Saving for the future

January 3rd, 2008, 2:44 pm · 1 Comment · posted by KEVIN DING, OCREGISTER.COM

EL SEGUNDO — It has hardly been noticed by anyone, but Phil Jackson is making a concerted effort to be more careful about overusing his main players this season. So Kobe Bryant feels great 30 games into the season, saying after practice: “I feel good. I’m just trying to build my legs back and use these days here to do a lot of strength training. The groin’s good. I feel fine.”

Bryant has been enjoying the Lakers’ four days without a game, but more than that he has been enjoying playing 36.8 minutes per game this season compared to 40.8 last season.

Lamar Odom is down to 36.2 from 39.3 last season; Luke Walton is down to 24.5 from 33 last season. As injury prone as those guys are — remember how Jackson referred to Walton back in training camp as a “toilet-tissue” player? — it’s particularly important for the Lakers to be careful. Walton is hurt anyway these days with the 7,451st ankle sprain of his playing career, but the Lakers’ improved depth has allowed them to succeed even without him out there much.

As for that arm sleeve that Bryant continues to wear, I asked him if his right wrist is really still bothering him from the tumble he took late in the exhibition season.

“Not really,” he said. “I just wear it because I’m used to it.”

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