With Long Road Ahead, Every Win Is Meaningful

The recent rash of road victories, while important to the Lakers now, could ultimately mean something in the grander scheme of playoff visions.

The Lakers’ top-heavy schedule -- 29 of their first 49 games are on the road -- eventually becomes breezy with 10 of their last 13 regular-season games in Staples Center.

Road victories collected in December and January will be a factor in determining if the Lakers get to play past April.

“In the process of looking at the schedule when it comes out in July, I was concerned for the first 2 1/2 months of the road, actually until the All-Star game basically,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “Then at the end of the season, if we can be at a place where we can win at home, we’re playing well, we don’t have injuries, then things can happen for us. We know that.”

The Lakers, 4-1 on a road swing that concludes tonight in Memphis, haven’t lost only one game in a long trip since going 4-1 on one in February 2002.

“I think there’s a sense of urgency for our team,” Jackson said. “They looked at the record after a dismal homestand where we went 2-3. We were like, ‘We’ve got to win some games on this road trip.’ ”

*

Kwame Brown, who made all six of his shots while playing center in the Lakers’ victory over Dallas on Monday, might have more of a future as Chris Mihm’s backup than as the team’s starting power forward.

“They struggle a little bit playing [together],” Jackson said of Mihm and Brown. “They’re both running on top of each other.”

With Brown’s return, rookie center Andrew Bynum’s time was reduced to no minutes in the last two games. Bynum still could be sent down to the Development League at some point.

“It still has to be an option,” Jackson said.

*

Chucky Atkins, a Laker for a season until the Brown trade came along, is frustrated with a lack of playing time as a Washington Wizard and wants to be traded. He averaged a career-best 13.6 points last season but has averaged 5.6 points as a backup to All-Star Gilbert Arenas. “All I know is that ... possible moves will be made. I just hope I’m one of them,” Atkins told the Washington Times. ... Jackson, who has criticized the cities of Sacramento and San Antonio, noted some hollowed-out buildings in Memphis and compared it to “Dresden after the war.”

*

TONIGHT

at Memphis, 5 PST, Channel 9

Site -- FedEx Forum.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 11-10; Grizzlies 13-7.

Record vs. Grizzlies -- 0-1.

Update -- The Lakers have dropped their last four games against the Grizzlies, including an 85-73 loss last month that Jackson labeled “pathetic.” The Grizzlies remain one of the Western Conference’s biggest surprises, although they are coming off consecutive losses to Indiana and Dallas.