They Won’t Make a Move Without Bryant

Kobe Bryant’s delayed return to action--what was once hoped to be a 10-game absence to heal his broken right hand is now projected to be 20 games or more--is complicating the Lakers’ thinking as they contemplate potential personnel moves.

How do they analyze their strengths and weaknesses heading into the heart of the season without having Bryant at full speed and fully integrated into the triangle offense perhaps until mid-December or later?

“We have to, as a team, assess what we’re going to be like with Kobe on the team without having him here . . . kind of look and see how good can we be once he’s back and increasing our team speed,” Coach Phil Jackson said.

“Right now, we can’t run. We’re not a good team running or fastbreaking. We’ve had most of our best games, the most consistent way we play is to slow the game down, come down and be precise with our offense.

“With Kobe, it’s going to change. But I don’t know how much. You can’t tell how much.”

Instead of making some big personnel decisions in mid-December, Jackson suggested, management will probably have to wait a few more weeks.

“We’re going to have to look at it after the New Year,” Jackson said.

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Guard Ron Harper’s 17-point outing against New Jersey on Friday was his third consecutive high-production game--he’s averaging 13.3 points over the three games after failing to score more than 10 points in the previous six.

Could Harper, who averaged better than 20 points in three previous seasons--but not since 1993-94--become a crucial third scoring threat, after Shaquille O’Neal and Glen Rice?

“I’m looking to do whatever it takes in games,” Harper said. “We need to have guys who know their jobs on this team. If it causes me to shoot the ball some and to find my shot more, then that’s the game plan.

“But I’m not trying to do something that I don’t know how to do.”