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Stakes High as Walton Steps In

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Maybe there’s a big-picture message at work here, life reminding us that when you put others first, rewards come to you.

There isn’t good news in the Lakerland medical report, but injuries to Kobe Bryant and Vladimir Radmanovic might wind up benefiting Luke Walton.

Bryant describes his surgically repaired knee as “ginger” and Radmanovic has had trouble because of a strained ligament in his shooting hand, developments that Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis says put “a damper on things.” (Between ginger and damper, the Lakers roster sounds better suited to hauling Santa’s sleigh than winning NBA games right now.)

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In either case, it probably means an increased role for Walton until both are at full strength. This is an important time in an important season for Walton, who isn’t quite sure where he’ll fit in this lineup or where he’ll be next year.

It’s doubtful Radmanovic would have left the Clippers to join the Lakers if he didn’t have reason to believe he would start in the small forward spot occupied by Walton late last year.

And it’s just as unlikely that Walton would ever make this a divisive issue. Not his style. He can address the same topics we hate to hear from athletes -- such as money and status -- and it just sounds different. He isn’t pushy or bossy. He’s not the type to make demands. It’s hard to even imagine him giving orders at a restaurant. He probably just looks at the waitress and asks, “What do you recommend?”

But he is a professional basketball player, and they all have two things in common: They want to play as much as possible and get paid as much as possible.

This is a contract year for Walton, who’s finishing up a two-year deal that will pay him $1.25 million this season. He might be laid back -- he was literally lying back on a chair as we talked -- but his pending free agency remains an issue.

“It definitely is,” Walton said. “Obviously, you’re supposed to play every year as hard as you can. I try to do that. But the thought of knowing that there’s a contract year coming up, there’s no way that’s not going to be in your head.

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“It’s not like I’m more motivated this year than I was last year. I love playing in the NBA. I make a very good amount of money. Really, I just want to win. That’s what I use as my motivation. I figure the rest will take care of itself.”

Walton will have more to do with how much the Lakers win than most people think. His understanding of the triangle offense and his ability to create scoring chances for his teammates comes into play when Bryant, the league’s top scorer last season, isn’t in the game.

When playing with Bryant, Walton’s ability to make the open shot will determine how much opponents can double-team Bryant. The jumper has been a weak spot in Walton’s game, and the three-point threat posed by Radmanovic is the reason he could claim Walton’s starting spot.

Walton started the final five games of the regular season. The Lakers won them all.

“I like to start,” Walton said. “I had a great time at the end of last season when I was starting. Now that I’ve done that and came off the bench, I definitely like that more, in the starting role. But if coach decides to go another way, I’m comfortable coming off the bench. I’ve been there before too. If it was up to me, I’d start. But I’m not going to sit around and pout if I don’t.”

He started in the playoff series against the Phoenix Suns -- and unlike some other Lakers he didn’t appear scared by the moment. Walton went down fighting with 16 points and five rebounds.

If you go back a couple of seasons, Walton was at the heart of the Lakers’ last victory in the NBA Finals. Phil Jackson threw him in during Game 2 against the Detroit Pistons, and Walton worked his way to eight assists, somehow keeping the Lakers involved in the game long enough for Shaquille O’Neal to get a late put-back and Bryant to make a last-second three-pointer to send the game into overtime.

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To Walton, the NBA postseason is like playing NCAA tournament games when he was at Arizona or state championship games when he went to University High School in San Diego.

“I just always love playing when all the pressure’s on, and knowing that it’s win-or-go-home type games,” Walton said. “Those are the most fun for me to play in.”

If you like the team aspect of the game, it’s fun to watch Walton as he spins through the lane and zips passes to teammates. It’s fun for the other players because he gets them the ball.

But the business side of the NBA is never too far away. And for Walton, this season will be one long job application.

J.A. Adande can be reached at j.a.adande@latimes.com. To read more by Adande, go to latimes.com/adandeblog.

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