Friday Insider

[Weez]

Lakers unsure of Kobe's status

By Terry Brown

NBA Insider

Friday, October 10

Updated: October 10

10:55 AM ET

Do we dare ask the question?

As a Lakers fan, as a Lakers hater, do we really want to see Kobe Bryant, one of the best players in the game today, taken away from the sport?

As a person, as a citizen, do we really want to see someone, anyone, lose their job and primary source of income before ever being legally convicted of anything, even if that thing is the rape of a 19-year-old?

As a teammate, a coach or owner, do the Lakers still want Kobe around?

"He could play on as a distraction to the Lakers, or he could liberate his teammates from carrying his burden this season," writes Selena Roberts in the New York Times. "No Bryant hecklers to endure on the road. No unknowns pending every Bryant court appearance. No questions on every nasty detail that emerges in the case. No guessing what mood will strike Bryant on the court. No supporting a teammate some hardly know."

But the NBA has made it very clear it will not take a stand as to the guilt or innocence of Bryant and went as so far as to defend his right to play the game.

"If every time someone was accused and there were allegations, they were required to stop their life, that wouldn't be a good thing," NBA commissioner David Stern recently told the Los Angeles Times. "That could be their choice, but they shouldn't be forced to" stop.

Whether he's on the court or in the court room, Kobe Bryant will be a distraction for the Lakers.

So the movement now, in some parts of the media, is to see if Bryant will force himself to stop. And, if not, how it will affect the Lakers.

"If there's one person who's not," Karl Malone told the Orange County Register when asked if he was thinking of Kobe's situation, "that'd be disappointing."

Head coach Phil Jackson acknowledges the preoccupation with the ongoing trial procedures but states that the Lakers can get through it.

"We've all kind of put that in a safe zone," Phil Jackson told the L.A. Times. "That's a safe spot over here. We're going to let that play out as it has to play itself out. Kobe comes back to us, then he'll join the team again, then he's a team member and we can go forward from there."

At least one teammate, and a vocal one at that, agreed.

"Everybody's going to call him," Gary Payton told the L.A. Times. "I'm going to call him, Karl's going to call him, we're going to wish him good luck. You've got to have faith."

Thursday, Bryant appeared in an Eagle Mountain court for a preliminary hearing that revealed shocking details of the allegations against him, while his teammates broke training camp in Hawaii and returned to the mainland without Bryant, just as they had arrived in camp a week or so earlier without Bryant.

"Kobe won't fall behind," Jackson said. "He knows what we're doing. He's on cue. His basketball is relatively close. The only thing I would think is there are some situations I wouldn't want him in right now, just because of the conditioning and the strength he's at. He could put himself in harm's way. But his timing's going to be back in 45 minutes of practicing with the players, and what we do he's going to be able to put together with his teammates in short order.

"The teamwork, the aspect of how to use each other's strengths and a significant part of how he's going to tandem play with Gary Payton, those things are going to take some time. It could take a month of the season for us to get together. But that's expected regardless of training camp."

With him, it is obvious what the Lakers get in return. Bryant averaged 30 points per game, seven boards and six assists while becoming one of the game's best defenders.

Without him, they lose the distractions and stinging questions as well as gaining the opportunity to see what Payton or Malone can do in a lineup featuring Shaquille O'Neal. Maybe there is such a thing as too much when it comes to four future hall of famers sharing one ball.

But owner Jerry Buss, biased as he may be as the Laker owner, believes there is something special that could still come out of the entire situation and obviously doesn't want to see Kobe walk away if he doesn't have to.

"I've been going to practice just to watch it," Buss told the L.A. Times. "I very seldom go to practice, but this team is different. Everyone wants to know what it's going to look like."

Bryant should sit for good of team

Selena Roberts / New York Times

Lakers Keep Balancing Bryant, Basketball

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

Malone already giving Bryant a key assist

Kevin Ding / Orange County Register

Remember Showtime? Well, It Could Be Back

J.A. Adande / Los Angeles Times

Peep Show

By Terry Brown

NBA Insider

Friday, October 10

Updated: October 10

12:28 PM ET

Cleveland Cavaliers: The first report card on LeBron James is in and coach Paul Silas was happy to sign it. "He's played the game the way it's supposed to be played," Silas said in the Medina Gazette. "He doesn't force anything. He's not really caught up in all the hoopla. He's not trying to show anybody he can go out and score at will. He just plays within himself. I thought the best part of his game was his passing and defense." James is averaging seven points, three boards and five assists in 28 minutes over two preseason games.

McKie

Philadelphia 76ers: Aaron McKie is big and bad this year and he owes it all to weights and yoga. "This year, I had all summer to get ready," he said in the Philly Inquirer. "I feel pretty good about things right now. For the most part, I've been feeling good physically." The versatile guard turned 31 in the offseason and plans on playing a lot longer in the NBA. "To the average person, if you mention yoga, they might be like, 'Aw, that's easy,' but it's tough," he said. "Once you start getting up there in age, you have to start doing things to work on your flexibility and your longevity. This is 10 years [in the NBA] for me now, so I have to start looking into those things."

Dallas Mavericks: The rest of the league can host training camps in Europe beginning in 2005 if they want but Dallas is staying put. "I'd prefer to stay right here," Don Nelson said in the Dallas Morning News. "We get everything done, and I like the guys staying at home when they can. You have a tendency to get in a little more trouble when you're on the road. And there's good wine over there. They might be sipping too much over there."

Seattle SuperSonics: Gary Payton is gone. In fact, almost every Sonic player he started with is gone. But owner Howard Schultz is still standing despite some negative feedback from fans. "You get a sense of the rawness of it that it surprises you," Schultz said in the Post-Intelligencer. "Maybe I shouldn't be surprised anymore, but there are times I still am surprised by how visceral it is. But people care so much about sports, and I knew that as a fan myself, but when you're a part of it like this, and you have the responsibility, it's daunting."

Orlando Magic: Two down, two to go. The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the Magic have waived Rick Apodaca and Derrick Dial to trim their roster to 17 players and may soon release Alton Ford and Britton Johnsen and/or Jeryl Sasser to get to 15 players.

Silas pleased with James

Rick Noland / Medina Gazette

Fortified by weights and yoga, McKie pronounces himself fit

Joe Juliano / Philadelphia Inquirer

Nelson not interested in training in Europe

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Schultz starts anew with Sonics

Danny O'Neil / Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Magic waive two guards

John Denton / Florida Today