Team Is Facing a Long March

The Lakers launch their most trying month today in Vancouver, where they play the first of 17 March games--nine on the road.

They set out with Kobe Bryant on two bad ankles, with the offense straining to keep up with him and a disinterested defense.

Otherwise, Shaquille O’Neal appears as strong and dynamic as ever, assuming he takes more than the six second-half shots he took Wednesday in Denver.

The concern, though, is Bryant, and if his ankles--the left is strained, the right is sprained--can help carry the Lakers into home-court advantage, and how they’ll feel in the playoffs.

“Both of my ankles feel pretty messed up right now,” said Bryant, who did not practice Friday. “But my elbow’s feeling a lot better. Shoulder’s pretty good. I was able to get a lot of arc on my shot in Denver.”

Laker Coach Phil Jackson said after Friday’s practice that he would limit Bryant’s minutes, particularly in back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday. But Jackson frequently gets caught up in the games and seems to forget those things.

In his first game back after sitting out six because of a strained right arch, O’Neal played 43 minutes. Bryant played 45 Wednesday after sitting out the previous three games.

Bryant looked out over the next month, laughed and said, “As if it weren’t challenging enough. There’s ways we can play around it, do what we have to take, because these are big ballgames for us. It’s a heavy month.”

*

Bryant, the button-down kid who has no tattoos and whose only regular jewelry was a silver watch designed by his fiancee, has added a diamond earring to his left lobe.

Said Bryant, wryly, “You guys want to talk about something interesting?”

The earring seemed interesting. Maybe a change of life at 22?

“What does it mean?” Bryant said. “It means I wanted to get an earring and I got an earring. You guys are unbelievable, man.”

*

Derek Fisher, who seems to get better with every 100-point game given up by the Lakers, scrimmaged Friday, three days before team officials had expected.

Fisher’s broken right foot must pass a final diagnosis in about a week before the club considers his return to game action.

While Fisher will bring defensive life to the Lakers, he alone isn’t enough to change their defensive conscience.

“No one is,” Jackson said. “This is a team defensive thing. That’s one of the things we keep talking about. When Shaq’s back, everybody just relaxes a little bit. When Shaq’s not there, everybody plays a little bit harder and our defense is better because of it. Suddenly it’s worse because we all assume. Guys don’t play as hard. We had to reconvene today about the defense.”

Bryant said he’d take any bit of relief Fisher would provide.

“He’ll help chase those guards around a little bit,” Bryant said. “Plus he’s so strong, guys can’t post him up as easily.”

*

Even if Isaiah “J.R.” Rider is capable of giving the Lakers consistent minutes and points down the stretch, it doesn’t appear Jackson is in the mood to drag them out of him. Rider’s minutes almost certainly will tail off when Fisher and Ron Harper return.

“That just has to be the way it is,” Jackson said. “You play to a team’s needs. You fulfill what the team has to have. [J.R.] knows that.”

*

The handful of reports that have Rod Strickland going to Portland have barely registered with Jackson, who seems unconcerned with the Trail Blazers getting a little deeper.

“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “Rod’s a very talented player, but there’s only one basketball when it’s said and done.”

TODAY

at Vancouver, 12:30 PST

Channel 9

* Site--General Motors Place

* Radio--KLAC-AM (570)

* Records--Lakers 37-19, Grizzlies 18-41.

* Record vs. Grizzlies--3-0.

* Update--The Grizzlies have lost five in a row. They’ve lost nine in a row against the Lakers and are 1-21 in the series.