos from the Staples Center crowd after deciding to join Utah this off-season over the Lakers.
"I'm glad I'm not covering him anymore when he gets hot," said Lakers guard Steve Blake, who joined the Lakers this off-season for a four-year, $16-million deal.
The right perspective on Bryant's performances this preseason never pointed to how he looked in the box score, but rather how he looked on the floor. Though Lakers Coach Phil Jackson credited Bryant's third-quarter resurgence in bringing the Lakers back into contention in the game, the more pressing question involves something that's currently unpredictable. "Sustaining the effort is the mystery now in how to do that," Jackson said.
But Bryant's at least comforted in the fact that he doesn't suspect the process to be as painful as the 2010 playoffs.
"Last year I was on one leg and we still managed enough," Bryant said. "This year, I don't think we have to be as managed."
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Ron Artest raffling title ring for charity
Tickets are $2 a piece with a minimum purchase of five tickets. The raffle will be held from the offices of netraffle.org on Dec. 25, the same day the Lakers host the Miami Heat as the headliner of a five-game Christmas Day lineup for the NBA.
The proceeds will go to Artest's non-profit organization, Xcel University, which then will select two charities -- one in Los Angeles, one nationally -- to receive the money.
The charities being considered are ones that want to increase mental-health awareness and help erase the stigma associated with mental-health therapy. The beneficiaries will be announced Oct. 27.
The Lakers will receive their rings at halftime on opening night, Oct. 26, as they host the Houston Rockets.
Andrew Bynum progresses in recovery
The step forward: Andrew Bynum participated in a series of resistance strength exercises on the sidelines Friday with the aid of trainer Alex McKechnie. It was the first time Bynum worked upright during the recovery process from offseason knee surgery.
"We hope that it's within a week or two that he's on the court with us," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "That doesn't mean that he's going to go through a full practice, but he can do some of the things."
Bynum was originally cleared by doctors to return to contact drills and weight-bearing exercises on the knee in late October.
The two steps back: Sasha Vujacic will not play this weekend and will be re-evaluated Monday after suffering a concussion Thursday when an inadvertent elbow from Lamar Odom struck him under his left eye. Vujacic wore sunglasses as he watched Friday's practice on the sidelines.
Luke Walton is also listed as doubtful for the four-team round-robin dubbed the Staples Center Shootout as his right hamstring strain continues to improve.
"Sasha says he's feeling pretty good, actually. He doesn't have blurred vision, he doesn't see lights and they did find a brain when they went in," Jackson quipped.
There was also a step sideways.
A day after completing a full practice with the team and shooting workout afterward, Kobe Bryant did not practice with the team Friday, giving his surgically repaired right knee a day's respite from running up and down the floor. He did participate in an off-court workout, however.
Bryant continues to pace his recovery from the offseason procedure, the third since 2003 on the knee, with the goal of being as close to as 100 percent as possible for the season opener against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 26.
"[He looks] better," Pau Gasol said of Bryant. "I think he's feeling more comfortable, more aggressive and getting into a rhythm out there. Obviously he's testing himself and I like the progress that I've seen as far as movement goes and confidence."
Jackson said he plans to keep Bryant's playing time to "under 24 minutes" on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets. Rookie swingman Devin Ebanks has been playing more guard at practice, with the possibility of filling in some of the backcourt minutes vacated because of Bryant's and Vujacic's injuries.
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Pau Gasol, Ron Artest score 18 each as Lakers drop Kings
Ron Artest and Pau Gasol each scored 18 points to lead the Lakers to a 98-95 win over the Sacramento Kings.
Kobe Bryant finished with seven points, four rebounds, and two assists in almost 19 minutes. Bryant played in roughly the first nine minutes of the first and third quarters and was 2 of 10 from the field.
"Kobe looks better to us," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "He didn't shoot the ball too well, but he ran like he was more fluid. It looks more like he starting to have a little bounce in his step. I was pleased, even though, he didn't shoot the ball well."
Los Angeles led by 15 going into the fourth before the Kings had a chance to tie in the final five seconds. But Sacramento could not get a good shot off.
Teammate Shannon Brown had 17 points off the bench.
Artest had 11 first-quarter points and was 4 of 5 from 3-point range in 23 minutes.
"He was hot," Jackson said. "So I left him in the ballgame. He is going to find his way out there, but he is still searching a little bit. But he did much better." Artest averaged 6.5 points in the two previous games.
"I feel settled, but I have still have to make sure my rhythm is going at times," Artest said. "I wasn't doing was I was exactly was I suppose to (in the triangle). I think was going back to things I learned last year. But there is some new stuff I learned today that I didn't know last year."
Carl Landry led Sacramento with 23 points and eight rebounds in 39 minutes. Last season's Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans added 13 points and eight assists in 33 minutes for the Kings.
Evans came away banged up after drives to the basket.
"I twisted my right (ankle) in the first half and the left one in the second half," Evans said. "The left one hurts me more. It seems to happen to me all the time." Sacramento rookie DeMarcus Cousins, chosen fifth in June's draft, had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Gasol also had 12 rebounds.
"Right now, I'm looking at Pau to play a little bit better than he is," Jackson said. "He is still on vacation. But he is coming on. His stats were better than I thought."
By halftime, Sacramento managed a 47-46 halftime lead on a Landry basket with three seconds left. But the Lakers took the lead for good on a Bryant free throw with 6:52 left in the third and eventually built a 74-59 lead to end the third. Sacramento was outscored 28-12 in the quarter.
"Coach (Paul Westphal) said we have to be prepared," Cousins said. "We're playing the world champs. They're a pretty good team. They were more active than us."
In their European trip, the Lakers lost to Minnesota Oct. 4 in London, and to Regal FC Barcelona in Spain Oct. 7.
Meanwhile, the Kings were playing back-to-back nights after defeating Golden State at home, 116-97.
Kings owner George Maloof Jr., who was arrested on a DUI Saturday night in Las Vegas, was at the game during the first half. Maloof Jr., who also owns the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, was sitting courtside with his two brothers, Joe and Gavin.
George Maloof Jr. was also sitting next to sportscaster Jim Gray and former boxing champion Mike Tyson. Gray is scheduled to be a sideline reporter for about 20 Kings games this season.
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Ron Artest tweets he may give away his a second NBA ring (assuming he gets one)
There have been plenty of signs that Ron Artest feels confident the Lakers will return and win in the NBA Finals this season.
He's expressed little concern that he might regret auctioning off his championship ring once he receives it on opening night, Oct. 26 against Houston, saying the funds will go toward mental-health causes and that he will have even more motivation to win another ring.
After practice Saturday he said he'd like to drop down to 245 pounds once the playoffs started but worried about having to bulk up again once he matched up with the Miami Heat's LeBron James in the NBA Finals.
And he's asking fans via Twitter to write an essay on how they could make America better, with the winner earning Artest's second ring.
If you are inclined to enter the contest, feel free to send your essays to Artest at his Twitter account, RONARTESCOM. But I'm sure there are a number of you who would rather Artest keep the ring. After all, he earned it, and it's possible he'd regret giving it away no matter the good intentions. So feel free to use this forum to enter your essay, to give Artest your two cents on whether the giveaway is a good idea or to tell what you would do with the ring if you won the contest.
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Ron Artest plans to abstain from alcohol for the 2010-11 season
The celebration never seemed to end and the alcohol seemed to keep on flowing.
Moments after Lakers forward Ron Artest entered the locker room, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant poured champagne on his 2010 NBA Finals championship hat. As Artest gleefully recounted to reporters the circuitous route he's taken in his 11-year career before finally winning a title, Lakers backup center DJ Mbenga poured beer on his head. And once he finally made it to his own locker, Artest's family popped open a bottle of champagne and asked him to take a sip.
Artest showed afterward how he loved the taste of winning a championship. But the post- Game 7celebration also apparently demonstrated how Artest's acquired taste for alcohol had significantly waned.
"It was weird. I didn't even want to drink it, really," Artest said after practice Saturday at the team's facility in El Segundo. "It was fun at the time. But I didn't have the stomach for alcohol, anymore."
That's because Artest said he had abstained from drinking since January of 2010 in hopes that the decreased carbohydrates and increased mobility could ensure consistent defensive performances. Even as Artest celebrated the Lakers' title with non-stop appearances at night clubs the next few weeks, he said he managed to force himself to stop drinking alcohol by the end of July. It also served as a key variable, Artest said, in ensuring the same mobility for the 2010-11 season.
"It paid off so much," said Artest, who says he currently weighs about 250 pounds. "I've been drinking alcohol since I was 17 years old, or 15 years old."
But he says he doesn't plan to drink at all this season. I only wonder what was Artest's name on his fake ID as a teenager and how will the alcohol industry fare in the next quarter assuming he follows through on abstaining from drinking all season. And for those wondering what might happen should California legalize marjuana? "Even if they legalize marijuana," Artest said, as he left a group of reporters, "I won't be smoking marijuana."
Those are questions for another day, but here's the most pressing one: How does Artest's slimmed down figure affect the Lakers this season?
The way Artest explains it, the weight loss could largely determine how well he fulfills his duty as a lock-down defender this season. Though he entered the pre-season with a hamstring issue, Artest has looked through two games incredibly mobile and displayed the sure-fire intensity that's defined his defensive toughness. That reputation warranted Artest to garner high accolades from the league's general managers that say this in a preseason survey: Artest is tied with Bryant as the NBA's best defensive player, second as the league's top defensive player on the perimeter and third as an on-the-ball defender.
That recognition doesn't just point to Artest's physical bulk. It also points to his quick footwork and relentless conditioning, marking the reason why he hopes to weigh 245 pounds for the NBA Finals (assuming the Lakers make it, of course).
"I shed all the unnecessary weight," Artest said. "I worked hard this summer to get rid of the weight. I'm able to maintain smaller and quicker guys. I know with Kobe's knee, he's going to need the reinforcement. I'm going to have to be able to guard quicker guys."
That includes covering Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant, whom Artest held under his season average during the Lakers'first-round matchup with the Thunder. Though Artest expressed uncertainty as to whether Carmelo Anthony would remain in Denver, the Nuggets All-Star is another opponent that Artest frustrated during a February regular-season matchup. There, perhaps, could be one exception he'll make in determining how much weight he wants to lose or gain.
"When we get to the championship, I'll worry about the big guy later -- LeBron," Artest said. "He's not losing weight."
But for now Artest will worry about shedding the pounds so he can stay active. He'll continue to run on the treadmill. He'll continue to be strict with his diet, which last year consisted of plenty of protein, fruits and vegetables. And he plans to stay away from alcohol.
"It's kind of cool," Artest said. "It's worth it, though, because it helps keep the weight off, too. All those extra carbohydrates aren't on me."
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Lakers back in town, and back to work, in a big way
A day after the Lakers' return flight from Europe, Coach Phil Jackson works the players three hours in practice. He says he's just trying to make up for lost time.
They're back.
And if the Lakers needed any proof that Coach Phil Jackson wasn't pleased with how their European excursion went and that it was time to get serious, they got it Saturday at practice.
Jackson worked his players for three-plus hours at the team's training facility.
He said it was because his team "is not playing well" after two exhibition losses in Europe, because the Lakers were "out of focus a little bit" and because they didn't "have a lot of practice time" while in London to play the Minnesota Timberwolves and in Barcelona, Spain, to play FC Barcelona.
So after an 11-hour flight Friday from Spain to Los Angeles, Jackson had his players at work Saturday before he gave them Sunday off. They will practice again Monday.
"For a long day yesterday, a long flight, I think the guys played pretty well," Jackson said after practice.
Kobe Bryant, still recovering from right knee surgery that limited his time and effectiveness in Europe, didn't practice Saturday. Neither did Andrew Bynum (right knee) or Luke Walton (right hamstring).
Jackson said he was "heartened" by Walton's progress.
After watching Bryant go two for 19 while playing 31 minutes in the two exhibition games, including 25 in Barcelona, Jackson said his star guard has a ways to go.
"I didn't like the way he looked on the floor, personally," Jackson said. "He wanted to be competitive and try to keep the game competitive. He's decidedly not ready yet to play. And yet he went out and gave an effort, which is nice. But I'm going to have to talk to him about some of the progress as we go through this training camp."
Jackson talked about what he needs to see from Bryant.
"Right now, he just doesn't have the power," Jackson said. "He just doesn't have the strength. I think he's doing OK, but he's going to have to find that strength, and he will.
"But obviously right now, he still can't get his shot off to the point where he wants to get it. And the rest of the game has got to be coordinated with the team and these players so he's in sync with what we're doing."
Slimmed-down Artest
Last season, Ron Artest came to camp weighing over 265 pounds. This season, he said, he came to training camp at "250 to 260 pounds."
His goal is to weigh "245 by the playoffs."
"I feel I'm able to maintain some more with the quicker guys," Artest said. "I knew with Kobe's knee, he is going to need reinforcement so I'm going to have to be able to guard quicker guys.
"I guess when we get to the championship I'll worry about the big weight guy later, LeBron [James]. He's not losing weight. Right now we're in the West, and Kevin Durant, all these guys, they are getting better. We're getting older, but they're getting better and older. So, I didn't want to be 260, 270 when I have to go up against the All-Stars like Carmelo [Anthony]."
Artest said he stopped drinking alcohol at the end of July and that helped him lose weight.
He talked about other diet topics and the Food Network before he left the media with this little nugget.
"Even if they legalize marijuana, I won't be smoking marijuana," Artest said, smiling.
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5 things to take away from Lakers' 92-88 pre-season loss to FC Barcelona
Still, it's the pre-season. Below are a few nuggets on what stood out.
1. Why did Kobe Bryant play heavy minutes? After clocking only six minutes Monday in London because of concerns regarding his surgically repaired right knee, Bryant logged a much heavier load against FC Barcelona. He played 25 minutes this time, but his 15 points on two-of-15 shooting clearly shows that the knee remains an issue. This isn't a long-term cause for concern. Many of his shots, especially early on, showed that Bryant wanted to test his knee so he could accurately read how much lift he could get from it.
What should be a cause for concern involves the question of why Bryant played 25 minutes. Whatever happened to the plan to limit his time during this European trip? Lakers Coach Phil Jackson told reporters afterward that Bryant asked to come back for the second half after he sat for the final 3:05 of the first quarter and the entire second quarter, adding that he trusts how Bryant assesses his health.
Sure, this speaks to Bryant's competitive level and Jackson's willingness to defer to Bryant, two qualities that will surely pay dividends during the season. But this is an exhibition game. Bryant's shooting clearly demonstrated that his rehabilitation on his right knee remains a work in progress, so why take the risk? Fortunately for the Lakers, nothing bad happened.
2.Gasol had an up-and-down showing. Gasol had called the Lakers' exhibition against FC Barcelona a "very special game," for understandable reasons. The Barcelona native returned to Spain for the third time as an NBA player and wanted to put on a good showing before the home crowd.
His stat line of a team-leading 25 points and 10 rebounds appears impressive. But his shooting (seven of 21) and inconsistency (he dipped after scoring 13 of the Lakers' first 18 points) further clouded his performance.
At first, Gasol appeared brilliant in the post. Bryant and Gasol showcased their chemistry when the Black Mamba retrieved a loose ball and darted a quick pass inside to Gasol. He displayed his high basketball IQ when he and Derek Fisher ran a textbook give-and-go, with Fisher drawing a double-team from Ricky Rubio and Boniface N'Dong. And Gasol demonstrated his length and footwork when he used a quick first step past N'Dong and then finished with an up-and-under one-handed dunk over Roger Grimau.
But Gasol also seemed consumed with trying to do too much. In the third quarter alone, Gasol missed four shots within four to six feet of the basket. With the score tied at 76 with 4:30 remaining in the game, Gasol couldn't convert a bank shot as FC Barcelona played help defense.
3. The Lakers' shot selection was questionable. You really only have to look at the box score to know this was an issue. The team went 29 of 85 from the field (34.1%), zero of 14 from three-point range and featured only two players -- Fisher (12 points on four of five shooting) and Ron Artest (10 points on five of 10 shooting) -- to shoot at least .500.
The problem isn't so much the numbers as it was the consequences. Too often, the Lakers settled for open shots instead of running the offense. For how poorly they played against Minnesota in London, at least then the Lakers showed a willingness to get everyone involved and ensure that the newcomers understood the concepts.
The bad shot selection also arguably decided the outcome of the game. Steve Blake missed a three-pointer with 8:26 remaining, when the Lakers trailed 72-70. Artest missed a 19-footer a minute later. Lamar Odom and Matt Barnes each missed a gimme. With the score tied at 76 with 4:52 remaining, Bryant missed a three-pointer, as did Artest two minutes later. As the Lakers trailed 86-83 with 1:09 left in the game, Bryant missed another trey.
FC Barcelona didn't shoot much better from the field, going 30 of 78 (38.5%). But its 12 of 38 mark from three-point range (31.6%) directly correlated to quick ball movement leading to open shots.
4. The Lakers and FC Barcelona were chippy. As Bryant walked toward the free-throw line, FC Barcelona's Pete Mickeal yapped a few words to him. There were plenty of reasons for Mickeal to talk trash. He eventually finished the night with a team-high 26 points, the Euroleague champs wanted to see how they could measure up to the NBA's best and Bryant had just made his first field goal of the night. Mickeal's trash-talking after Bryant's pump fake led to a jumper from the right block and a foul, but it also epitomized how aggressive these teams were with each other.
Artest picked up two of his three fouls barely a minute into the game, and also exchanged some barbs with Mickeal. Barnes knocked Juan Carlos Navarro to the floor on a three-point attempt with 4:41 left in the first quarter. And the teams combined for 56 fouls.
Clearly, the officials called this game fairly tight. But it also spoke to just how much a win would mean for FC Barcelona, and it revealed the Lakers actually took this game more seriously than their loss to Minnesota.
5. Fisher is quietly playing well this pre-season. You can't draw anything definitive from the pre-season. But it is necessary to point out that Fisher has had quality showings against Minnesota (12 points on four of nine shooting in 15 minutes) and FC Barcelona (12 points on four of five shooting in 30 minutes) for a few reasons. Fisher shot poorly in the regular season last year and it's a good sign that his shooting stroke hasn't dropped off from his impressive playoff run. Obviously the Lakers bolstered their bench this season, partly so Fisher could get more rest and so the team could better absorb any offensive inconsistency he experiences. But so far Fisher has held his end of the bargain.
More importantly, Fisher looks very fluid and well-rested. Fisher is cognizant of his age (36) and puts in the extra work in the off-season to stay healthy. Obviously there's going to be times he won't be able to keep up with the fastest guards out there. But so far he looks as healthy as you'd expect from a player who's played in all 82 games for the past five seasons.
Stat of the day: 0 of 14. Nothing epitomized the Lakers' poor shooting than their woeful mark from three-point range.
Quote of the Day: "He’s not ready to play. He’s going out there to help the goodwill and to show the fans his presence." -- Jackson on Bryant (quote via Lakers.com's Mike Trudell)
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GMs pick Lakers to win NBA title
The annual NBA.com GM Survey, released Wednesday, says the Lakers are the team to beat, according to 63 percent of the 28 general managers who responded.
TrueHoop on the GMs survey
ESPN.com TrueHoop blogger Henry Abbott takes an even deeper look at the NBA GMs survey. Blog
The Miami Heat, which picked up James and Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade during the offseason, was picked to win by 33 percent of the respondents.
The Boston Celtics were the pick of 4 percent.
In the MVP race, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder was the overwhelming pick, getting 67 percent of the votes. Kobe Bryant of the Lakers was second with 26 percent.
James, last year's league MVP, picked up just a single vote, as did Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
Other winners included John Wall as the league's rookie of the year (68 percent); Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz as the league's best point guard (60 percent); Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Pau Gasol of the Lakers as the top power forward (29 percent); Howard as the league's top center (96 percent); James as the best small forward (68 percent); and Bryant as the top shooting guard (86 percent).
Nowitzki also was voted the top international player and Durant as the player the GMs most would like to start a franchise with. Howard was named as the league's top defensive player on 79 percent of the ballots.
Bryant (79 percent) was the pick of the GMs as the player they'd rely on to take a shot with the game on the line.
The Heat are the pick as the most improved team (39 percent), followed by the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards (14 percent).
The Thunder was picked as the "most fun team to watch" by 52 percent of the respondents, while the Jazz was picked by 46 percent as the team with the best home-court advantage.
Phil Jackson, who returned to the Lakers, was voted the league's best coach (39 percent).
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How do you feel about limited minutes for Andrew Bynum this season?
There's plenty of incentive for Lakers center Andrew Bynum to rehabilitate his surgically repaired right knee as quickly as possible.
It would show that he can quickly recover from an injury and help silence the criticism surrounding his decision to delay off-season surgery until after the World Cup. And a speedy recuperation would surely improve his chances to secure his first-ever All-Star berth.
After the Lakers' practice Tuesday in Barcelona, Coach Phil Jackson gave him another reason to get better soon.
"We're hopeful that this is the time he's able to start playing consistently through a season," Jackson told The Times' Mike Bresnahan. "If not, we're going to have to look at Andrew as a short-minute guy, somebody like Yao Ming, who's going to be limited in the amount of minutes he plays."
Yao has suffered numerous bone-related injuries and missed significant chunks of the last five seasons. After he played in at least 80 games his first three seasons, he dipped to 57 games in 2005-06, fell to 48 in 2006-07, rose slightly to 55 in 2007-08, increased to 77 in 2008-09 and then missed the season altogether in the 2009-10 season. Lakers fans may recall Houston pushing L.A. to seven games in the 2009 semifinals despite Yao suffering a season-ending hairline fracture in his left foot in Game 3.
Lakers fans are also well aware of Bynum's deep medical history: He had surgery on a dislocated left kneecap in 2008, suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in the right knee in 2009, strained his left Achilles' tendon in 2010 and, weeks later, had torn cartilage in the right knee that limited him in the postseason and resulted in his second knee surgery in three seasons.
With Bynum's controversial decision to delay his surgery so he could go to the World Cup and his expectation that he won't return until December, any news regarding Bynum often comes with increased frustration and further doubt that he's worth the investment. Jackson's latest assessment seems practical, but it also could be a motivational message.
Jackson stood up for Bynum in the immediate aftermath of his decision to delay surgery and news of his longer-than-expected recovery, saying the team thought it was OK that Bynum attended the World Cup and pointing out that his original surgery date (July 18) was delayed 10 days because Bynum's personal doctor, David Altchek, didn't have an appointment available.
Since then, statements from Jackson and from Bynum have been at times contradictory. Bynum initially said he'd return toward the last week of November but recently changed his timetable to December. Meanwhile, Jackson said he expected Bynum to return within two to three weeks after the regular seasons started Oct. 26 against Houston. Bynum expressed confidence that the off-season procedure would finally take care of any long-term concerns involving his knee. Yet Jackson seems wary.
"If his knee doesn't hold up after having this process, then we'll have to think about what kind of minutes he can play in a career," Jackson told Bresnahan. "This would be a [fourth] consecutive year that things didn't go well. We're concerned. That's why we're giving this extra time, or the doctors asked for extra time for this to heal, so when this heals, his career can go forward instead of having these stops in the middle of the season."
Jackson considering limiting Bynum's minutes isn't entirely new. When asked at his preseason news conference whether he'd ever consider playing Bynum in a limited capacity, Jackson said he'd probably follow that approach once Bynum returned to the lineup and caught up on his conditioning. Bynum also played that role during the 2010 playoffs and actually helped the team in a utility role. But Jackson's latest remarks frame the issue in a new way, as a long-term strategy for Bynum's career.
As much as I've said Bynum would put up a good effort despite any physical setbacks this season, I'm thinking having him play a utility role for the rest of his career wouldn't sit well with Lakers fans. And it really would be a waste of the team's resources. There's no question it would diminish his standing with the Lakers.
Of course, at this point, it's all hypothetical. But Jackson's worry is apparent. Just before Bynum strained his left Achilles' tendon, the coach predicted Bynum would land on the NBA All-Star team, assuming he stayed healthy and said he believed Bynum had overcome the psychological hurdle in worrying about becoming injury-prone. He had nothing but praise for Bynum during the 2010 post-season run, when he won great respect in the locker room. Jackson staunchly defended him just as training camp opened. And now this.
Jackson's statements might just end up being a great motivating tactic for Bynum. Or they might be spelling out his future.
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