Unfortunately, Jackson will be traveling light

When the Lakers were in the midst of the surprising start that would carry them to 26-11, Coach Phil Jackson looked at the upcoming nine-game trip as the test of his young team.

Now with Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza already out and Luke Walton leaving Tuesday night’s game because of a bruised hip, Jackson is just hoping to get through it.

“I was looking forward to this trip as one in which the team would unify and build the kind of resolve you need for the playoffs, just because you’re out on the road a lot,” Jackson said before the game.

“We’ll see how we do. It’ll be interesting. I’m curious.”

Before Walt Frazier became the New York Knicks great who was known as “Clyde” and is now their color commentator, he was a young player, rooming with another young Knick, Jackson.

“I think of him as a roommate, reading the dictionary, more than anything else,” Jackson said, “trying to learn words. Now he’s a wordsmith.”

Knicks Coach Isiah Thomas on how to defend against Kobe Bryant:

“A lot of prayers and a lot of luck. He and LeBron [James] are two guys, you can design defenses to do a lot of different things, but both of those guys are good enough that on any given night, they can have a 40-point night. For sure, one is capable of having an 80-point night.”

The Lakers are not expected to be a player in a trade for New Jersey’s Jason Kidd, a source said.

The Nets, with a 19-26 record, reportedly are shopping Kidd, who is indisputably ready to go, having said, “It’s time to move on.”

Bryant, who once pushed for a Bynum-Kidd trade, isn’t going that far anymore. Jackson is thought to be skeptical about bringing in the 34-year-old point guard.

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mark.heisler@latimes.com