Phil Jackson pulled Smush Parker off of the scrap heap and made him a player. Parker averaged 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game last season…his first in LA. Parker was a longshot that made the Lakers roster and turned into a free-agent find. Parker will have to be a little more of a passer to truly thrive as a point guard in the NBA. Parker has averaged 8.5 points in his career with 2.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Parker does have quick hands on defense as he has averaged 1.2 steals per game in his career.

First round pick Jordan Farmar was a popular pick for the Lakers as he went to high school in LA and played college at UCLA. The Lakers hope that he can give them 10-15 minutes per game and provide defense from the position as his offense evolves.

The Lakers signed Shammond Williams as an insurance policy in case Farmar isn’t ready to contribute right off the bat. Williams has played in 295 games in his career and has averaged 6.1 points per game, 1.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Lakers starting center Kwame Brown will be out until late November after bruising his rotator cuff and having bursitis in his right shoulder. Chris Mihm, the back-up center, is still experiencing pain in his surgically repaired ankle. This could put second year player Andrew Bynum in the starting line-up which could spell trouble for the Lakers.

Phil Jackson returned to the Lakers last season and took a rag-tag bunch of players around Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom to the playoffs, proving once again how great of a coach that he is! Jackson has a record of 332-160 as the head coach of the Lakers. For his 15 year career, Jackson has a record of 877-353!

The Lakers took the Phoenix Suns to 7 games before bowing out of the first round. In Jackson’s 15 playoff appearances he’s compiled a record of 178-73!