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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Perhaps partly because Dwight Howard is out of the picture, perhaps partly because Pau Gasol is far healthier than last season (OK, mostly because Howard is out of the picture), Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni has made an about-face from his initial coaching instincts when counting on Gasol's services.

Remember when Gasol was benched late in games last season? Or relegated to sixth man status? Or positioned on the perimeter when he was on the court and encouraged to attempt the most 3-pointers of his 12-year career?

Not the case anymore. Just three days into training camp, D'Antoni has already named two definitive starters while Kobe Bryant is out: Gasol at center and Steve Nash, his longtime pupil, running the point. And expectations are high for the former four-time All-Star in the middle.

"When your knees hurt, it’s not easy to play," D'Antoni said after practice Monday, referring to the 33 games Gasol missed a year ago because of chronic pain in his knees. "I think he feels better and when he feels good, I think he’s going to be great. Keep your fingers crossed because hopefully he’ll have his best year ever. He’s still young enough, he’s only 33."

D'Antoni wasn't finished with the praise yet.

"I think he has at least five more good years, real good years, in him," D'Antoni said.

With Gasol's role firmly entrenched, D'Antoni is turning his sights to a five-man group of Jordan Hill, Chris Kaman, Wesley Johnson, Shawne Williams and rookie Ryan Kelly, to a lesser extent, to determine who will be his partner in the Lakers' starting frontcourt.

It's a diverse crowd. Kaman is the biggest of the bunch at 7-foot, 265 pounds, but he brings with him the ability to consistently hit the from the midrange. Hill is known as an energizing garbage man who plays defense and works the boards, but he spent the offseason working on his outside shot. Williams and Kelly are strictly stretch fours. Johnson is more of a slashing wing who, like Hill, has worked to improve his outside shot to become more appealing in D'Antoni's system.

"Pau can play with anybody," D'Antoni said. "He makes anybody look good with his passing, so, you can play him with Jordan who is more of a runner and slasher, or you can play Kaman who is more of a catch-and-shoot kind of guy, so they’ll all blend in real well together."

D'Antoni said he would prefer to find a full-time starter at power forward by the Lakers' opening night against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 29, rather than shuffle the starting lineup as the season goes on based on matchups.

"I would rather teams have to match up with us," D'Antoni said. "(The) team that we put out there should be our strongest team and we’ll figure that out. It could happen, but I would like to have everybody know their role and feel comfortable in it. Not some days start, some days not. It might happen, but I don’t know."

It's hard to read the tea leaves to handicap the power forward race based on D'Antoni's comments so far.

On one hand, D'Antoni has stressed the need for defense coming out of the position, so Hill could be considered to have the advantage, yet D'Antoni said Hill has been, "Little rusty, little tired like everybody, but good."

The coach has complimented Kaman's versatility in terms of being interchangeable when being on the court together with Gasol, however Kaman starting means that seldom used second-year player Robert Sacre would become the team's back-up center, which would be a major leap from the bench role he played last season.

Johnson has a lot of upside, but very little experience at the position. Williams had success playing under D'Antoni in New York, but was out of the league altogether last season. Kelly hasn't even been able to practice with the team yet during training camp as he continues to work out on the anti-gravity treadmill while recovering from foot problems.

"At this point, we're still determining what the lineups will be," Kaman said. "We've had three practices and everybody is kind of jumping the gun a little bit. Let things happen and see how that goes. Who knows what the lineup is going to be? Who knows if we go small, big? It just depends on the teams and the day and how coach is feeling about certain things."

No matter who wins the starting job, D'Antoni is hoping the pool of players can make up for the absence felt from Howard's departure.

"These guys have other strengths," D'Antoni said. "Dwight is a very good player, obviously, and we would play a certain way. This way we’ll play a little bit more wide open, a little bit different but that remains to be seen. The biggest thing on the defensive end, we just got to collectively do the job."

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Ever since the Lakers tried to trade him to Houston in a three-team deal to acquire Chris Paul back in Dec. 2011, Pau Gasol has often felt like he's been on borrowed time in Los Angeles.

The trade rumors have swirled so much in the last couple of years that the four-time All-Star has taught himself to avoid fretting about the future and rather thrive in the present.

"I’ve learned to live my life on a daily basis and try to have fun in the process," Gasol said after the first of the Lakers two practices Sunday.

That doesn't mean the media thinks the same way.

On just the second day of training camp, Gasol, who is in the final year of his contract with L.A. set to pay him $19.3 million this season, was asked about the possibility of staying on with the Lakers after 2013-14.

"If the team is interested, they will approach me and at some point there will be some kind of meeting," Gasol said. "But I’m not sure when or how. I think it’s going to depend on how I perform during the season. The better I perform, I’m sure the more interested they will be to try to sign me, I guess."

Gasol averaged a career-low 13.7 points last year, his 46.6 field goal percentage was the worst mark of his 12 seasons in the league, and his 8.6 rebounds per game was his lowest average since 2007-08.

However, things are already looking up for the former two-time champion. After saying he would not participate in the Lakers first practice of training camp Saturday, Gasol decided to give it a go.

"I did pretty much everything, just the last drill I was out of," said Gasol. "I went through the whole practice pretty successfully."

Gasol, who underwent a procedure known as the FAST technique (Focused Aspiration of Scar Tissue) in May to address the tendinosis in both of his knees, is still being somewhat cautious -- he sat out the first session of the Lakers' two-a-day Sunday -- but is committed to getting back on the court.

"It’s just a matter now of absorbing the load that I put myself through out there and going day by day," Gasol said.

Having Gasol in the mix has already been a boon for coach Mike D'Antoni. He said that Gasol picked up his offensive sets in "two seconds" and is excited about the versatility he will provide.

"In our system,” D’Antoni said, “Pau can play anywhere. He can play with (Chris) Kaman, he can play with Jordan (Hill), he can play with Shawne Williams. He can play with a stretch four or a big four. Whether he’s the four or the five doesn’t mean anything. Kaman can make the 15-foot shots, Pau can post up. Pau can make (the outside shots), Kaman can post up. So they’re a pretty good compliment."

The Lakers first preseason game is less than a week away, Oct. 5 against the Golden State Warriors in Ontario, Calif., and Gasol plans to be in the lineup for it.

"I would like to," Gasol said. "I’d like to play. I miss playing."

Gasol had his first summer off away from the game in years, sitting out of Spain's international competition as he rehabbed his knees. His teammate Steve Nash can see how the time off had an affect on Gasol.

"He looks excited and happy to be back and he looks re-energized so for me that’s huge because we know how good a player he is and if he’s mentally refreshed and free, the body will come," Nash said.

The fact that he wants to play in the preseason is a major turnaround from last year, when Gasol had to sit out of an exhibition game against the Utah Jazz because his body was already breaking down.

"I was already quite in pain," Gasol said. "I couldn’t really shake it off. It was something chronic that flared up and I couldn’t really get rid of it."

While it's still extremely early, Gasol's knees have already responded well to the first test he put them through.

"Not substantial," said when asked about any discomfort he felt two days into camp. "Not meaningful. So far, everything is how it was predicted."

Not that he spends too much time with predictions. Who knows how the rest of his time with the Lakers will play out.

"I don’t look at it as the last ride, but you never know," Gasol said. "So, that’s why you have to fully commit to the present, to the season and make the best out of it and see what comes out."

SAN ANTONIO -- If any one thing was established in Game 1 of the Los Angeles Lakers' series against the San Antonio Spurs, it was the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers intend to get the ball inside to Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol early, often and always.

"We're inside-out now," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said Monday. "We're full blown and we're going to keep doing that."

Howard and Gasol accounted for 28 of the Lakers' 73 shots Sunday (38.4 percent). But they also coughed up 10 of the Lakers' 18 turnovers.

It's a good thing L.A. is committing to Howard, a seven-time All-Star, and Gasol, a four-time All-Star, but the problem is if you go to the well one too many times against a solid, well-coached defensive team such as San Antonio, the predictability hurts you.

"Let's see if we can have a little bit better ball movement before we try to get the ball in, because if we try to fight it too much and force it too much is when the turnovers came in, most of them," Gasol said. "So, we just got to move their defense a little bit better and swing the ball, then try to post the ball up into Dwight or myself. Then it won't be as easy for them to front or make things hard for us."

D'Antoni said the goal for the two practices between Sunday's Game 1 and Wednesday's Game 2 was "cleaning up our offense."

That entails cutting down on the 18 turnovers that led to 14 points for the Spurs, but also shooting the ball better. L.A. shot just 41.1 percent overall from the field, and an anemic 3-for-15 on 3-pointers (20 percent). D'Antoni said Andrew Goudelock, an undersized guard with a legitimate 3-point stroke who was in the D-League a week ago, could also get playing time.

"A lot of it is just not being familiar with what we’re trying to do, putting in new sets, guys not being in the right spots," D'Antoni said. "A lot of it is [the Spurs] are active and they're good. We have to be a little bit smoother in what we're doing in trying to clear out. Again, we're trying to put the ball inside all the time into a tight spot. We got a lot of guys in there, so it's just trying to clean and do a better job. Some of it was we just mishandled the ball. We just got to be a little more careful with the ball."

Gasol was asked to explain exactly what the "new sets" and "wrinkles" that D'Antoni was talking about the Lakers had planned, without giving away too much.

"We're just trying to move the ball and create a couple actions before we dump the ball in the post," Gasol said. "We got to move their defense so the passes are not so forced and it's not so predictable and everybody sees that we're trying to keep that path right now and everybody's looking at it.

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SAN ANTONIO -- Jodie Meeks sat with his left leg elevated on the chair next to him as he watched his teammates shoot around after practice Tuesday.

Meeks missed his second consecutive practice after spraining his left ankle in the first half of the Los Angeles Lakers' 91-79 Game 1 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

Despite sitting out, the Lakers backup guard said he plans to "give it a go" in Wednesday's Game 2.

"It's the playoffs, man," Meeks said. "If it was the regular season, I'd sit out."

Meeks, who averaged 7.9 points during the regular season, scored just four points in Game 1 on 1-for-4 shooting, and also had two turnovers in 20 minutes.

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said there was "no doubt" the team would turn to Darius Morris to fill in with some minutes if Meeks is too hampered to play. Morris went 0-for-1 from the field and picked up one foul in eight minutes Sunday.

D'Antoni said recent signee Andrew Goudelock could play as well.

"We need somebody to put the ball in the basket," D'Antoni said.

The Lakers shot just 3-for-15 from 3 (20 percent) in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series with the Spurs.

D'Antoni says he hopes Steve Nash is one of the players improving that shooting line. Nash scored 16 points on 6-for-15 shooting Sunday and missed the only 3-pointer he took, playing for the first time in nine games because of nerve damage in his right hamstring stemming from a right hip injury.

Nash was able to practice Monday and Tuesday, however, and D'Antoni said he was going to rely on the 17-year veteran guard in Game 2.

"I think about 5-6 minutes is all he needs to go [at a time]," D'Antoni said about Nash, who contributed to the Lakers being a plus-2 in the 30 minutes he played Sunday. "Then he starts going over the hill a little bit. So, we'll watch out. But, we're going to need him out on the floor. So, he'll get through some stuff. He's a competitor, once he gets out there, he wants to go. So we'll try to watch it and then try to watch how he looks physically."

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Antawn Jamison was able to participate in non-contact drills during Lakers practice Sunday and despite his sprained right wrist, plans to play against the Golden State Warriors on Monday.

"It will take a lot for me not to be out there," Jamison said. "I should be OK."

A MRI exam taken Saturday revealed Jamison suffered a slight tear in his right wrist in the second half of the Lakers' 103-100 loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday.

"It's sore, but as long as I'm able to shoot it and put it on the ground for one or two dribbles, I should be fine," Jamison said. "It's just the initial shock of it taking place and trying to get over the soreness and the swelling, but nothing is slowing me down. I was able to shoot the ball."

Jamison wore kinesiology tape on his wrist during practice and is treating the injury with ice and electro-stimulation, as well as wearing a brace when he is off the court.

"The one thing I like about it is each day it's feeling a lot better," Jamison said. "I'm able to get the range of motion to go a little bit more and I've played through pain before, so I just think initially these first two road games (in Golden State and Minnesota) I might have to play with a little pain, but after that I should be back to normal."

The 15-year veteran is averaging 9.2 points and 4.7 rebounds this season.

Jamison said the MRI exam also showed he had injured the same wrist earlier in the season unbeknownst to him.

"This is not the first time," Jamison said. "I had some soreness in it a couple of weeks ago. I tried to break my fall and I kind of felt a little bit of tightness, but nothing to the point where it prevented me from lifting weights or even participating in practice. The MRI did show some scar tissue there. This is probably something that happened earlier in the season.

"It's a positive that it has happened before and I was able to still continue to play."

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said Jamison's injury is similar to what Dwight Howard has to play through with a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

"You're always concerned, but if he says he's fine, he's fine," D'Antoni said. "The biggest problem is probably re-injuring it or getting hit again. It will sting -- a little bit like Dwight's injury where there's going to be pain and if he can play with it, or if it doesn't hinder him, then he'll be OK. If not, then he'll have to rest."

The Lakers said Jamison's wrist will be re-evaluated after the season, something the 37-year-old Jamison says will be a measure to try to extend his career.

"The biggest thing is I don't want this to be a problem the last year or two (in the league) I have after this season," Jamison said. "So, I want to make sure I'm healthy. We'll look at it after the season and make sure no further damages have taken place and it's something that won't continue to happen."

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Has the best story of this season hit a wall?

That would be forward Earl Clark, whom the Los Angeles Lakers discovered when three of their big men got hurt before a road trip and Clark responded with 22 points and 13 rebounds Jan. 9 in a loss to San Antonio. Recently he has fallen off some, scoring in double figures just once over his previous seven games.

"His energy level is way down," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He might hit a wall a little bit. I don't know the reason, but his playing time has been cut back a little bit. But hopefully he will be re-energized. We need it. Hopefully he can get back up there."

However when Clark was asked whether he was tired, he disagreed.

"Not for me," Clark said. "I just continue to play. I don't know what it is. I'm just playing and trying to do whatever he wants. He's just coaching. If he feels like my energy level is down, he's going to take me out. I guess I have to provide more energy."

Clark has never played anything close to the 31 minutes a game he has averaged in 27 games as a starter. The most minutes he has played in his five NBA seasons was last year when he played almost 13 minutes a game for the Orlando Magic.

He has been putting in extra conditioning before and after practice to try and get into the type of shape to handle the extra workload, but was told recently that he may be overdoing it.

"They say I should slow down with working out and getting more rest," Clark said. "But it's hard when you've been doing this your whole life. I just have to take more precautions and take it easy a little bit. Going to sleep and don't come in here as much. Don't overwork yourself."

How much does he sleep?

"I sleep a lot. I think I get enough rest," he said. "But it's kind of hard to stop working when you've gotten so far and see success. You want to keep going. I never played this much. I don't know the toll that it's taking on my body. It's just about learning and keep going."

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Black Mamba has already shed his skin several times this season as Kobe Bryant transformed from the league's leading scorer to one of its most effective passers.

In the last three games, Bryant seems to have finally settled into his ideal version of himself to help this Los Angeles Lakers team win.

Bryant is averaging 35.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists on 59.7 percent shooting in his last three games, as the Lakers have gone 2-1.

"I think I just found a balance," Bryant said after practice Wednesday. "I think as a team we found a balance in terms of me being able to keep them involved but still being able to find my rhythm. I told you guys I wasn't really too concerned with my scoring, I would be able to find a rhythm and do both and I've done that."

Just like when Bryant made the switch to "Magic Mamba" and channeled Magic Johnson as he doled out 39 assists over the course of three games in late January and L.A. went 3-0, his recent uptick in scoring wasn't preceded by a planned-out discussion with his coach.

"The conversation is always the same, 'Be aggressive,' " Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He has to read the situation and how he feels physically and how they're playing him. There's a lot of things that go into it. It-s hard to pre-determine how to play, but during the game you have to understand when you want to be aggressive to the hole or aggressive to passing and trying not to blur the two. It's not the easiest thing in the world, but I think he’s doing a good job."

Steve Nash, who has had to shift in reverse with Bryant -- going from distributor to scorer, instead of the other way around -- said he figured Bryant would return to his scoring self eventually.

"The odds were that it was coming because he hadn't made his shots for a while, which is very uncharacteristic," Nash said. "Some poor souls were going to take the brunt of that Murphy's Law."

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- In the case of Pau Gasol's torn plantar fascia in his right foot, no news is good news.

Gasol saw Dr. Steve Yoon on Tuesday and underwent an ultrasound test that confirmed his foot is healing at a satisfactory rate, causing the team to clear Gasol to start working out on the elliptical machine.

Gasol has been providing updates of his own on Twitter, writing in recent days he was "feeling better and making progress," posting a photo of his foot covered in kinesiology tape and pointing out that Tuesday marked three weeks since he hurt his foot in game against the Brooklyn Nets.

The original timeframe Gasol was expected to be out was six to eight weeks, something that Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said hasn't changed.

"I don’t think it’s moved up any, but he’s doing well," D'Antoni said after practice Wednesday.

The Lakers have gone 5-4 in Gasol’s absence.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers went into the All-Star break vowing to play better basketball in the final 28 games of the season to make a push for the playoffs.

Now that they're out of the break, coach Mike D'Antoni has quantified just how good the Lakers have to play.

"I think everybody can do the math," D'Antoni said before practice Tuesday. "We got to get in the 20s -- 20 or up. You're not going to make the playoffs, I don't think, with less than 45 wins. You kind of count it off from there. You might need more, you might need a little bit less, but it's got to be in that area somewhere."

Going 20-8 to end the season would be a winning percentage of .714. The Lakers, at 25-29, won just 46.3 percent of the time through the first 54 games of the season.

"We need to make the playoffs," D'Antoni said. "We have to make a run. Every game is going to be extremely important. They were before, even more now. Historically everybody kind of ups their game a little bit and you try to make the last run. We're going to see if we can get it done. It's a heck of a challenge, but I think guys are up for it and I'm looking forward to it."

The Lakers are currently 3 1/2 games behind the Houston Rockets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

"Hopefully there's urgency," D'Antoni said. "We've turned the corner 15 times so far, but we keep falling back into the same traps and maybe the urgency will keep us on the right path. No guarantees, but that's definitely our plan."

D'Antoni's coaching tactics in utilizing Dwight Howard were recently called into question by Phil Jackson, who said, "They've basically eliminated [Howard's] assets."

The embattled Lakers coach, who admitted Wednesday this has been the toughest coaching stretch of his 11 seasons in the NBA, said he was willing to make changes to reach his postseason goal.

"We're going to try everything," D'Antoni said. "We'll probably try to expand some guys’ games, maybe. Maybe throw a couple wrinkles in, which you always will do. Approach-wise, I don't know if there's something that I thought of like, 'Oh, this will work.' "

D'Antoni maintained that the Lakers' struggles this season have been less about attitude and more about execution.

"Chemistry will go back to personalities and I think those are things that are sometimes blown out of [proportion]," D'Antoni said. "Sometimes games don't fit and you just got to be able to fit the pieces together and make sure the ball's being put in places that people can feel more comfortable in what they do. We got to get Steve [Nash] more pick-and-rolls. We got to get Dwight to post up more. We got to get that ball moving a little bit so that people can feel better about their game. I do think a lot has been made on the personality side and whether it's blown out of proportion or there's some truth to it, big deal. On the court is where we're having problems with the chemistry."

In the last three full NBA seasons, the West's eighth seed has averaged 48 wins. To reach that mark, the Lakers would have to finish the season 23-5.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Even while the Los Angeles Lakers struggled at the onset of the 2012-13 season, Kobe Bryant was playing at a prolific pace. Months into the season, Bryant's shooting percentages from the field and from 3-point range were as good as they've ever been in his 17-year career.

Those numbers have come down to earth.

Bryant's 46.3 percent mark from the field is better than his career average of 45.3 and the best he has shot since the 2008-09 season, but his shots from beyond the arc have gone awry. Bryant has made just one of his last 30 3-point attempts over his last 13 games, dropping his 3-point percentage to 32.6 -- lower than his 33.6 career average.

Bryant's cold streak was punctuated by a 1-of-8 performance against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday (including an 0-for-4 mark from the outside), but he insisted he is not concerned.

"I'm not in a slump," Bryant said after practice Wednesday. "I just haven't shot it (much). I can't be in a slump. The game before against a good team in Miami, I shot the s--- out of the ball. So I'm not worried about it."

Slump or not, Bryant spent an extended period shooting Wednesday from spots all over the court, but the vast majority of the attempts came from inside the arc.

"I really haven't been focusing on 3-pointers the last three or four games," said Bryant, who had attempted just three 3s in his previous three games before taking four against the Suns. "I haven't really shot that many consciously. I'm just trying to get into areas where I'm a little more threatening and get away from the long ball a bit."

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said the extra practice is all a player can really do to try to find their shooting stroke.

"You got to work through it," D'Antoni said. "There's no solutions, otherwise no one would ever go through a slump. You wouldn't have that word. That's why you have them and people do go into it at different times of the season. Your legs might be a little tired. The break might be good for everybody. There's a lot of things that go (into it). February is usually the dog days. So, you go through that stuff. Try to keep your head, try to keep things simple and keep moving forward."

Aside from tired legs, Bryant has been playing with a sore right elbow that he aggravated on a dunk against the Detroit Pistons during L.A's recent trip. He also has a sore right hand that he hurt against Miami. Both injuries are worth mentioning because Bryant shoots right-handed.

"I've shot through worse," Bryant said when asked about his health.

Bryant's shooting has taken a backseat to his passing as he's adopted more of a facilitator role in recent weeks. While his assists have spiked, he still needs to adjust to having his shots reduced.

"It takes me out of my rhythm quite a bit, so it's just getting used to it, that's all," Bryant said. "It's just working it out."

Bryant recently had zero points on just two shots in the first half against Charlotte and zero points on zero shots in the first half against Phoenix.

"You just go through periods where it just doesn't quite go in," D'Antoni said. "But, it will be back, I'm sure."

Is the coach worried Bryant will abandon his pass-first mentality to try to get his shot back on track?

"You hope not, because I think he's playing the right way," D'Antoni said. "You hope he can play the right way and be really good at it. So, I don't think there’s a correlation."

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Blake practiced with the team Saturday and could return to game action as soon as next week.

"He's going to play pretty soon," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said when asked about Blake after practice. "I don't know when that is, but he's working his way back. I think he wants to get in some running (Saturday) so we'll see how that goes. Everyday will be a test for him. If he keeps passing those barriers, then you’ll see him on the court pretty soon."

After practice, Blake took to Twitter and was specific about his return: "The #RoadtoRecovery was long, but I'm back for the @Lakers Tuesday night #GoLakers"

Blake has been out since Nov. 11 and underwent abdominal surgery in early December. While rehabbing his abdomen, Blake began to experience pain in his groin and has received a platelet-rich plasma injection as well as a cortisone shot to his groin area in the last several weeks to try to combat the pain.

The Lakers play host to the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night before beginning a seven-game road trip Wednesday against Phoenix.

"I think he’s got a shot," D'Antoni said of the possibility of Blake making his return Tuesday at home against New Orleans.

Blake finished practice by participating in a half-court game of 4-on-4 and was matched up against Darius Morris.

Blake has played in only seven games this season, averaging 5.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals.

While it was a sight for sore eyes to see Blake back practicing with his teammates, it was also notable to see Blake's freshly-shorn face.

"He shaved," D'Antoni said. "Look at him, he looks 20 years old out there. He’s ready to roll."

LOS ANGELES -- Miami Heat forward LeBron James recently said the Los Angeles Lakers haven't had to go through the same level of scrutiny he and the Heat did two seasons ago.

On Wednesday, Kobe Bryant responded as only he can.

"What does it matter?" Bryant said. "What does he want, a cookie for that?"

The Lakers will play the Heat on Thursday with both teams looking for a win rather than bragging rights about dealing with expectations and adversity.

Before Thursday's game, Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni also weighed in on whether the Heat received more scrutiny.

"Probably, because I don't think he handled 'The Decision' very well," D'Antoni said of James. "So, that was probably it. He's right, they did have it a lot tougher. A little bit of it was like self-inflicted, but that's over and he lived up to it. He did a great job."

In 2010-2011 when James joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, the Heat started the season 9-8 before finishing 58-24 and losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. This season, the Lakers with Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol are 17-21. Various injuries to Howard, Nash and Gasol have prevented the Lakers' core from playing together at the same time much this season.

Howard said he understood where James was coming from with his comments, considering the widespread backlash James received after announcing his decision to take his "talents to South Beach" during a nationally televised special.

"Most people hated LeBron for what he did and how he did it," Howard said. "Not just that he left, but the manner that he left as far as doing it on TV and the whole thing. In this situation, I don't think people have hate for the Lakers for [trading for Howard and Nash]. I think that's a little bit different. As far as pressure, with our team, everyone expected us to go 82-0 so there's a lot of pressure on us. We feel it every time we step on the court and we can hear it every time we miss a shot or somebody scores. People are upset. They don't expect anybody to score on us. It's a lot of pressure."

Howard said he was actually pulling for James to win a championship last season as Howard recovered from back surgery.

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Help could be right around the corner for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Both Dwight Howard (torn labrum in his right shoulder) and Pau Gasol (concussion) will be re-evaluated by team medical staff Sunday in advance of the Lakers' game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Gasol was not cleared to return to the court after undergoing tests Saturday. Gasol also did not pass previous tests Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, but has shown improvement. Howard participated in a series of conditioning exercises and basketball-related activities after practice. Sunday will mark the first time Howard has been re-evaluated since a MRI exam last Monday revealed the extent of his shoulder injury.

The Lakers have gone 0-3 in their last three games without Howard and Gasol.

"We'll just see how it goes (Sunday)," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Same with Dwight, I guess we'll see. There's nothing definitive on anybody."

The Lakers are officially listing Howard as "out" for the Cavs game, but D'Antoni classified the big man as a game-time decision.

Dave McMenamin covers the Lakers for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Darius Morris couldn't crack a rotation last season that featured the likes of Derek Fisher, Ramon Sessions, Steve Blake and Andrew Goudelock playing ahead of him.

Did he figure he had a chance to get much burn for the Los Angeles Lakers this season with Hall of Fame-bound Steve Nash starting at point guard and Chris Duhon, an established veteran, as well as Darius Johnson-Odom, a rookie the Lakers paid $500,000 to Dallas just to acquire his rights, being added to the mix?

"Somebody asked me like, 'Ah, the depth chart is looking really thick,'" Morris recalled the other day. "I just put my faith in God and I just work hard. That's one thing I never stop doing and things happen for a reason, so you just have to always remain positive. But for me to say, 'Oh, I could call this?' No, not at all."

In 19 games last season, Morris totaled 46 points. Through eight games this season, including three starts, Morris already has 51 points.

With Nash (fractured left fibula) and Blake (strained abdomen) sidelined indefinitely, Morris has become the surprise starting point guard to kick off the Mike D'Antoni coaching era in L.A.

After never scoring more than nine points in a game as a rookie and handing out more than four assists only once, Morris has reached double-digit scoring in two of the past five games (including a career-high 12 points against the Houston Rockets on Sunday) and has dished out five or more assists three times in that same span.

"With the fact that Nash has been out, the kid's had an opportunity to play and you do not get experience through osmosis," Lakers interim head coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "So, he's had an opportunity to play and I think it's terrific for him and his confidence."

Also contributing to that confidence is the trust of everyone surrounding him in the purple and gold.

"I just thank my teammates for giving me that confidence," Morris said. "Thank God, most importantly, but also my coaching staff as well, just telling me to go out there and play. Really just trying to simplify it for me. Steve Nash has been giving me some great advice as well, so people around me are really helping me."

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