Lakers' Kobe Bryant still needs some legwork

MVP might be a little fatigued from the Olympics and Phil Jackson is keeping an eye on him.

Long after the NBA Finals ended in mid-June, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol took center stage in an international theater, helping their respective countries to gold and silver finishes at the Beijing Olympics.

Has there been a carry-over effect from almost two months' worth of overtime? Gasol seems to be faring fine on the court this month, but Bryant has looked fatigued at times, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

"Kobe still looks to me like his legs might be a little bit tired," Jackson said. "So I constantly ask him if he wants to take a day off or if he needs a day off. I check in with him."

Bryant sat out a few practices the first week of training camp and was sidelined for the second part of Friday's practice after feeling a twinge in his back. He is not expected to miss preseason games tonight and Sunday at Staples Center.

Bryant's shot has been somewhat flat in preseason play. He is shooting 36% (nine for 25) in three exhibition games.

"That's all legs," Jackson said. "He's got to get his legs into it."

Bryant also had a subpar exhibition season a year ago, but he snapped back to life with a 45-point effort in the season opener against Houston and eventually won his first...read full story

Lakers' Luke Walton may be scrambling for court time

The team has a logjam of talent at small forward and Jackson is still trying to define the forward's role.

Once, Luke Walton was the starting small forward for the Lakers, seemingly putting him on the path to success.

He was awarded a six-year, $30-million contract during the summer of 2007 after having a career year during the 2006-07 season in which he started 60 games, and all five of the Lakers' playoff games. But now Walton is in a struggle to find minutes because of the log jam of talent at his position. And it hasn't helped that Walton fell behind in training camp while recovering from ankle surgery.

"My job is to go out and play. His job is to determine who plays where, when and how much," Walton said of Lakers Coach Phil Jackson. "That's out of my control."  When Walton was a starter during the 2006-07 season, he averaged career highs in points (11.4), rebounds (5.0), assists (4.3) and minutes (33.0).

Last season he played in 74 games, but only 31 as a starter.

Walton's role this season has yet to be determined.

"I really don't know," Jackson said today after practice. That's because Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Vladimir Radmanovic and even Kobe Bryant all will spend time at the small forward position.