Injuries, mediocrity keep starting lineup in flux

The starting lineup remains far from the final product, with Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher the only sure things amid a rash of injuries and ineffectiveness.

It’s so confusing that Coach Phil Jackson sounded like one of his favorite guys to quote, Yogi Berra, when asked who will start in the opener Tuesday against Houston.

“It’ll probably be the lineup I’ll probably start on Friday [in an exhibition],” he said, pausing. “But you can’t guarantee that I’ll guarantee that.”

The first unit will probably look something like Bryant, Fisher, Kwame Brown, Ronny Turiaf and Luke Walton, which might not be the best news for those five.

The starters have been badly outplayed in exhibition games, the latest proof coming Tuesday when the Utah Jazz stormed out to a 26-6 lead.

Lamar Odom is out at least the first few games, limiting Jackson’s options, but the battle at center between Brown, Andrew Bynum and Chris Mihm has been somewhat narrowed, Jackson said.

“I think ‘Drew’s shooting the ball well and averaging much more, but he’s playing a ton,” Jackson said.

“I think Kwame has had a couple good games. Chris has had one game where he’s played well. You could probably say right now Kwame and ‘Drew are pushing each other.”

As such, Mihm played power forward at practice Wednesday, perhaps a sign of where he’ll be fitting into the rotation.

To a man, the starters have struggled, including Bryant, who followed up a seven-turnover game Sunday against the Clippers with a four-for-16 shooting effort against Utah.

“I don’t know what to say to explain it. I really don’t,” Jackson said. “It just looked like his legs were dead. His shots were flat.”

Said Bryant: “You have off-games every once in a while. That’s what pre-season’s for, is kind of to get those kinks out. “

Walton grew up in San Diego and owns a home in Rancho Santa Fe, which has left him as attached as anybody to the news of the wildfires throughout San Diego County.

“The people staying in our house tried to get in [Wednesday] morning, but the National Guard was standing there with guns, saying, ‘No one’s allowed in yet,’ ” Walton said. “It’s hard to see that. There were also fires down in some of the poorer neighborhoods, where you’ve got to think some of those people must not have had fire insurance. A lot of families probably lost everything. It’s very sad, but hopefully we’ll start rebuilding and the city will be all right.”

Bryant appeared in numerous categories in the annual survey of NBA general managers.

In addition to being picked to finish third in MVP voting behind LeBron James and Tim Duncan, 11% of general managers would pick him to be the cornerstone of their franchise. James (59%) and Orlando center-forward Dwight Howard (15%) finished ahead of him.

Bryant was chosen the player that forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments, receiving 35% of the vote. Steve Nash received 15%.

Twenty-three percent of GMs said Bryant was the best on-ball defender, second only to San Antonio forward Bruce Bowen (46%).

Eighty-nine percent said they’d want Bryant taking the last shot in a game.

Finally, in the bigger picture, every GM thought the Phoenix Suns would win the Pacific Division.

Bryant hurt his right wrist after Jazz center Mehmet Okur struck him in Tuesday’s game. Bryant said Okur was “doing that European move where you stick your leg out when you take the shot and try to draw the foul. It came down on my wrist the wrong way.” . . . Jackson continues to use a cane four months after undergoing hip-replacement surgery. He declined to divulge when he would stop using it. “That’s my secret,” he said, smiling. “I’m not letting you know.”

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com