Fans have some lineup suggestions

Readers’ questions for our Lakers beat reporter Broderick Turner.

Question: Hey, a couple of days ago I was watching some homemade DVDs that I made of some Lakers games from a couple of years ago or so -- from before Chris Mihm’s ankle injury, and it’s easy to forget that Mihm was really playing pretty well then -- easy to forget because the whole season is so easily forgotten and swept under the rug. But now here we are in 2008 with 2009 nearly upon us, and supposedly Mihm is healthy for the first time in a long time, but it’s Josh Powell picking up those minutes that go to a third center. So I have to wonder, and I have to ask, is Chris Mihm really that far gone that he can’t even back up [Andrew] Bynum and [Pau] Gasol in a third center role? He was pretty good. If there’s no way he could even get a shadow of his former self back, then what’s he still doing on the Lakers’ bench?

Scott Hansen

Phoenix

Answer: Well, first of all, Mihm still is on the Lakers’ bench because the team is paying him $2.5 million this season. I don’t think Lakers owner Jerry Buss would be willing to pay Mihm all that money to be sitting on the beach in Hawaii.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson has always liked having an abundance of big men on his teams. Jackson already has a nine-man rotation, and even that is hard on those players, who all want more playing time. Jackson has set his big-man rotation of Bynum, Gasol and Lamar Odom. Unfortunately for Mihm, he is the odd man out.

To Mihm’s credit, he has been a true professional and continues to work hard so that when his opportunity comes he’ll be ready. After the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics on Thursday, Mihm went to the weight room to work out. He hadn’t played and was disappointed -- again -- but that didn’t stop him from congratulating his teammates and working out nonetheless.

--

Q: I recently posted a blog suggesting that the Lakers change their starting lineup. Get Odom back to the starting unit, move Gasol back to the center position, and let Bynum come off the bench.

They were so effective last year, I can’t understand why Phil Jackson keeps on putting in two 7-footers to start the game even against an undersized frontcourt of the Miami Heat.

What’s your take on this? Thanks and regards,

Carlo Linga

Makati, Philippines

A: Well, I guess more minutes as a starter would give Odom more opportunities to miss more layups -- as if he doesn’t miss enough already.

If Bynum had continued to struggle as he did on the just-completed trip, it would not have surprised me if the Lakers had moved Odom back into the starting lineup. But truth be told, Gasol is not a center and Odom really is a willowy power forward. That would mean the Lakers would start two finesse players in the frontcourt. Yes, that did get them to the NBA Finals. But it also got the Lakers kicked in the teeth by a more physical Boston team.

Hey, maybe the Lakers could start Odom at small forward.

How about that?

--

Q: Can someone explain to me why Kobe [Bryant] is so reluctant to take the ball to the basket, especially when the game is on the line? The Lakers, especially Kobe, take (and miss) too many jump shots.

Is it feasible for the Lakers to trade Pau Gasol to the Timberwolves for Al Jefferson? One of the most glaring defensive deficiencies of the Lakers is their lack of toughness, especially in the middle. Pau is extremely talented, but he is really super-soft and the more rugged players in the NBA such as Kendrick Perkins of Boston don’t seem to respect him at all.

Simon

Rhode Island

A: Whoa! Bryant reluctant to take a shot -- from anywhere on the court, at any time? Never seen that happen.

It is true that Bryant appears to be taking more jump shots. But you have to remember, every team’s defense is designed to stop him, so teams clog the lane rather than let him drive. Actually, Bryant is smart in that he has developed such a devastating mid-range game. Plus, with the Lakers having two 7-footers in the lane in Gasol and Bynum, it’s really crowded near the hoop.

As for a Gasol-Al Jefferson trade? You can’t be serious. Gasol may not be known for his toughness, but he is a skilled player, far more than Jefferson, who is an undersized center at 6-10. He does have some skills and is a developing player, but Gasol fits with what the Lakers do.

--

Readers can e-mail their questions about the NBA and the Lakers to our beat reporters Mike Bresnahan and Broderick Turner, but please put Q&A; in the subject field.

E-mail:

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

broderick.turner@latimes.com