Van Exel Returns in a Limited Role

Today marks the one-month anniversary of the last game Nick Van Exel played, and likely his first game back.

Though the Lakers are waiting to see how the right knee responds to his first full practice after arthroscopic surgery, a session of about 2 1/2 hours, all indications are that Van Exel will be activated in time for the matinee against the Vancouver Grizzlies. Shea Seals will likely return to the injured list.

“I’m real excited and anxious,” said Van Exel, who figures to back up Derek Fisher for a few games before regaining his starting job. “Hopefully, everything goes well.”

There is nothing to indicate that it won’t. His recovery from the operation, in which scar tissue and bone fragments were removed, has gone so well that the all-star point guard is ahead of schedule.

Whereas Van Exel was originally supposed to start full practices by early next week, he will now likely have played two games before the first workout would have taken place. The second of those two is Monday at Seattle, a huge game for the Lakers if they are to continue to put any kind of pressure on the SuperSonics for the Pacific Division lead.

He wasn’t brought back with the schedule in mind. But as long as he is back, the same schedule will be in mind.

“Even if it looks like he could play 30 [minutes] tomorrow, I don’t want to try it,” Coach Del Harris said after Saturday’s practice. “Because then I might not have him the next day. And there’s no reason to the way Fisher’s been going.”

Something in the area of 15 minutes seems more likely.

*

With Wednesday’s victory over the Trail Blazers, Harris became the only the fourth coach in Los Angeles Laker history with 200 wins, joining Pat Riley (533), Fred Schaus (315) and Bill Sharman (246). Harris then added one more the next night by beating the Clippers, putting him at 201-107 (65.3%). “The Lakers are a proud franchise,” he said. “For me to have my name in there with three all-time greats is an honor. And to get 200 in less than four years is very satisfying.” . . . Mario Bennett made it to Canada this time. When the Lakers came to Vancouver in January, he was left behind because he didn’t have a passport, resulting in the reserve forward being fined the $3,320 he would have made for the game. Bennett since got one.

TODAY

at Vancouver

* Noon

* Ch. 9

Site--General Motors Place.

Radio--KLAC (570).

Records--Lakers 44-18, Grizzlies 15-47.

Record vs. Grizzlies--2-0.

Update--The Lakers have won five in a row, their best run since the 11-0 start. In that time, they have outscored the opposition, 104-92, and outshot them, 48.1%-42.7%.