Fisher Can Finally Report Progress

Rather than coming along together, maybe Lakers Nos. 2 through 14 will straggle into the season one by one, a guard one night, a power forward in Dallas, Shaquille O’Neal on Friday, Robert Horry in, say, March.

On Sunday night, in a game the Houston Rockets stole in the three minutes Coach Phil Jackson rested Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher might have arrived.

After 38 reasonably sound minutes, most of them spent defending the elusive Steve Francis on one end, and shooting 15 times for a season-high 17 points -- including his first three-pointer in 10 days -- on the other, Fisher said he was pleased with his progress.

It’s the foot, of course. After two surgeries in two summers, it’s an afterthought and nothing more. So, Steve Francis one night becomes Steve Nash the next, and Tony Parker the next, and Fisher can compete again.

Even when his shot is not falling -- before Sunday he was shooting 29.2% from the floor, 21.4% from the arc -- he said, “That’s what I can hang my hat on. I can play a hard, complete ballgame.”

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The Olympic experience is the thing for Kobe Bryant, not the coach. So, while O’Neal mulls his place on an international team coached by someone other than Jackson -- and USA Basketball is leaning toward Larry Brown -- Bryant is undaunted.

“Me, I’ve always said I want to play in the Olympics,” he said. “I’d love to play in the Olympics. My plans don’t change either way. I’d love to have Phil be the coach, but Larry Brown’s a good coach. I respect him as a coach, always have.”

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In training camp, Jackson divides scouting duties for the other 28 teams among his assistants, and the Dallas Mavericks fell to Frank Hamblen.

So, asked about the Mavericks on Monday afternoon, Jackson shrugged.

“I haven’t watched them,” he said. “It’s Frank’s team. I told him we’d probably beat them, that’s just the way things are in the league. And he says we’ll be lucky to be within 30 points.”

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The Lakers do not expect Devean George (ankle tendinitis) or Mark Madsen (strained hamstring) to play on the two-game trip through Dallas and San Antonio.

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TONIGHT

at Dallas, 5:30, Channel 9

Site -- American Airlines Center

Radio -- KLAC-AM (570), KWKW-AM (1330)

Records -- Lakers 3-7, Mavericks 10-0.

Record vs. Mavericks (2001-02) -- 3-1.

Update -- In the past 11 years, the Lakers have won 39 of 43 games in the series, including 17 of 21 in Dallas.