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For the benefit of those who missed it (or those in attendance looking to relive the experience of a lifetime), here is the transcript of Wednesday's chat. Topics included the potential minutes for Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks, the odds of Matt Barnes becoming a distraction, and the number of MVP trophies Kobe Bryant will own upon retirement.

Plus, right out of the gate, we're hit with a sharp "Jordan Farmar on Entourage" joke! Good times had by all.

As part of our look ahead at the Lakers' projected roster next season, we continue to work our way from the bottom to the top of the rotation. Next up...

Player
Matt Barnes

Salary
$1,765,500

Role For The Lakers in 2010-2011
The Lakers spent last season without a designated backup for Ron Artest. Luke Walton was mostly shelved. Adam Morrison was out of the rotation. Sasha Vujacic was often injured and/or out of the rotation, not to mention undersized. Thus, the responsibility primarily fell on Kobe Bryant. The difference this upcoming campaign should be pretty striking. Barnes is as good a backup small forward as the league offers, not to mention a bargain at under two mil.

He also happens to possess several qualities that could mesh well in the Lakers' quest for a Three-peat.

Barnes is known mostly as a defensive presence (or irritant, depending who you ask). I wouldn't quite describe his prowess as "lockdown," but he's among the more relentless and enthusiastic in the league. And his ability to help the D isn't just a matter of checking opponents. Barnes holds his own against any small forward in the league on the glass. Rebounding is an underrated aspect of defense, and as we learned during the Finals, a key to securing the O'Brien trophy. Between Barnes and Lamar Odom, many a loose ball should fall the Lakers' way when the second unit takes the floor.

PODCAST
Former Bruin & newest Laker, Matt Barnes shares a conversation with the Kamenetzky Bros as they discuss his many stops in the NBA and how he settled on the Lakers for his newest destination. Podcast

While appearing Saturday with us on ESPNLA.com On-Air, Barnes talked about studying game film over the summer to familiarize himself with the famously complicated-for-newbies triangle offense. Good stuff, and I enjoyed even more the unsolicited -- and warranted -- mention of an ability to play off the ball. The triangle isn't just predicated on ball movement. People movement is also necessary, and this skill set should help Barnes fit into the system despite his being somewhat turnover prone, and not quite the three-point shooter he sometimes fancies himself.

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It may be the offseason, but that'll never stop us from yammering. For that matter, we actually found a fair amount of substance to yammer about during our latest session at the mic. Among the talking points:

PODCAST
Andy and Brian talk about Shannon Brown in purple and gold, Shaq in green, and which players belong in the Laker rafters. Can you make an argument for Fisher? What about Slava? Podcast

- (3:50): After firmly establishing what kind of brothers we are, Brian and I discuss the implications of Shannon Brown resigning with the Lakers. From where we sit, it's a nice deal for both sides. Shannon gets a small raise, plus the flexibility to opt out again next summer if he prefers. He's got a solidified role with room for expansion. He gets to stay in a winning environment and purse a place in purple and gold history. The Lakers get a steadily improving backup for Kobe Bryant at a reasonable price, a dynamic change of pace, silly athleticism, familiarity with their system and an upgrade over the likeliest alternative (Sasha Vujacic). Everybody wins.

- (9:50): With Shannon in the fold, the Laker roster is basically set, save the expected inking of Derek Caracter and Devin Ebanks, or an unexpected trade. So, how was the Lakers' summer? Pretty flippin' good. Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher, and Brown were retained. Steve Blake, Matt Barnes and Theo Ratliff constitute an upgrade over the players they respectively replaced (Jordan Farmar, a hobbled Luke Walton, D.J. Mbenga). Caracter and Ebanks appear to be exceptional value at their draft spots. And none broke the bank. It would be hard to come up with a realistic criticism of how the Lakers could have fared better.

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According to Elias Sports Bureau, since the 1998 season, there is only one player who's won two or more NBA titles without logging even one second of court time during a Finals game. It's the same player, by the way, who led the nation in scoring (28.1 ppg) just four years ago as a junior in college, a campaign among the more compelling in recent memory.

Adam Morrison.

Since entering the nation's consciousness, Morrison has been described in many ways. A scoring machine. A long haired, mustachioed flake. Diabetes conqueror. A can't miss NBA prospect. An NBA failure waiting to happen. The next Larry Bird. The next Kwame Brown. An enigma. A scrub. An expiring contract. Jimmy Kimmel's favorite target.

He is most concerned, however, about his current label: Unemployed.

"It's tough mentally to try to stay positive," admitted the small forward when I spoke to him in July. Morrison entered last season with the mindset of a guy facing the prospect of falling out the league. It has remained on his brain all season, and his Laker teammates made a point of picking up his spirits. "Adam is hard on himself," noted Lamar Odom shortly before the regular season ended. "I don't think he's fighting to stay in the league... His time will come. Everybody here knows what he can do.

"He is one of the best scorers in the league, even though he hasn't been playing a lot."

Morrison's agent reassures him of interest around the league, and the client says his rep has never misled him. Still, proof comes with a dotted line for the self-described pessimist. "I don't believe it until I sign with somebody," he insists.

This difficult time mirrors Morrison's entire career, four seasons worth of choppy sailing. He underachieved in Charlotte, whether measured against a bar elevated beyond his grasp, or simply his own standards. He encountered rotten luck after a devastating knee injury during the 2008 preseason -- ironically, against the Lakers -- stole his entire sophomore campaign, plus much of the athleticism he could hardly afford to spare in the first place. (Morrison says he no longer feels the effects of the ACL tear, save the occasional soreness standard for any athlete.) He became a 13th man with the Lakers after a 2009 midseason trade, appearing in just 49 games for a grand total of 285 minutes.

His career has also invoked its share of irony, reminders of how elusive balance can be.

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Adam Morrison played a total of 241 minutes this season. Honestly I was surprised it was that high. The entirety of his Lakers career was 285 minutes. You'd be hard pressed to remember a more than a handful, particularly if you have large hands.

He's well liked by his teammates and well-mocked by talk shows.

But while Morrison clearly didn't have any appreciable impact in purple and gold, nor has his career been a rousing success generally, I still find his story compelling. By all accounts, since arriving in L.A. he's worked hard and done what he could to contribute. He just didn't have a prayer of doing it on a team as successful as the Lakers. Particularly, as he points out in the video below, given how stacked they are at the wing.

His has been a rough career, beginning with being over-drafted by Michael Jordan, a tough start for any player (just ask Kwame Brown). After an unproductive rookie season, knee injuries robbed him of his already questionable NBA caliber athleticism. He couldn't work his way back in Charlotte and was buried in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, already reluctant with the media, Morrison damn near became an apparition, no surprise since probably 90 percent of the questions he's asked amount to some form of "Dude, what the hell happened to you?"

Even Tuesday, Morrison had to return to the building after his meeting with Phil Jackson and Mitch Kupchak to meet with the laptop-and-recorder set, evading a member of the P.R. staff and disappearing into thin air. Maybe he didn't realize he was supposed to talk to us. More likely he knew and hoped not to.

I don't feel sympathy for Morrison like I would flood victims or friends struggling to find a job. He's made more money failing in the NBA than I will if I live to be 500 years old. He'll be fine. But at this point, the former Gonzaga scoring machine isn't hoping to be a star, he just wants to find a home in the league and no longer serve as a punchline. Morrison won't get that chance with the Lakers and I have serious doubts as to whether he'll manage to do it at all.

But he's a decent guy who handled himself well here. I'd like to be wrong on this one. Even if you disagree, it's still an interesting interview.

PREVIOUS 2010 EXIT INTERVIEWS:

-Jordan Farmar
-Lamar Odom

Jared Dudley and Shannon Brown aren't carbon copies of each other. Brown boasts considerably more elevation, while Dudley's a steadier threat from behind the arc. But there are obvious commonalities. Both are key reserves for teams vying to make the NBA finals. Both take pride in their defense and rarely take possessions off. Both are described as "energy players." Both have become crowd favorites as a result of their non-stop hustle, and in the case of Dudley, unique personality.

And both began making a name for themselves after getting traded out of Charlotte within a two month span of each other during the 2008-2009 season.

Dudley was the least established name among the principles changing squads in his four-player deal. (Jason Richardson with Dudley to Phoenix, Raja Bell and Boris Diaw to Charlotte). Ditto Shannon Brown when he and Adam Morrison arrived in L.A. for Vlad Radmanovic. Brown described himself as a "throw-in" member of a swap making the Lakers his fourth team in three seasons, and had been worried about staying the league. Dudley's time in Charlotte provided more stability (5.8 points per game as a rookie, 14 starts of 73 appearances), but he was still barely on the NBA radar when he was moved to Phoenix during his second season.

"The trade was definitely for Jason," shrugged Dudley when I asked last week about the swap.

For their part, while the Lakers saw potential in Brown, their deal was primarily to move Radmanovic's longer contract for Morrison's shorter one.

So how did two players considered afterthoughts not just quickly find niches, but with teams better than the ones they left? Because counter-intuitive as it may seen, it's often easier for role players to blossom on a better roster than by competing for time on a lousy team with fewer studs. Obviously, it's not as simple as just landing with a contender. You still have to earn your way on the court. But the setting is often a crucial element, and nobody knows this better than Suns G.M. Steve Kerr, whose career was highlighted with five rings as a role player in the right situation and low-lighted with 12th man stints as a role player in the wrong one.

"I don't think there's any such thing as a role player on a bad team," explained Kerr. "Good teams have role players. Bad teams, the role players eventually start because the starters aren't doing very well and nobody has a role."

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The Lakers officially began their title defense on October 27 with a ring ceremony and a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Oodles of pomp, circumstance and promise! Tonight, the campaign is book-ended against those same Clippers, but the vibe couldn't be any different. Literally and figuratively, the Lakers are limping into the playoffs. Win or lose, there will be a vibe more "lamb" than "lion" as the curtain drops on the regular season.

Then again, it's the appropriate way to put a bow on their 82 contests, considering how oddly anticlimactic this entire year has felt. From start to finish, and on several levels. Mind you, there's still chance to go out on one hell of a bang by reacquainting themselves with Lawrence O'Brien. But with one final chapter still in formative stages, we take a look at the other plot points failing to meet the hype.

THE HYPE: 72 Wins
Besides a repeat, what would be the best way to top a championship season? By tying or beating the 72-win platinum standard established by the 1996 Chicago Bulls, a squad also coached by none other than Phil Jackson. The media tossed around "72" as a possibility and the young, filter-free Andrew Bynum lobbied to make it a team goal.

THE ANTI-CLIMATIC RESULT
Need further proof of just how monumental 72-10 is? The Lakers' first 27 games, mostly at home, wrapped up at a scorching 23-4 clip... which put them off the pace. "72" is just a brutal height to set, much less scale. But honestly, the real roadblock wasn't the task's Herculean nature. It was the Lakers simply not being good enough. Heck, they even failed to maintain their own smaller piece of history: The "Pau Era" streak is dead! Long live the "Pau Era" streak.

(If it's any consolation, 'Sheed shot off his mouth about Boston winning 72, and they came up even shorter. Couldn't have happened to a nicer team, right?)

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Outside of previously reported news about Kobe Bryant making his return tomorrow night in BBQ country, today's practice didn't feature any real "news," so to speak. Most of the players hustled out to hop a flight to Memphis, and the ones made available talked primarily about 24's return or the Memphis Grizzlies, neither topic prompting much in the way of mind boggling insight. Mostly, folks just wanted to hit the road.

There were, however, a few good lines sprinkled about. So in lieu of a formal "report," I'm presenting clips, along with my personal nomination for best quote of the segment. Should another piece of verbiage strike your fancy more, feel free to use the comments section to voice your personal preference. This is the democratic way we operate in Land O' Lakers' "America."

First, Ron Artest's take on Kobe "fitting back in," as another reporter put it, after his five-game absence:

"It's how we're gonna fit back in with Kobe. Don't get it twisted, man. This is the Mamba show."

And since we're talking about Ron Ron, his clip naturally offers a co-winner. You gotta love this response when asked if he watched Sunday night's "instant classic" USA-Canada Olympic hockey match, the buzz of sports talk radio and SportsCenter:

"No, what happened?"

Fan-tastic.

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With Phil Jackson becoming the winningest coach in Lakers franchise history on the heels of Kobe Bryant becoming its scoringest player, one would figure "Milestone Week" has come to a close.

Think again.

That's what Brian and I thought when we finished this sleek little project commemorating Kobe at the 25K mark. And with all hype over Jackson, it kinda flew under the radar Derek Fisher drilled three-pointer #1,000 against Charlotte.

Basically, there's always a milestone on the immediate horizon in purple and gold country, which means lots and lots and lots and lots and LOTS of extra work for the K Brothers. To be honest, we're getting sick of it. Thus, Brian and I decided to get proactive, dig deep into the record books, and cover our bases for the next time our editors' nostalgia leads to additional assignments. Now it's as simple as linking back to this post and calling it a day.

-We'll start with the most obvious candidate. Lord knows Kobe's always on the verge of busting some threshold. For example, another 17 offensive rebounds and he passes Elden Campbell (1,207) for seventh highest in team history. And next season will be his 15th with the Lakers, pushing him past Kareem, Elgin, Magic and The Logo for the most time spent in purple and gold. (A record likely to remain intact, unless Andrew Bynum ends up a Laker for life.)

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Before last night's 118-96 win over the Indiana Pacers, I appeared on the 710 ESPN's Kia Motors Lakers Shootaround Show with Steve Mason. One of our guests was Dan Dakich, who covers the Pacers for 1070 The Fan. Dakich wasn't sure if Coach Jim O'Brien would opt to go small with Troy Murphy at center (the way the Pacers play most effectively) or outside their comfort zone with Roy Hibbert at center to match the Lakers size. That indecision struck me as indicative of the Pacers' central problem against the Lakers: Playing either dwarfed or uncomfortably. As it turned out, the answer to "WWJO'BD" was "a fair amount of both." As it also turned out, neither approach was "the answer."

With Murphy kicking off at the five, the Lakers wasted no time shuttling the rock to Andrew Bynum and working the size/"Murphy can't defend a stationary bike" advantage. Drew's first five shots were good and even with Hibbert eventually inserted to check him, didn't really matter much. 12-14 shooting for 27 points (although Hibbert wasn't exactly stymied in the reverse matchup). Phil Jackson admitted afterward to being surprised by the call to go small, but like I said earlier, "damned if you do, damned if you don't" for O'Brien. Eight points, Nine Seconds provides a terrific breakdown of why the Pacers coach faces a classic "no win" situation.

Kinda like the poor souls dispatched with the task of guarding Kobe Bryant.

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For those of you who didn't get to watch the Lakers being honored by Barack Obama, give 'er a click and enjoy. Or read the entire transcript of the celebration, thanks to the diligence of the Daily News' Tom Hoffarth.

Obama took the time to recognize --among other things-- Kobe Bryant's greatness while playing with a busted finger, the team's (and in particular, Pau Gasol and Jordan Farmar's) contributions towards the Haitian relief effort and Shannon Brown's impending participation in the dunk contest. The Prez seemed keen YouTube's qualifications ("I've been told Mr. Brown intends to win the dunk contest"), which makes you wonder, with all due respect to the impressive grassroots phenomenon that was LetShannonDunk.com, if the whole thing would have been easier just letting Obama make a phone call on Shannon's behalf. The man's got a fair amount of clout.

And speaking of clout, we already knew about Obama's respect for Mamba, having last year declared 24 the best player in the world (which I decided by extension made it U.S. law). But if we learn today's announcement of a discretionary spending freeze proposal came as the result of bending Bryant's ear, I'll REALLY be impressed.

By the way, did Khloe Kardashian pick the right year to fall for a Laker or what?

UPDATE (9:13 pm PT): Here's the story from ESPN LA's Dave McMenamin.

During Monday's practice, Phil Jackson hinted time spent gabbing with the media was interfering with a trip to the book shoppe for the yearly ritual of handing out road trip reading material for his players. Well, not to worry. The expedition was not only completed, but we can show you the goods, thanks to the Tweeting action of Jeanie Buss.

For the benefit of those without Twitter, I'll reprint:

Ron Artest: "Sacred Hoops" by Phil Jackson (AK's note: Jeanie noted how S.H. can benefit someone still learning the triangle)
Shannon Brown: "Dreams from My Father" by Barack Obama (AK's note: If Shannon reads this, he and the Prez will have something to talk about when the team visits the White House.)
Kobe Bryant: "Montana 1948 "by Larry Watson
Andrew Bynum :"Six Easy Pieces" by Walter Mosley
Jordan Farmar: "Makes Me Wanna Holler" by Nathan McCall
Derek Fisher: "Soul on Ice," by Eldridge Cleaver
Pau Gasol: "2666" by Roberto Bolano
DJ Mbenga: "Monster: the Autobiography of an LA Gang Member" by Sanyika Shakur (Author), Monster Kody Scott (Contributor) (AK's note: I read this a while back and it's a doozy.)
Adam Morrison: "Che – a Graphic Biography" by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon
Lamar Odom: "The Right Mistake" by Walter Mosley (AK's note: Jeanie noted that Mosley is of Phil's favorite authors. PJ has good taste.)
Josh Powell: "The Souls of Black Folk" – W.E.B. Du Bois
Sasha Vujacic: "Reservation Blues" by Sherman Alexie
Luke Walton: "The Monkey Wrench Gang" by Edward Abbey

The Texas Two-Step is officially underway, and were this an episode of "So You Think You Can Dance," falling 105-85 to the Spurs might feel like a "no" on the surface. Except the Laker contestants were shimmying to "Let the bodies hit the floor," a tough ditty to pull off in champeen fashion. It was known entering the game Pau Gasol was a no go and Kobe Bryant would be doing battle with a fractured finger. But who knew deep reserve Adam Morrison would come down with a sore throat/flu? Or that Sasha Vujacic would pull a hamstring and enter "day-to-day" status? Or that Ron Artest would sprain a finger while jostling with Richard Jefferson, further complicating an already slow return to form from a concussion?

Folks dropped so rapidly, Luke Walton, out of necessity, got pressed back to action earlier than expected/wanted from a pinched nerve in his back. The forward did enough good things enough to impress Forum Blue and Gold mainstay "Zephid," but probably wasn't able to make fans truly smile in the face of sobering adversity involving a certain shooting guard.

After a few games clearly held back by his ailing digit, Kobe actually appeared like his old self again during the game's opening quarter, thanks to his flexible splint of old. Shots dropping. Ball handled with ease. Briefly, he appeared like the guy who could carry the team on his back. Until it gave out during a spin-reverse-spin sequence against Manu Ginobli. The basket was good, but Kobe immediately grimaced and it was obvious something wasn't right. Eventually, those back spasms meant trouble walking (evidenced harshly when 24 got pick-pocketed by George Hill), and two attempts at in-game treatment couldn't do the trick. That he remains hopeful of playing today against Dallas (as opposed to the usual "you bet your butt I'll be out there" sentiments) is a reminder in and of itself that even the league's toughest cat is in fact human with a flesh and blood body.

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For starters, the latest medical update on Ron Artest's recovery from the concussion heard 'round the world:

While Artest did take part in a few basketball-related activities during Thursday's practice (shooting, stretching), dizziness persists and another neurologist visit will be necessary before there's even talk of being cleared for tomorrow night against Sacramento. The official status provided by the team is "doubtful," while Phil Jackson offered the unofficial guess of "very doubtful." Run with whichever descriptor you prefer, but neither sounds terribly promising. Hopefully Josh Powell, who missed practice altogether with an upper-respiratory infection (lot of that going around lately), will fare better in 24 hours. He's considered day-to-day (just like all of us).

I elaborated yesterday on the various reasons Ron Ron is missed by the Lakers. But while it goes without saying that my opinions are riveting and keep the Laker Nation on the edge of its seat, I still get the impression fans are more interested in what actual members of the team think. I don't know why that would be the case and frankly, it seems kinda silly, but I'll nonetheless indulge these priority-challenged readers. Derek Fisher, always one for honest assessments, admitted there's been slippage with Artest sidelined, and like me, thinks it's caused by matters beyond 37's pure defensive skills:

"Not even just because he's, I guess, quote-unquote, supposedly our best defensive player, in terms of his physical presence. but his mentality is also infectious. His mentality in terms of playing physically. Boxing out. Going after guys. Scrapping for loose balls... Some of the intangible things that Ron brings to our game, we're definitely missing those things."

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Ouch.

Writes Ford (Insider required):

"...Chalk (Adam) Morrison up as Michael Jordan's second devastating mistake as a GM. (Land O'Lakers Note: Having already taken on Kwame Brown, L.A. is officially only one Jordan bust short of a free latte.) This time the scene moves to Charlotte, where Jordan had just bought a stake in the Bobcats and was named the team's vice president. The Bobcats were in desperate need of a 2-guard, and (Brandon) Roy looked like the perfect fit. However, Jordan was wowed by Morrison's career at Gonzaga, loved his workout and decided to gamble on the athletically challenged player. The results have been disastrous for Charlotte. Morrison was awful as a rookie. He missed his entire sophomore season with a serious knee injury, then was traded to the Lakers. Meanwhile, Roy has developed into one of the best 2-guards in the game..."

Sounds about right.

Call me a softie, but sometimes this sort of thing makes me feel- relatively speaking, of course- bad for a guy. I can't vouch for his time in Charlotte, but by all accounts since arriving in Los Angeles Morrison has worked hard and tried to resurrect his reputation and career, even spending the offseason in Vegas for Summer League, not something typically done by non-rooks and sophomores. He's a quiet-but-perfectly nice guy. Injuries have played a big role in cementing Morrison's bust status, but in the end the guy just wasn't good enough to be drafted with a #3 pick. It's not like there weren't people at every level who wondered if Morrison lacked the athleticism to create his own shot and defend at the NBA level. (For example, I watched his last NCAA Tournament with one noted talent scout, who wondered aloud exactly how "that awkward guy" was supposed to play against NBA players, and also thought crying on the floor was inappropriate. Tough cookie, my wife.)

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