Andrew Bynum takes another step in recovery from knee surgery
Another day of practice brought another day of progress for Andrew Bynum.
Even though the Lakers had what Coach Phil Jackson called an “aborted practice” Saturday because of a Christmas function the team had for local kids, Bynum was able to participate in a five-on-five, full-court scrimmage.
The 7-foot center, who still is recovering from right knee surgery, previously had been involved only in four-on-four, half-court sessions.
“He said he was tired, which is natural,” Jackson said. “That’s going to happen.”
Bynum, who didn’t talk to the media after practice, has said he’d like to be ready to play around Dec. 19 at Toronto, which would be the last of a six-game Lakers trip.
“He said there was just one moment where he had a little twinge,” Jackson said. “But other than that, he was OK.”
The Lakers will take Sunday off and will practice again Monday. It’ll give Bynum another chance to progress.
“We’re just watching him, analyzing how he goes through day to day,” Jackson said. “You really won’t know that until [Sunday], and he comes back and says, ‘There’s a little puffiness on the knee,’ or whatever. . . . Then you’re going to know he can absorb more and more training as we go along. His conditioning is kind of the issue right now and his timing, more than anything else.”
Gasol manages injury
Pau Gasol, who has a strained left hamstring, played nearly 27 minutes Friday against the Sacramento Kings and got through it OK, Jackson said.
Gasol didn’t practice Saturday and the Lakers don’t play again until Tuesday night, giving the All-Star 7-footer more time to rest.
“We’re still concerned,” Jackson said. “But it’s OK. He played under 30 minutes and that helps.”
Looking to recover
The Lakers are just about a quarter of the way through the 82-game regular season. They are 14-6 and, Jackson said, still trying to recover from a “setback after Thanksgiving.”
That’s when the Lakers went on a four-game losing streak that left them with the sixth-best record in the NBA and fourth in the Western Conference before Saturday’s games.
“Something happened to us that kind of, hopefully, woke us up and we get our act back together again and we go forward from here,” Jackson said. “It’s very important that we play good games on Tuesday [against the Washington Wizards] and Wednesday [against the Clippers]. Whether we win or not is not as important as we play well. But if you play well, you usually win.
“Then we hit a six-game road trip that’s really important. These are important times for us now. Things are starting to matter.”
Ratliff has setback
After running on an elliptical machine and an anti-gravity treadmill that reduces stress on the body, Lakers backup center Theo Ratliff had a setback.
Jackson said Ratliff, who is recovering from surgery that removed cartilage from his left knee, has some swelling in the knee Saturday. Ratliff backed off any activity.
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