MILWAUKEE - In his unique and condescending way, Coach Phil Jackson questioned Kwame Brown's manhood Tuesday.
Brown has been out for almost three weeks with a strained right hamstring that was supposed to heal in two weeks.
He's on the six-game road trip but is not expected to play tonight in Toronto or Friday night in Chicago.
In fact, Jackson said, there is no timetable for Brown's return.
"I'm not putting pressure other than just call him (a sissy) every time I see him in the locker room," Jackson said.
Jackson walked into the locker room and pointed to a brown mink coat stashed on top of a coat rack.
"See, that's Kwame's," Jackson said, laughing derisively.
Brown also has a cyst on his right wrist that has become a problem. Brown said Craig Hodges, the Lakers' shooting coach, first noticed the injury.
"I just felt it the other day. It wasn't that big. It just started swelling," he said.
"The hamstring is feeling a lot better," he added. "That's the bright spot."
Smush, aka Sticky Fingers
Smush Parker entered Tuesday night's game 10th in the NBA in steals, getting 1.7 per game.
But his average moved up to 2.2 after he had a career-high seven steals against Milwaukee, an NBA season high and the most by a Laker since Eddie Jones had seven Dec. 29, 1996.
"Oh yeah, I'm a thief," Parker said, smiling. "I'm from Brooklyn, aka Crooklyn. You develop them hands growing up in New York City."
Parker also had 20 points on 8-for-17 shooting with four rebounds and four assists.
"He's played very well," Jackson said, adding that consistency from game to game is key for Parker; "maybe not the same scoring, but something comparable."
Rare Start for Vujacic
Because the Bucks started a three-guard lineup, Jackson put guard Sasha Vujacic into his lineup in place of power forward Brian Cook.
Jackson was asked if Vujacic, who had six points in 28 minutes, would start again on this road trip.
"No, it's too good to happen again," Jackson joked.
Jackson on a Roll
It was another city and another round of questions about expectations for the Lakers, and Jackson offered his thoughts.
"We're just out here kind of treading water as a basketball team right now," Jackson said. "We're neither hot nor cold, neither fish nor fowl ... We're not daunting as a team physically ...
"I expect this team to catch fire and start playing (good) basketball sometime around the New Year ... and have some strength at the end of the year."
http://www.pe.com/sports/breakout/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_lakers_notes_07.130a2401.html
Brown has been out for almost three weeks with a strained right hamstring that was supposed to heal in two weeks.
He's on the six-game road trip but is not expected to play tonight in Toronto or Friday night in Chicago.
In fact, Jackson said, there is no timetable for Brown's return.
"I'm not putting pressure other than just call him (a sissy) every time I see him in the locker room," Jackson said.
Jackson walked into the locker room and pointed to a brown mink coat stashed on top of a coat rack.
"See, that's Kwame's," Jackson said, laughing derisively.
Brown also has a cyst on his right wrist that has become a problem. Brown said Craig Hodges, the Lakers' shooting coach, first noticed the injury.
"I just felt it the other day. It wasn't that big. It just started swelling," he said.
"The hamstring is feeling a lot better," he added. "That's the bright spot."
Smush, aka Sticky Fingers
Smush Parker entered Tuesday night's game 10th in the NBA in steals, getting 1.7 per game.
But his average moved up to 2.2 after he had a career-high seven steals against Milwaukee, an NBA season high and the most by a Laker since Eddie Jones had seven Dec. 29, 1996.
"Oh yeah, I'm a thief," Parker said, smiling. "I'm from Brooklyn, aka Crooklyn. You develop them hands growing up in New York City."
Parker also had 20 points on 8-for-17 shooting with four rebounds and four assists.
"He's played very well," Jackson said, adding that consistency from game to game is key for Parker; "maybe not the same scoring, but something comparable."
Rare Start for Vujacic
Because the Bucks started a three-guard lineup, Jackson put guard Sasha Vujacic into his lineup in place of power forward Brian Cook.
Jackson was asked if Vujacic, who had six points in 28 minutes, would start again on this road trip.
"No, it's too good to happen again," Jackson joked.
Jackson on a Roll
It was another city and another round of questions about expectations for the Lakers, and Jackson offered his thoughts.
"We're just out here kind of treading water as a basketball team right now," Jackson said. "We're neither hot nor cold, neither fish nor fowl ... We're not daunting as a team physically ...
"I expect this team to catch fire and start playing (good) basketball sometime around the New Year ... and have some strength at the end of the year."
http://www.pe.com/sports/breakout/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_lakers_notes_07.130a2401.html
