Stitches Out, but He’s Not in Yet

Phil Jackson said Monday afternoon that trainer Gary Vitti had decided against removing the stitches from Kobe Bryant’s right index finger, moments before Vitti said that, indeed, he had taken out the stitches and that he had told Jackson about it.

Previously dutiful, if not eager, in his dealings with reporters who cover the Lakers, Bryant did not speak publicly about his injury or state of mind for a third consecutive day, declining interviews through a team official after a morning workout at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Gary Payton and Rick Fox both spoke in terms of Bryant’s not playing again until after the All-Star break; the Lakers reconvene Feb. 17 for a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. But neither Jackson nor Vitti ruled out Bryant’s playing tonight against the Miami Heat or Wednesday night in Houston, although apparently Bryant has trouble extending and closing his finger.

Asked whether Bryant would play, Jackson said, “I doubt it. Possibilities are slim.”

Asked whether Bryant would wait through the weekend, he said, “I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going to happen with it.”

Bryant told the team it had taken nine or 10 stitches to close a wound he said he sustained in his garage on Jan. 29. Vitti estimated the damage at closer to 15 stitches. The Laker trainer also called the cut “a bad laceration,” said, “It’s very jagged,” and complimented the doctor who tied the sutures.

Upon inspection, Vitti found the wound did not travel straight up Bryant’s finger, but in an L shape, turning along the first joint line, farther from the fingertip than believed.

Bryant’s participation in the NBA All-Star game Sunday at Staples Center would appear to be in jeopardy. If he played before the All-Star break, the league would expect him to play Sunday.

Bryant’s recovery and plans remain vague.

“My understanding,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said, “is he’s going to try to play [tonight].”

Jackson had spoken Sunday of having difficulty interpreting Bryant, his legal schedule, his injuries and his illness. Bryant has four more court appearances scheduled for March, when the Lakers presumably will be trying to gather themselves for the postseason.

On Monday, Kupchak said that Bryant’s many side issues have complicated the season, but maintained a supportive tone.

“If the season, regarding Kobe, just had to deal with us working with him on his court dates and being flexible regarding his coming and going, we would have been OK,” Kupchak said. “It’s tougher than we anticipated, because we didn’t anticipate the injuries.

“Then, you factor in all of the additional injuries and disruptions [to other players]. None of this stuff was expected. So, it’s made the whole thing more of a challenge. You have a lot of moving parts going on at once.”

As for Bryant in particular, Kupchak said, “I can’t begin to think that anybody would be able to say this is where his head’s at today or how he’s feeling. There is no background for this.”

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Jackson said a change at power forward was “a strong possibility.” Luke Walton is the likely successor to Slava Medvedenko, whose early fouls have stressed the Laker bench, notably Horace Grant. Said Shaquille O’Neal of Walton: “We haven’t had a guy like him in a long time. He reminds me of a Jud Buechler that can play.”.... The Lakers signed guard Maurice Carter to a second 10-day contract. Because of the All-Star break, they’ll get only four games out of the 10 days.