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Welcome, Kobe Bryant, to Lakers’ Era of Diminished Expectations

Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks on during an exhibition game against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 16.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
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It’s the start of a new season and the appearance of a new refrain from Lakers followers, with foam fingers crossed and hands wrapped around lucky Chick Hearn bobbleheads.

Please, please be better than last year.

It’s a bizarre way of thinking about a team that has won 10 championships and appeared in 16 NBA Finals since 1980, but it’s reality after last season, which was a depressing experience for a fan base not accustomed to 27 victories and 55 losses. And that was with Pau Gasol.

And so it went Monday when Kobe Bryant was asked by a reporter if the Lakers would make the playoffs, a departure from the usual queries about championship hopes and potentially long postseason marches.

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“I dunno,” Bryant said. “I’d say yes but you guys are going to debate it anyway so what the hell does it matter?”

Maybe he’s tired of all the questions about his health after he played only six games last season. TNT analyst Charles Barkley, never one to shy away from controversy or comedy, offered his thoughts Monday.

“I don’t know how many regular-season games he’s playing in, but he ain’t playing in no playoff games,” Barkley said, according to reports.

Score another one against the Lakers, who begin the season Tuesday against Houston at Staples Center as oddsmakers continue to turn their back on them. In just three weeks, the over-under line for Lakers victories this season dropped from 32 1/2 to 30 games, according to gambling site Bovada.

At least there’s a star-crossed story line in this game.

The Lakers vs. Dwight Howard actually took place four times last season after Howard left for Houston, but Bryant has yet to face him because of Bryant’s injury-torn 2013-14.

Bryant didn’t have much to say about the prospect, saying he wouldn’t change anything in his approach, but Lakers Coach Byron Scott was more chatty.

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“I’m sure [Howard] would love to play and beat the crap out of us,” Scott said. “From my outside perspective, Kobe’s a real serious guy. Wants to win championships. I don’t know if Dwight’s that serious about it. I know No. 24 is and I think that probably was the clash.”

On the side stage, there’s also Jeremy Lin vs. the Rockets, a matchup made when Houston dealt him to the Lakers in July to shed his $14.9-million salary this season. The trade was a go only because the Rockets included their first-round draft pick next June.

Lin lost his starting job with Houston but suddenly became a key part of the Lakers when they put to bed the sad narrative of Steve Nash last week.

He was declared out for this season because of recurring back problems after playing only 65 games his first two seasons with the Lakers, averaging 11.4 points and 6.4 assists. Nash, 40, cost them two first-round picks and two second-round picks. Plus $28 million in guaranteed salary over three years.

Nobody expected a full slate of games from Nash, but the Lakers’ point-guard depth became that much thinner.

Lin starts against his former team Tuesday, even though he missed time in the exhibition season because of two sprained ankles. It looks like his backup will be rookie Jordan Clarkson, 22, because veteran Ronnie Price is doubtful for the game after a collision in the exhibition finale caused a bone bruise in his right knee.

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There are other injuries, too, most notably Nick Young, sidelined a month because of a torn thumb ligament. Xavier Henry (knee), Ryan Kelly (hamstring) and Wayne Ellington (concussion) will also sit out Tuesday’s game.

What can the Lakers do, other than try to sound optimistic?

“Kobe’s going to be Kobe,” Scott said. “But we need everybody to step up. We need everybody to play and have, hopefully, their career bests.”

Etc.

Bryant won’t play as many minutes in the second night of back-to-back situations, Scott said, though he won’t reveal an exact number. The Lakers have two sets of back-to-backs this week, including Tuesday’s follow-up — Wednesday in Phoenix. . . . The Lakers are preparing a request for a disabled-player exception from the NBA, though it could take weeks to get it. If granted permission, they can use about half of Nash’s $9.7-million salary to sign a player by March 10, either via free agency ($4.85-million maximum), trade ($4.95-million maximum incoming salary) or waiver claim ($4.85-million maximum salary). Any player the Lakers acquired with the exception could sign only a one-year deal. The exception would expire if it remained unused and the Lakers somehow traded Nash to another team.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

Twitter: @Mike_Bresnahan

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Times correspondent Eric Pincus contributed to this report.

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