Farmar pulls double duty

Several players have jumped from the Development League to the NBA.

But nobody has done it quite like Jordan Farmar, making the leap in the same day.

Farmar played a unique doubleheader Sunday, starting for the L.A. D-Fenders against the Anaheim Arsenal in the afternoon at Staples Center, then playing for the Lakers in the evening against the Sacramento Kings.

“It was fun,” said Farmar, who then conceded he was worn out.

No wonder. He warmed up with the D-Fenders, played nearly 41 minutes, switched uniforms, went back out on the court, warmed up again and then played just more than 7 1/2 minutes for the Lakers.

It would be easy to see his assignment to the D-Fenders as an ego-crushing step backward for a player who led the UCLA Bruins into the NCAA championship game a year ago and then became a first-round draft pick of the Lakers.

Farmar, however, chose to see it as a step forward, from the bench to the court.

His playing time on the Lakers cut to almost nothing since midseason, his brief appearances inconsistent at best, Farmar said he welcomed the Lakers’ decision to send him down to the D-Fenders for the first of possibly several games, seeing it as a positive step.

“It could be good for me,” he said. “It felt good to get out there. You can work all day at the practice facility, but it’s not the same.”

Farmar’s numbers for the D-Fenders were hardly exceptional.

In nearly 41 minutes, he scored 18 points in the team’s 109-101 loss, only the third highest total on his own team. He hit just five of 16 from the floor, but made all eight of his free throws. Farmar also had six assists along with three turnovers.

“He’s still not confident on that outside shot,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. “That’s one of the things that Jordan can do is hit the outside shot. That’s one of the areas [in which] we’d like to see him come back and get that confidence.”

Farmar said he was trying not to do too much.

“I didn’t want to take over the whole show,” he said. “I still wanted to be a playmaker.”

His new teammates appreciated it.

“He has a true feel for the triangle” offense, D-Fender center Nick Lewis said. “It’s different from learning it from a coach.”

Farmar had four points and four rebounds in the Lakers game.

“We want you at practice at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning,” Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak told Farmar after his second game, teasing him.

Try to find me, replied Farmar.

Times staff writer Mike Bresnahan contributed to this report.

steve.springer@latimes.com