NBA NOTES: Lakers' Jackson cuts practice short

Two weeks from tonight, the Lakers will bask in the afterglow of their second consecutive NBA title and the 16th in the franchise's history.

They'll receive their championship rings and watch as another banner is unveiled at Staples Center.
Then they'll have to play a game that actually counts in the standings.

Between now and then, however, they'll have plenty of work to do in order to get ready to play the Houston Rockets in their regular-season opener. They began their countdown to opening night by putting their European trip in their rearview mirror.

"We're back now. I think the guys are back ready to play," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said after the team held a spirited workout Monday in El Segundo.

The Lakers will practice again today and then travel to Las Vegas to play the first of six exhibitions in a 10-day span. They will face the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center to kick off their regular-season countdown.

"We're trying our best to re-orient ourselves and find some flow and some rhythm to our game and start to lay the foundation for what we expect to be another great season," Lakers guard Derek Fisher said. "The goal is to improve each day that goes by."

The Lakers impressed Jackson, who cut Monday's practice short as a reward. Fisher wasn't immediately certain what they did so well, however.

"I have no idea," he said. "I would bet that he has plans, that he has to be somewhere by a certain time. So that is why we got out of practice a little bit earlier than normal. There was nothing we did on the court that impacted that one bit."

Bryant update

Kobe Bryant did not practice with his teammates.

Again.

He did a weightlifting workout and then left without speaking to reporters.
"I think he's going to be fine for the regular season," Jackson said when asked about Bryant's progress. "I think right now there's obviously a strength and conditioning factor. He's working hard and he's feeling OK about it.

"Game shape? He's not quiet ready yet."

Bryant, who continues his slow recovery from offseason knee surgery, played only limited minutes in the Lakers' first two exhibitions, losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves in London and Regal FC Barcelona in Spain.

Jackson told reporters that he had a simple message for Bryant, who has practiced only a handful of times during training camp.

"Just don't push it too fast, that's all," Jackson said. "We're doing it just the way we want to do it. Make a couple of appearances on the floor. Maybe 16 to 18 minutes is fine. Anything more than that is probably expending too much (energy)."

Bryant played only six minutes against Minnesota last week and then went 25 minutes against Barcelona, when the Lakers blew a 12-point lead in the second half.

"I thought he played a little bit too long the other night," Jackson said, referring to the Barcelona game. "It was a competitive game and he wanted to show off at the end of the game in Barcelona. We'll see what that brings (Wednesday in Las Vegas)."

- Elliott Teaford

Clippers tonight

The Clippers (1-2) take on the San Antonio Spurs at 6:30 tonight in Mexico City in their fourth exhibition contest. Rookie forward Blake Griffin is averaging 16.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in the exhibition season.

Around the NBA

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle was back on the bench for Monday's exhibition game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, three days after collapsing at a team practice. Carlisle was hospitalized following a fainting spell during Friday's team workout. ... Portland swingman Rudy Fernandez wasfined $50,000 by the NBA for comments his European agent made last week.


Lakers' Derek Fisher comes back from break ready to do it again

He says taking time off from competitive basketball and focusing on exercise drills in off-season 'just makes sense' to him after rigors of season and postseason play

Lakers point guard Derek Fisher talks strategy with rookie forward Devin Ebanks during an exhibition game against FC Barcelona in Spain last week. (David Ramos / Getty Images / October 7, 2010)

Lakers guard Derek Fisher made the decision to not play any competitive basketball this summer, and said that the break resembled many others he has had after playing deep into the playoffs.

Fisher and the Lakers played until June for the third consecutive season, winning back-to-back NBA titles after beating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. In his 14-year career, Fisher, 36, has been to the playoffs 12 times, reached the Finals seven times and won five titles.

But about six years ago, Fisher said, he got "away from [playing] five-on-five" basketball during the off-season.

"You think about only having [from] June 18 or 19 to Oct. 1 basically to give your body and your mind a chance to kind of reset and be ready to do it again; to me it just makes sense," Fisher said after Lakers' practice Monday. "But it's with the context of the additional training methods that I use."

Fisher said he does off-season exercise drills "so I don't need basketball to stay in shape."

Although Fisher is the oldest starter on the Lakers, he's played in 413 consecutive regular-season games, second among active NBA players.

He's played in all 82 regular-season games the last five seasons — one each with the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz and the last three with the Lakers. Plus, he's played in 82 playoff games in the last four seasons.

And his game seems to peak in the spring.

Fisher averaged 10.3 points in 23 playoff games last spring, compared to 7.5 points during the 2009-10 regular season. He made 44.8% of his field goals and 36% of his three-pointers in the playoffs, up from 38% from the field in the regular season and 34.8% from beyond the three-point line.

He also averaged 32.7 minutes a game in the playoffs, up from 27.2 minutes in the regular season.

Fisher had some big moments in the Finals. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers win Game 3 in Boston, and his three-pointer midway through the fourth quarter of Game 7 tied the score and helped push the Lakers to another championship.

In the summer, Fisher signed a three-year, $10.5-million deal to stay with the Lakers, but he carefully monitored his non-basketball workouts.

"A lot of guys need to play in the summer," Fisher said. "But for me, I think it's something that has benefited me in terms of being able to play every game of every season and actually be my best at the end when maybe other guys are breaking down."

Going slow

Kobe Bryant didn't practice Monday, but that was fine with Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, who also didn't have Luke Walton (right hamstring strain) and Andrew Bynum (right knee) on the court.
Jackson wants Bryant, who still is recovering from right knee surgery, to improve his conditioning while strengthening his knee.

"He's working really hard," Jackson said. "He's feeling OK about it. Game shape, he's not ready to play yet."
Jackson said he told Bryant, "Just don't push it too fast."

Jackson plans to play Bryant about 16 to 18 minutes in the Lakers' exhibition Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas.

"More than that right now [for Bryant] I think is an extended moment," Jackson said.


Lamar Odom in charge of managing rookie duties

When it came time to decide who would remain in charge of managing rookie duties with Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter, the Lakers didn't choose the uber competitive Kobe Bryant, the eloquent Derek Fisher or the worldly Pau Gasol. They pointed to the personable Lamar Odom.

Clearly, the Lakers chose the best candidate and don't have to worry about opting for a recount.
"I'm the funny guy. I'm the jokester on the team," Odom said after practice Monday at the Lakers' facility in El Segundo. "They want me to put them under pressure a little bit."

That led to a conversation as to what might be in store for Ebanks and Caracter when the Lakers prepare for a trip Wednesday to Las Vegas for an exhibition game against Sacramento. He mentioned the likelihood that he'll pack heavier suitcases on trips knowing he'll have Ebanks and Caracter to carry the luggage. When Odom feels tired, he might have Ebanks and Caracter come over to his house in the Valley to pack for him. And, cognizant he didn't want to give away any other secrets, Odom remained mostly mum on what's next.
The conversation led one reporter to ask jokingly if Odom has earned the title, "Vice President in Charge of Rookie Hazing." But he immediately shot that theory down. "I wouldn't say that," Odom said. "We're just going to have some fun with them."

This revelation isn't so much about what tasks Odom has in store for Ebanks and Caracter. (I've already come up with a few possibilities.) Instead, Odom's new responsibility provides another example on how his leadership qualities appear magnified entering training camp under a team that truly values his presence.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson has already said that Odom is the lone player on the team's roster that appears in "basketball shape," as Andrew Bynum and Bryant conntinue to recover from their respective surgically repaired right knees, Luke Walton remains sidelined with a strained right hamstring and the newcomers Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, Theo Ratliff, Ebanks and Caracter continue to ingratiate themselves with the team. Normally Jackson questions Odom's conditioning during training camp, but this preseason there's really nothing to critique since he's averaged 14.5 points in two games and had a double-double effort (17 points and 18 rebounds) against FC Barcelona in 41 minutes.

"I'm ready to play our first game now," said Odom, who cited his experience with Team USA this summer, diet, focus and rest as factors for his strong start. He's also gotten ice after practices to ensure he stays healthy. "Even when I was in good shape, [Jackson] always felt like I could be in better shape. Last year I was in pretty good shape. But it's not about that. I just want my team healthy. It's good I'm in shape. I feel confident. I want the rest of the guys to get healthy so we can make another run at it."

Odom's friendly personality and supportive attitude seems to reflect the Lakers' demeanor these days in general, particularly toward the rookies. Jackson has constructively analyzed what Caracter and Ebanks need to improve without demeaning them. Bryant publicly lauded their effort in trying to fit in with the team. Fisher credited their professionalism. And Odom provided ringing endorsements about their games. "Derrick Caracter is a beast on the inside," he said. "Devin Ebanks has incredible footwork and I'm incredibly sure after he works with Kobe on some of it, he'll get even better."

That's why it shouldn't be surprising that the rookie duties have been tame at best. Ebanks and Caracter typically pick up water bottles, put the basketballs back on the rack and line all the towels together. Ebanks shared on Twitter that the Lakers' eight-day trip to Europe consisted of them waking their teammates up and dropping their practice uniforms off.

Part of that respectful and supportive tone surely points to Odom, who's lately displayed his relentless energy while still remaining sensitive to his teammates' needs. While something as customary and menial as assigning rookie duties might not mean much, it still provides a glimpse on how Odom provides a positive nurturing influence. That can prove to be a winning formula considering how dialed in Odom has become.
"Anytime you can be around winning makes you a better player and person," he said of the situation. "It makes you see the game totally different. I just want to win."

Lakers Barcelona: Not Really an Embarrassment But Close

The Los Angeles Lakers were not able to impress the Europeans during their away escapade, as their last game against Barcelona ended with the Lakers losing 92-88.

It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t was coach Phil Jackson wanted to see either and he might be quite anxious about their upcoming game against the Kings.

The Regal FC Barcelona didn’t look impressed at all by Lakers’ big names and they showed them their own stars, like Ricky Rubio and Fran Vazquez.

However, as we said, the Lakers’ game wasn’t all bad. Derek Fisher, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom looked solid and pushed the team forward, while Matt Barnes, Sasha Vujacic and Shannon Brown also had more than a few solid moments.

But now that their European adventure is over, let’s see what the Lakers and their game will do at home.



Euro champs Barcelona edge US titleholders Lakers

BARCELONA – Euroleague champions FC Barcelona edged NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers 92-88 here on Thursday in front of 17,000 spectators.

The match was played in a highly-competitive atmosphere with one of Barcelona's two Americans on their roster Pete Mickael, who had an oustanding match (26 points, 13 rebounds, 7 passes), mixing it physically and verbally with Lakers superstars Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest.

Barca's other American import Terence Morris may have kept his own counsel in terms of verbal outbursts but was no less effective on the court converting four of his seven three pointers, while 25 points was the contribution of 'the bomber' Juan Carlos Navarro.

Pau Gasol made an emotional return to Barcelona and scored 25 points himself while Bryant, who is getting himself back to match fitness after a right knee operation, played for a lot longer than his previous match on the tour.

In his 25 minutes of playtime Bryant, converted just two of 15 shots but converted 11 out of 12 free throws.


Barcelona beats Lakers 92-88

Juan Carlos Navarro scored 25 points to help Barcelona beat the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers 92-88 in an exhibition on Thursday.

Spanish center Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 24 points but had only one field goal in the second half. His homecoming was spoiled by the Euroleague champion in a game that lived up to the billing of an informal intercontinental showdown.

"You always want to win, but it was an emotional game," Gasol said. "The fans enjoyed it, and the atmosphere was spectacular. We lost, but when your friends win you have to be happy for them."

The Lakers blew a 12-point advantage in the second half and were outplayed down the stretch after the game was tied at 72 midway through the fourth quarter.

"They played much better in the fourth quarter," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, ruing his team's turnovers. "We anticipated they would not take a back seat and that they would be very physical. They did a good job doubling Pau in the second half and making him go to the foul line for his points."

Kobe Bryant played 25 minutes, compared to six on Monday in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he recovers from knee surgery.

He scored 15 points but went 2 for 15 from the field and missed two 3-pointers with a chance to tie the game with under a minute to play.

Bryant said his knee was feeling good, but Jackson said his guard played above his fitness level.

"He is not ready to play. He went out there to show his goodwill for the fans and to support his team," Jackson said.

With the loss to the Timberwolves, the NBA champions head home with a 0-2 preseason record.

Pete Mickael had 24 points and Terrence Morris chipped in with four 3-pointers for the Euroleague titleholders.

Gasol was the center of attention from the moment he stepped on the court, receiving a constant barrage of camera flashes throughout warmups, and a roaring standing ovation when he addressed the crowd before the game.

"It was a wonderful feeling to be so well supported and appreciated after so many years playing abroad, and I am very proud to have been received in this way," Gasol said.

Bryant and Barcelona's stars Ricky Rubio and Navarro also drew huge applause when they were introduced.

"The first thing you noticed was the crowd," Bryant said. "It was great to see a packed house."

Neither team played like it was merely an exhibition. Three technical fouls were called.

Navarro admitted it was not a "pretty" game.

"It was physical, and despite the fact we missed a lot of outside shots, we held on to get the win," Navarro said.

The Lakers went right to Gasol from the opening tip. He scored the game's first basket, a baseline jumper, and he notched his 10th point in six minutes to give the Lakers an early 18-12 lead.

Navarro took charge for Barcelona, scoring nine in the first quarter. He assisted Erazem Lorbek for a 3-pointer to tie it at 20, and a free throw by Mickeal gave the home team a one-point lead with 2:07 to play in the first.

Barcelona extended its lead to 30-26 in the opening minutes of the second, as the Lakers struggled to score with Gasol on the bench.

Rookie Devin Ebanks scored four straight points — a layup off a pass by Gasol and two more from the foul line after he rebounded his own free throw miss — to put the Lakers in front 37-36. But back-to-back 3-pointers by Navarro and Morris sent Barcelona into the break up 45-44.

The celebratory atmosphere did not stop the crowd from jeering the referees when they called a technical on Navarro for protesting a foul on Bryant, who converted the three free throws to put the Lakers in front 53-47 early in the third.

A steal and slam by Ron Artest capped a 17-4 run by the Lakers to take a 61-49 lead midway through the third. But Barcelona responded and outscored the visitors 18-7 to move ahead 68-67 before Gasol completed a three-point play to reclaim a two-point advantage heading into the final period.

A 3-pointer by Mickael put Barcelona ahead 84-78 with under three minutes to go.

The Lakers scraped back to within two points, but Navarro sealed the win from the free throw line.

Barcelona's Pete Mickeal Isn't Letting Exhibition Win Over Lakers Be Forgotten

The Lakers were one of the teams to pull international exhibition duty this season, and faced off against Euroleague champions Barcelona in a sort of homecoming for Pau Gasol on Thursday.

While both teams are just beginning to gear up for their respective regular seasons, the game clearly meant something, particularly for Barca. The Spanish squad, which features Ricky Rubio, Juan Carlos Navarro and Fran Vasquez, came back in the fourth quarter to secure a 92-88 win.

The star for Barcelona wasn't any of the above-mentioned names, though. It was Pete Mickeal, a former Cincinnati Bearcat with zero NBA appearances. Mickeal had a game-high 26 points, a team-high 13 rebounds and a game-high 7 assists.

And he's not letting the Lakers forget about it.

On his HoopsHype.com blog, Mickeal lays out why -- contrary to what Lakers coach Phil Jackson thinks -- he believes Barcelona could compete with the NBA teams over an 82-game schedule.

Kobe, obviously, has respect for FC Barcelona because he competed against us for 25 minutes. He didn't played team basketball, or passing the ball, he was playing too much one-on-one. Here it's kind of a different game. The NBA is a great, great League. But here in Europe there is good basketball too.

We had a little conversation on the court that went like this ...

Kobe said to me "Hey, this game might get you in the NBA," trying to be a smartass. "If you think that, then put your money where your mouth is," I replied. "I put my $10 million against your $100 million."

Mickeal also had some business for Ron Artest, who reportedly said "Pete who?" when asked pre-game how he'd defend Mickeal. But that business was left on the court, where this happened just minutes into the game

This may have been an exhibition for the Lakers, but Mickeal, at least, was gunned up for the game.
As to whether Barca could put away the Lakers when it matters: We may have an answer in a couple years. FIBA is trying to get Euroleague and the NBA to participate in its new World Club Championship, similar to soccer's FIFA Club World Cup, Champions League and roughly 700 other club tournaments.



LAKERS/CLIPPERS NOTEBOOK: Jackson worried about Bryant's condition

The Lakers hit the ground running Saturday.

Well, most of them anyway.

Kobe Bryant still isn't fit to practice every day after having offseason knee surgery.

Andrew Bynum still isn't ready to practice or play after his knee surgery. Luke Walton still isn't recovered from a hamstring injury.

Of the three, Lakers coach Phil Jackson sounded most concerned about Bryant, who played only six minutes in last Monday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in London and then 25 in a defeat against Regal FC Barcelona on Thursday in Spain.

"I didn't like the way he looked on the floor, personally," Jackson said of Bryant's play against Barcelona. "He wanted to be competitive and tried to keep the game competitive. He's decidedly not ready to play yet.

"He went out and made an effort, which is nice, but I'm going to have to talk to him about some of his progress as we go through this training camp. - Right now, he just doesn't have the power, just doesn't have the strength.

"I think he's doing OK, but he's going to have to find that strength and he will. Right now, obviously, he can't get his shot off (because he doesn't have the strength in his knee). - Kobe, we don't know how he's going to be ready when the season starts."

Bryant scored 15 points on 2-for-15 shooting against Barcelona on Thursday, when the Lakers squandered a 12-point lead in the second half and also were outplayed by the Euroleague champions.

Bryant and the Lakers have a little more than two weeks worth of practices plus six exhibition games to play before beginning their chase for a third consecutive NBA championship Oct. 26 against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center.

"Some of our guys are in pretty good condition, but not basketball condition," Jackson said.

"Just knowing the timing it takes to play the game, feeling the comfort zone and how to play basketball is something they're looking for. They're still getting their feet out on the ground."

Ron Artest agreed with Jackson.

"Practice, then the road, then back to practice, then jet lag, then the road, then practice, I don't know if we're in shape or we're not right now," Artest said. "It will take a couple of weeks to settle down and see where we are."

Ron being Ron

Artest talked at length about losing weight, saying he hoped to begin the season at 245 pounds, which would be down from the 260 he usually carries. He said he had stopped drinking alcohol over the summer, avoiding the carbohydrates in beer. He also revealed he had been drinking alcohol "since I was about 15 years old."
Artest said he hoped the weight loss would help ease his pursuit of standout forwards such as Denver's Carmelo Anthony and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant in the Western Conference. He said he would worry about the "big weight guy" later. Artest meant Le- Bron James, the Miami Heat's 250-pound forward.
"LeBron, he's not losing weight," Artest said, laughing.

Then out of nowhere, with his conversation with reporters apparently at an end, Artest smiled wickedly and added, "Even if they legalize marijuana (with a California ballot initiative Nov. 3), I won't be smoking marijuana."

Clippers make cuts

The Clippers trimmed their roster to 15 players, releasing free-agent rookie guards Jon Scheyer (Duke) and Stephen Dennis (Kutztown University) and veteran free-agent center Jake Voskuhl.

Scheyer played just 19 minutes over two of three games the team has played, missing all four shots he attempted. Dennis played 54 minutes over the three games, hitting five of 14 shots. Voskuhl played only at Golden State on Friday night, going 17 minutes and missing both of his shots.

The Clippers are scheduled for a two-hour practice this morning. They are scheduled to board a flight to Mexico City this afternoon, where they will take on the San Antonio Spurs Tuesday night.
The Clippers play their first preseason home game Thursday night at Staples Center against Denver.

FC Barcelona Bàsquet

FC Barcelona Bàsquet, is a Catalan professional basketball club. It is part of the FC Barcelona family and was founded on August 24, 1926. The club competes in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto (ACB) and the Euroleague. It has won seven of the last thirteen ACB championships and in 2003 completed a Liga ACB, Cup and Euroleague treble. FC Barcelona Bàsquet has played in 7 Euroleague finals, with the last being their 2010 win.

The team play their home games at Palau Blaugrana which was opened on October 23, 1971. They share the facilities with the roller hockey, futsal and handball teams.

Well-known players that have played with the team have included: Pau Gasol, Rony Seikaly, Marc Gasol, Anderson Varejão, Juan Carlos Navarro, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Dejan Bodiroga, Gregor Fučka, Ricky Rubio and Tony Massenburg.

History

Early years
The club entered its first competition in 1927, playing in the Campionat    de Catalunya de Basquetbol (Catalonian Basketball Championship). During these early years basketball in Catalonia was dominated by other clubs such as CE Europa, Laietà BC, CB Atlètic Gràcia and Identified by the defaecate of Société Patrie and it was not until the 1940s that FC Barcelona became established as a basketball team. During this decade they won six Copas del Generalísimo and were runners-up once. In 1956 they were founding members of the Spanish League and finished as runners-up. In 1959 they won the Spanish basketball's first-ever league and cup double.

Decline in the 1960s

The 1960s and 1970s saw the team in decline. In 1961 the club president Enric Llaudet dissolved the team in spite of its popularity. However, in 1962, the club was reformed after a campaign by the fans. In 1964 the league's Primera División was cut from fourteen teams to eight and the club found themselves in the Segunda División. However they quickly returned to the top division after being crowned Segunda champions in 1965. During the 1970s the club was persistently overshadowed by its rivals Real Madrid and Joventut.

Revival in the 1980s

In the 1980s club president Josep Lluís Nuñez gave the team his full support with the aim of making the club the best in Spain and Europe. His support produced results and during the decade inspired by their coach Aíto García Reneses and players like Epi, Andrés Jiménez, Sibilio, Audie Norris and Solozábal, the club won six Spanish League titles, five Copas del Rey, two European Cup Winners Cups, the Korac Cup and the World Championship. However the European Cup remained elusive. They were, however, runners-up in 1984.

Champions of Europe

The club built on this success during the 1990s, winning a further four Spanish League titles and two Copas del Rey. They were still unable to win the European Cup despite playing in a further four finals in 1990, 1991, 1996 and 1997. They also made a record six Final Four appearances. The star player during this era was Juan Antonio San Epifanio.

Their persistence eventually paid off and in 2003, inspired by Dejan Bodiroga, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Juan Carlos Navarro, they won the Euroleague, beating Benetton Treviso 76-65 in front of a packed Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona.

Sponsorship naming

From 2004 until 2007 the club was sponsored by the Winterthur Group, a Swiss insurance company with offices in Barcelona since 1910, which led to the team featuring the birthplace of Joan Gamper, the club's founder, on their shirts. In 2006 the Winterthur Group was taken over by AXA, leading to a change in the club name. In the 2008-09 season, the club's sponsorship changed to Spanish insurer Regal (a division of Liberty Seguros, the Spanish subsidiary of American insurer Liberty Mutual).

FC Barcelona Banca Catalana 1993–97
Winterthur FC Barcelona 2004–07
AXA FC Barcelona 2007–08
Regal FC Barcelona 2008–present


Home arenas

Sol de Baix Sports Complex (1926–40).
Les Corts Court (1940–71), located next to Les Corts football stadium.
Palau Sant Jordi (1990–92), after 1992 occasionally used for home games.
Palau Blaugrana (1971–90, 1992–present).

Players

See also: Category:FC Barcelona basketball players

Retired numbers

4 Andrés Jiménez, F, 1986–98
7 Nacho Solozábal, G, 1978–94
12 Roberto Dueñas, C, 1996–05
15 Juan Antonio San Epifanio, F, 1979–95

Roster

Depth Chart

Notable players

Matches against NBA teams