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The big event at today's practice in El Segundo was obviously Metta World Peace addressing the media with his seven game suspension now official. For the most part, his comments were fairly uneventful. Apologies were offered again to the Thunder and James Harden, whose health MWP inquired about through "a friend." Metta maintained the incident was an accident, and said he wasn't even aware it was specifically Harden on the receiving end. Regret was also expressed at being banned from the court at a time when his game feels unstoppable. It's worth noting, however, Metta pretty clearly thinks the suspension was too punitive. He didn't come out and say it, and attempted to take the high road when asked about the fairness at play. However, a windtalker isn't required to break this particular code.

"I just don't want to make an excuse. At this point, for the Laker fans, I should really say what's on my mind. I should say what's on my mind for the Laker fans. But I don't want to make any excuses. There's only two things that matter. One thing that matters is winning. In basketball, there's just wins and losses. So there's no time for excuses.

"If I start talking about that, I'm going to open myself up for excuses and I'm not one to give excuses. So, it's hard for me to speak about the (amount of) games (I was suspended)."

Like I said, you do the math. Or read MWP's Tweets sent -- and later deleted -- that afternoon. Whichever is easiest.

Beyond that, Mike Brown expressed some concern about Matt Barnes being available for Game 1 of the playoffs. Barnes sprained his right ankle Sunday against the Thunder and won't be making the trip to Sacramento for the final game of the season. "My guess is as good as yours, because I haven't asked Gary [Vitti]," admitted Brown. I think so, but really, I'm just taking a coin and flipping a coin. I don't know."

In the meantime, Brown plans to rest some starters, considering the third seed is now a stone cold lock. Who'll sit and who'll play hasn't been decided yet, and the players themselves will get a vote. (For what it's worth, Andrew Bynum is fine both playing or taking the night off.) Either way, expect a healthy dose of Andrew Goudelock, Darius Morris and Christian Eyenga(!), who was activated today from the D-Fenders. Brown admittedly knows very little about the Congolese product's game, but in an odd bit of coincidence, coached the kid as a teenager during a Basketball Without Borders camp in Africa.

Holy full circle, Batman!

Metta World Peace on his suspension

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Lakers coach Mike Brown doesn't have a DeLorean to take him back to Wednesday evening so he can save Pau Gasol from joining Timofey Mozgov and Kendrick Perkins as Blake Griffin's most battered dunk victims, but that doesn't mean he can't try to add a postscript to the plays by getting the league to admit the dunks should have been disallowed.

Brown told reporters at shootaround Friday in preparation for L.A.'s game against the Houston Rockets that the Lakers have reached out to the league seeking clarification as to why both of Griffin's dunks on Gasol -- a putback in the first quarter and the poster-worthy jam in the third -- weren't called as fouls against Griffin.

"I’m waiting to see an interpretation on the call because it’s a heck of a play [but] I thought if you led with your forearm, I thought that’s an offensive foul," Brown said. "But maybe I don’t know the rules that well. It will be interesting to make sure that I have an explanation or understanding of what the rules are."

Brown said Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has reached out to the league office on behalf of the team, searching for answers.

Gasol took umbrage with Griffin's Mozgov-like dunk after the game Wednesday.

"You don't really see what happened," Gasol said. "It was quick, a hit-and-run kind of thing, right? The ball went in, I was on my ass, I woke up, I stood up and told the referee I had a f---ing forearm on my face, on my throat, and that's something that needs to be looked at."

Brown said Griffin's first-quarter dunk on Gasol also should have been an infraction.

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The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Last season, even with eventual 6MOY Lamar Odom leading the way, the most reliable element offered by the Lakers' bench was unreliability. With LO in Dallas, the bench predictably floundered most of this season, but slowly experienced an uptick in effectiveness (if not raw numbers) as the trade deadline approached. Enter Ramon Sessions and his instant chemistry with Matt Barnes and Josh McRoberts, and the reserves suddenly resembled a credible unit. When Sessions inevitably was tabbed to start, I was optimistic Steve Blake, who looked stiff as a cadaver among the starters as a transparent place-holder, would regain his comfort level quarterbacking the reserves. Assuming that theory was correct, the second unit might suffer a dip losing the more talented player in Sessions, but would play well enough to avoid being a liability.

As it turns out, we're back to square one. The reserves have regressed to their collectively non-scoring ways. Any lead is jeopardized every time the Lakers roll largely with substitutes. And Blake is way out of sorts, which to me is the single-biggest reason this group is floundering. I asked Mike Brown what he has seen in the point guard that could explain his struggles.

"I haven't specifically asked him about it," Brown said. "I just want him to keep trying to be aggressive and keep trying to run the team in the same breath. The one thing I told him is I'm OK with you being aggressive more than anything else. I thought he played well at the beginning of the season and then he got hurt. And then he came back in basically the same role and there was a stretch where he didn't play as well and he really hasn't consistently gotten back to where he was in the beginning of the year.

"More than anything else, I think it's just him being confident and aggressive is going to play a huge role in that. The last couple of games, I thought he tried to be aggressive. Now, he hadn't made shots yet, but some of the things that he's doing out on the floor have helped a lot in my opinion."

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EL SEGUNDO -- With just 18 games remaining in the regular season, the 30-18 Lakers have built a three-game lead over the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 3 seeding in the West and sit only 2 1/2 games behind San Antonio for the No. 2 spot.

With the playoffs beginning in just about a month, talk of postseason seeding is picking up and the Lakers find themselves in the unique situation of a schedule that could either help them catch the Spurs quickly or, in a sense, double the separation between the two teams. From April 11-20, three of the six games the Lakers will play are against San Antonio, with two of the three coming on the road.

L.A. has yet to play the Spurs this season, but Lakers coach Mike Brown says he believes it's possible to track down his mentor, Gregg Popovich, and the boys in black and silver.

"It could happen," Brown said after the Lakers' film session and light practice Saturday.

As long as the Lakers keep the Clippers and Phoenix Suns at bay and win the Pacific Division, the worst they'll be seeded is No. 3. Brown isn't putting any pressure on the San Antonio pursuit.

"I never really put any goals like that on our team in terms of how many games we need to win or where we need to finish," Brown said. "Obviously it would be great to finish first if that happens, but I don’t think that was of the utmost importance for us because I felt the season was going to be wacky and I just wanted to be at our best at the end, wherever that was [in terms of seeding]. If we were at our best at the end, I really don’t care if we play at home or on somebody’s court, we’ll go get it done."

Still, the three games in 10 days against the Spurs should provide a mini playoff feel for both the Lakers players and coaching staff as the two teams make adjustments to each other from game to game.

"[It will be] a test, meaning that they’re a good basketball team and it will be fun to compete against them and they give you a feel based on how they defend and based on how they play offense of some things that you need to adjust to," Brown said. "But, in terms of us winning three games or them winning all three games, to me, that doesn’t mean much."

As far as that cushion in the standings the Lakers have been able to build by winning seven of their last nine games, it doesn't do much for Brown.

"There’s still a ways to go," Brown said. "I think there’s starting to be some separation, but I think in the loss column it’s like two or three games. I think it’s still within shouting distance for everybody. I think when you start talking 6-7 games, maybe that’s a little bit different, but I still consider us all close."

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

As I reported earlier today, should Gilbert Arenas transition from working out for the Lakers to working for them, that's just fine with Kobe Bryant. The Mamba didn't say much on the matter, but made it clear he'd be fine sharing a locker room with Agent Zero. "It certainly wouldn't hurt, that's for sure," responded Kobe when asked if the former-three time All-Star was needed. I liked Kobe's answer when asked what the pride of Van Nuys could bring to the table.

"Hibachi."

Of course, we're a few years -- and a few guns -- removed from Gilbert Arenas' days as a premiere scorer. The injury-prone, famously flaky guard hasn't resembled the dude making him one of the NBA's best for quite some time. A good workout is promising, but it's quite another thing for that showing to translate into NBA usefulness on a game-in, game-out basis. Until demonstrated otherwise, Arenas is a big name in name-only.

Brian has expressed apprehension about Arenas, and among the reasons he cited was the time spent trying to integrate the guard. The most recent evidence suggests Arenas isn't very good anymore, and there's no guarantee he'll be a good fit. Thus, he could end up an exercise in square pegs and round holes. That time spent getting Gilbert up to speed might not just be a waste, but could also potentially disrupt whatever progress the Lakers might make moving forward. A few weeks ago, I actually agreed with my brother, largely because I was willing to believe more practice and rest could yield signs of improvement.

But with the Grammy Trip in the books and signs of genuine forward progress few and far between, I'm reminded of a classic 'Seinfeld' scene. The gang's at a cock fight to watch Kramer's rooster "Little Jerry Seinfeld" do battle. In the meantime, Elaine informs Jerry she's mulling over a marriage proposal from her latest boyfriend, and the following exchange takes place:

Jerry: Marriage is a big step, Elaine. Your life will totally change.

Elaine: Jerry, it's three-thirty in the morning. I'm at a cock fight. What am I clinging to?

That's kind of how I feel about Arenas at this point. As presently constructed, the Lakers roster doesn't have the weapons to run an efficient offense, or Mike Brown simply can't figure out how to use what's in front of them. Either way, I anticipate a lot of limbo. Some games the Lakers will catch fire. Others, they'll crash and burn. But you get a sense things are largely what they are. Arenas theoretically provides a few skills this team could use. If he's 60-70 percent of what he once was, that's probably enough to offer at least some utility. If not, the Lakers really are no worse off, because staying the course leaves no margin for error to begin with. Another two months spent walking a razor's edge and this team will undoubtedly slip.

Again, what are they clinging to?

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The Lakers may be 2-7 away from Staples, facing a six-game, 10-day road trip kicking off Friday in Denver, followed by tough dates in Utah, and Philadelphia. Combined home records: 28-8. Technically speaking, this is a classic "Nothing's gotta give" scenario.

Hakuna matata, says Kobe Bryant, who suggested Wednesday following practice in El Segundo the team might be better than the road record suggests.

"I'm not really worried about it. I'm excited to get on the road and play. I'm extremely confident that we'll play much better."

For that to happen, the Lakers need to improve in a few key areas, Bryant pointing specifically to the defensive glass. Despite romping over a wretched Charlotte squad Tuesday night at Staples, the Lakers gifted the Bobcats 10 second-chance points in the first half (of the 36 Paul Silas' crew scratched out), one game after allowing the Timberwolves to grab 24 offensive rebounds, leading to 32 second-chance points. Facing the Clippers last week, the Lakers allowed 17 ORB's.

Obviously it's something requiring more attention, Bryant said.

"[We just need to] play with a sense of urgency. Be fundamentally sound on the glass. Put bodies on bodies. We're not gonna jump over people, so you can't just turn around and watch the ball. You gotta box people out, so you can be fundamentally sound."

Mike Brown echoed concerns about the boards, adding their general level of execution has to get better. The Lakers have been plagued by inconsistency, particularly on the road, where papering over mistakes is a tall order and periodic breakdowns can quickly cascade into total operational failure.

"The biggest thing is our execution, especially down the stretch and throughout the course of the game, because that’s where teams get separation. You’re in somebody else’s building, and if you’re not familiar with one another, if I’m constantly changing rotations and lineups and stuff like that, that affects that area," he noted. "Now you’re in a loud building and your execution isn’t good, and you waste three or four possessions offensively and the other team scores. The momentum goes to the other team, and the next thing (you know) you’re in a hole, and you’re fighting your way out of the hole, and it’s tough."

Brown said he'd try to build more consistency in the rotation, particularly in the second unit, using the two previous games as a blueprint. Andrew Bynum as an anchor, together with floor-stretching big Troy Murphy in the frontcourt and Andrew Goudelock running the point. "Hopefully," he said, "I can stick to it."

The bench scored 48 points against Charlotte, so at the very least, they're a group playing with a little confidence as the road trip starts. Ultimately it may not help, but it certainly can't hurt.

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No doubt, Thursday's and Friday's back-to-back games against the Heat and Magic represent the biggest test for the Lakers this young season. Between the quality of competition (even if Dwyane Wade's leg issues shelve him, Miami remains a formidable opponent), the recurring issue of fatigue and the Lakers' issues while battling outside Staples, a split would be a quality showing, and an undefeated clip in Florida would be quite the reason for cheers. And among the players made available made available Tuesday in El Segundo (an admittedly small sample size), this road trip serves as a legitimate gauge for where the Lakers currently stand at the moment, even for a veteran team with 17 rings between them.

"It's been one of those tough back-to-backs that I think multiple teams have faced throughout the years," said Derek Fisher. "It's similar to, over the years, you have a Dallas-San Antonio back-to-back. You have to play those back-to-backs within regions. They're just tough. They're two of the better teams, not just in the Eastern Conference, but in the NBA as a whole. And when you combine that with our struggles on the road, it presents two good tests for us."

No argument from Andrew Bynum, who labeled the games "good measuring tools for us."

"We can definitely see where we're at," added the center. "Hopefully, we can get two wins ... We need to get at least one.

Interestingly, when I asked Mike Brown about the measuring stick potential for this Floridian jaunt, he downplayed the possibility.

“I don’t know. No matter who we play, I’m always gonna try to use that game to determine where we are. So, yeah, we’re playing Miami and then Orlando, but we played Dallas [Monday], but because we beat them that doesn’t mean we’re the best team in the West or anything. I think we did some good things and it shows we have a chance to be real good because we were able to execute and do some things positively against the NBA champions. But we still have a ways to go.

“We could lose and do a lot of things right and play well but it just wasn’t our night or something like that. We could win and we could get lucky winning. We could hit shots out of our behind all over the place the whole time, and they could just be off. And I’d be just as hard on our guys if we win a game like that and we didn’t do things the right way on both ends of the floor. I’d be just as tough on them as if we lost.”

Truth be told, Brown's exactly right. The way the team plays is much more important than the actual score in either direction. This squad being a work in progress, progress is in fact the most critical element moving forward, and that's the bottom line, win or lose. Still, it would feel nice to touch down in L.A. with another W or two in the ol' back pocket.

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10 games into the season, the 6-4 Los Angeles Lakers' on-court product remains, to quote late-80's icon Nenah Cherry, "raw like sushi." They’re learning new offensive and defensive systems under head coach Mike Brown, a task made even more difficult due to the lack of practice time available during a lockout-shortened season. Andrew Bynum was suspended the opening four games. Better-than-perhaps-expected newbie Josh McRoberts has missed four games (and likely counting) with a sprained big left toe. The lack of guards capable of breaking down defenses has thrust second round rookie Andrew Goudelock -- who wasn't even a lock to make the team -- into a rotation Brown continues to (over?)tinker with like a mad scientist on a bender.

Plus, Kobe Bryant's wrist is currently being held together by skin, tape and the caressing fingers of physical therapist Judy Seto.

With all that in mind, when asked to grade the team, the consensus was fairly forgiving.

“Right now, I think a ‘B’ is a good grade,” said Pau Gasol. “At this point, a fair grade. I think it's a good grade because I think that's where we are right now at this point in the season and the situation that we have. I think it's a work in progress to get to a higher grade, which is by working and getting deeper into the season."

If El Spaniard is among the "students" being graded in this scenario, then his coach would be the teacher doling out marks. But "Professor" Brown, meticulous and studied as he may be, wasn't so specific in addressing the same question.

"I don't know. I haven't really thought of it [that way]. Definitely a passing grade. But I'm not sure what that is just quite yet."

Derek Fisher, asked to break the tie, echoed Brown's assessment.

"We're 6-4, you can try and analyze the reasons why, but it's a results based business. Out of 10 games, only winning six, that means we have quite some way to go. So that's passing, like Coach said, [but] it's 60 percent."

In other words, it's like those "pass/no pass" classes we all took in college.

"We're doing not necessarily the best that we can do, but we're working our way through a lot of changes," said a matter-of-fact Fisher. "Different circumstances. Different personnel on and off the court in terms of coaches as well as players. We're just figuring it out, but I think we're committed to one another and we're committed to the process. And even with some of these early struggles that we face so far and probably will continue to face for weeks to come, it's not shaking our confidence in what our end goal is, and that's to still be a championship caliber team."

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It was a fairly mellow afternoon in El Segundo, the vibe notably casual after a whole bunch of hand-wringing over the Lakers' 0-2 start (which came on the heels of more hand-wringing over "pick your favorite issue since camp opened"). But after two straight wins, a feeling of normalcy has blanketed the Lakers, and with Saturday marking Andrew Bynum's return to action after a four-game suspension, that ease further increases. Missing those four games was as tough on Drew as the Lakers, and it felt even weirder being separated from the team.

"Suspensions are definitely weird," shrugged Bynum. "You're not hurt. There's nothing wrong with you, so you're kinda just sitting out, watching all the games on television. That's all I did... Even in practice, you can't really practice, because they have to simulate game situations and you won't be out there. So you gotta your work in before they get to the arena, and all that. It's almost like you're trying out again."

In terms of getting up to speed with the game plan, Drew said he feels pretty good defensively, since very little has changed for him beyond showing hard on pick and rolls. The offense remains a trickier work in progress with "things I still need to get accustomed to," but he's scouring the playbook. The biggest concern, truth be told, is actually conditioning.

"I won't be able to play major minutes at this point," Bynum said. "I'll be a little bit winded, probably. So, I'm going to be out there working on my game."

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New Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown tried to cram in a much as he could after finally taking over the reins this month after the lockout was lifted, going 19 straight days from the start of training camp on Dec. 9 until finally giving the team its first off day on Wednesday.

For free agent signee Josh McRoberts, who left his home in Indianapolis to join the team halfway through camp, it was a much-needed break to get his life together.

Prior to Wednesday, the 6-10, 240-pound McRoberts had been driving around town in a Toyota Prius that he borrowed from the director of public relations from the agency that represents him, BDA Sports.

Instead of cramming in the playbook, McRoberts and a couple teammates crammed into the Prius.

Murphy said that he drove his new teammates, the 6-11, 245-pound Troy Murphy as well as rookie guard Andrew Goudelock, to the Lakers’ preseason games at Staples Center in the Prius.

“It wasn’t that bad,” McRoberts said with a smile. “It was a smooth ride.”

The scene sounds like something straight out of a “Curb Your Enthusiam” plot, as Larry David has become an unofficial endorser of the hybrid car by driving it on the popular HBO sitcom.

Murphy has since found a rental car of his own and McRoberts is now driving a SUV, which he is renting as well.

McRoberts was also able to use the day to look for a place to stay in the South Bay after shacking up in a hotel that was walking distance from the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo, Calif. during his first several weeks with the team.

“It was absolute time,” Brown said before the Lakers played the New York Knicks on Thursday when asked about the off day. “I probably should have given them the day off before [that].

“Somebody told me it’s better to have guys that are fresh and ready to go out on the floor and perform and maybe not know as much, than you think you need to give them everything you know and have them mentally and physically fatigued.”

The Lakers play the Denver Nuggets in a home-road back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday to complete their initial stretch of six games in eight days to start the season.

As usual when it comes to Kobe Bryant and injuries, he was a man of few, barely audible, highly impatient words. But as Dave McMenamin reports, he was willing to utter the ones that mattered most.

"I should be fine," said Kobe when asked about his availability for the Christmas Day season opener against the Bulls.

Of course, "fine" isn't necessarily quite sunshine and lollipops. Kobe described his wrist as "swollen and painful," and I'm guessing that won't change by the time Sunday rolls around. The Mamba has a famously absurd tolerance for pain, but I have a hard time believing lacing 'em up on Sunday won't entail enduring an exceptional amount of discomfort.

There's also the question of the effects the injury will have on Bryant as a player. After all, right-handed players tend to use their right wrists a decent amount of time over the course of a basketball game. Plus, that wrist is connected to a hand with some jacked up fingers. Kobe's handle occasionally suffers due to those digits. With the wrist now a factor, it's fair to wonder how Bryant's shot, or ability to create for himself or others could suffer. Even as one of the best athletes I've ever seen playing through injuries, there are limits, especially as you get older.

Predictably, Bryant downplayed the issue.

"If you can play through the pain and you can catch a ball, pass a ball, you should be fine," he said.

For those concerned playing through the injury will stymie the healing process, that's a valid fear. Why? Because Kobe said so himself. However, this is just being viewed as a fact of life, rather than a sticking point to consider.

"It's not really going to heal," Bryant conceded. "I mean, it's gone. The ligament is gone. So there's nothing I can do about it. But I've dealt with so many hand injuries. It should be all right."

The ligament is "gone?" Wowza, that's dark. I'm not even disagreeing with him. I've just never heard an injury framed in such "dust in the wind" terms. Kobe always claims he's not very sentimental. Clearly, he's not kidding.

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The playoffs have been incredibly unkind to Pau Gasol, and the offseason is unlikely to be any different. But while he hasn't been able to formulate any sort of explanation for his decline, Saturday afternoon on the floor of the practice court at American Airlines Center, Gasol took the opportunity to address one supposition currently sweeping the web.

Referencing rumors published on internet gossip sites suggesting relationship problems are responsible for his poor play, some inferring Kobe Bryant's wife helped facilitate a breakup of Gasol's relationship with his girlfriend -- good lord, this is so high school -- Gasol said his relationship with Bryant is just fine. "Chemistry is great, actually. There has been a lot of talk, even rumors and stories made up that I don’t know where they come from, but it’s unfortunate. Apparently it comes with the situation that we’re in. People try to find reasons, throw stones at us at this time, and it’s part of the deal.”

Gasol said the impact of the rumors isn't so much on him, but those around him.

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At 38 years old, Jason Kidd is the giant panda-rare NBA point guard who, chronologically speaking at least, makes Derek Fisher look youthful by comparison. It's been a while since Fish was the kid in a head-to-head playoff matchup.

"Probably since John Stockton, Mark Jackson in the late 90's, 2000," he said Sunday afternoon, digging deep into the memory bank.

But old as he may be, heading into Monday's Game 1, Fisher and his teammates are showing a healthy respect for Kidd.

"Jason makes them go. He impacts games without scoring the basketball. He's been shooting the ball well from the perimeter, but it's really just his ability to manage the game, get guys in the right spots. He still has very good hands defensively, [and makes] timely steals," Fisher said. "So even though you don't strategize for him offensively, you still have plan for him. You have to play him as an impact player because of how he plays the game."

The numbers speak to Kidd's importance. In 40 games in which he's won the battle of positional differential, the Mavericks are 32-8. When he doesn't, they're a far more pedestrian 21-15. In their opening round matchup against Portland, the Mavs were a much better team with Kidd on the floor.

But it's not simply on offense where the Lakers will keep an eye on Kidd. Phil Jackson suspects he'll spend some time guarding Kobe Bryant late in games, which obviously could make that matchup vital over the course of the series.



Click below the jump for more from Fisher, Jackson, and Lamar Odom...

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The axiom, applicable in politics and law alike, is never to ask a question if you don't want to hear the answer.

Apparently, this is the working principle for Kobe Bryant, as well.

After wrenching his left foot and ankle in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Game 4 loss to New Orleans- the team officially calls it a sprained ankle- Bryant sat out practice Monday afternoon to receive intensive levels of treatment (ice, massage, electrostimulation) and indications are he'll pass on any further testing, be it x-ray, MRI, blood sugar, or urine. "We're trying to convince him it might be a good idea," Phil Jackson said with a smile of the diagnostic exams (the first two, not the latter pair).

Is it one of those deals where Bryant doesn't want to know the answer?

"It doesn't matter. He's going to play anyway," Jackson said. "That's his answer."

For Kobe to eschew the doctor's office at the very least combines some of the more notable personality features of Dalton ("Pain don't hurt.") and The Black Knight ("It's just a flesh wound" mixed with a useful sense of denial). At the same time, rather than thinking Bryant believes the tests unnecessary because, as a guy who gets hurt all the time, his internal physician says nothing serious happened, I'm left with the opposite impression. He doesn't want them precisely because of concern the results would reveal a less-than-rosy diagnosis.

I certainly could be wrong- Bryant didn't speak to the media Monday, so we couldn't ask- and frankly would prefer to be. But we received no indication his condition had improved (Jackson said it was the same as Sunday night), and remember Bryant left the arena on crutches after Game 4.

Either way, it begs the question: How is this a good idea? I'm not saying the guy needs to spend the week at Cedars as a precaution, but how does it benefit anyone, Bryant included, for him to refuse information regarding the extent of his injury? Kobe is too important to the Lakers to screw around with something like this. Sure, short of really awful news, he'd likely try to suit up anyway, but why play the hand blind? What is gained? How does it help the training staff best prepare him for Wednesday's game, or treat the injury over time?

There are bigger picture questions. It's certainly possible he could take a relatively minor injury and turn it into something major either by playing on it, or even in not fully understanding the scope of the problem. A more significant injury could be made chronic. Keep in mind, beyond holding L.A.'s title aspirations in his hands for the next few seasons, he's also scheduled to earn over $80 million from the Lakers over the next three seasons. It's only fair to make sure he's not putting that cash and the organization's future plans at risk.

In the world of elite level athletics, feet are not to be trifled with.

If I'm correct, Kobe doesn't want to let doctors determine his availability for what is undeniably a critical Game 5 Tuesday night. I certainly respect his ability and willingness to play through pain, but quite frankly the Lakers are capable of winning this series without him. It wouldn't be easy, but they have the talent and have been successful in his absence before. What they can't do, though, is complete a title with Bryant in street clothes.

Again, there's nothing preventing Bryant from getting pictures taken, hearing the news good or bad, and deciding to play anyway. But willfully depriving himself of important medical information impacting not just him, but his teammates and the organization cutting his checks makes very little sense. There is no upside. It's not a commentary on Kobe's already unassailable dedication to winning a title, but a reflection of more stubborn aspects of his makeup.

I truly hope Kobe makes this whole essay moot by getting the foot looked at. Tonight. By a doctor (circumstances seem to demand I be specific). He doesn't even need to share the results- remember, Kobe managed to keep last season's playoff knee drains a secret for weeks, so it's certainly possible he could do something similar with this.

Just get checked out.

Click below the jump for today's practice video, including moving pictures from Jackson, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Derek Fisher.

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In my trade, we're taught to avoid yes/no questions, as well as "leading" inquiries, because both tend to limit the quality of an answer and the number of directions a questionee can go with his response. Best to leave people with as much room to roam as possible, and narrow things down from there, if need be. There are exceptions, obviously, but generally speaking its a good rule to live by.

Sometimes, though, it leads you squarely into Captain Obvious territory. Such was the case Monday, after Phil Jackson had earlier referenced bad habits developed by the team over the course of the losing streak, stuff they don't want repeated. "Guys are making one effort, but not the second effort so our rotations are misaligned and misspent, and our energy was misspent last night in critical times. And then the little stuff that we have, mentally," he said. "I think we fouled jump shooters, three point shooters, and also gave up an inordinate type of things we don't have to do, to set ourselves on edge."

I asked when said bad habits emerged.

"Last Sunday. We had a bad week," Jackson said with a smile. "We had a really bad week. Sunday to Sunday was kind of bad."

Very funny, Phil. Those five straight losses I read about. "I was just wondering if you saw anything creeping up while you guys were still winning."

Ah. Why didn't you just ask, dummy? "We thought the Utah game, after the Dallas game, that back to back, it was a game in which we didn't play very well for large periods of the game, and then had to really come out and bust it up in the third quarter to get back in the ballgame. That was kind of an indication," he replied.

When it comes to turning things around, Jackson again emphasized the need to think incrementally. "I told these guys we played better for 42, 44 minutes last night. That's a good sign. We have signs the ailing patient is starting to recover." Not great, mind you, but better. Unfortunately, from a quality control standpoint Lakers have some space to make up relative to their output during the big 17-of-18 streak coming out of the break.

Whether it happens Tuesday against a San Antonio team Jackson isn't sure will go full tilt, given their lofty status in the standings and the age of key players, remains to be seen.



Click below for more from Jackson, plus video of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

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