By Roland Lazenby - SportsHubLA

Tex Winter has had high praise for Jordan Farmar this season, although the Lakers consultant like many other observers had noted Farmar’s performances had lost their sheen in January.

Then came the infamous nine-game, 15-day Lakers road trip, and Farmar started hitting big shots again and playing the role of a push guard off the bench.

“He had dropped off there for a while,” Winter said. “He’s getting better, finding his way.”

It’s not easy, Farmar admitted in a recent conversation.

Adjusting to the triangle offense remains a challenge, especially for a young point guard. In other offenses, the point is charged with doing lots of things, most of them involving being aggressive.

In the triangle, less becomes more, although it’s hard for a young guard to see it that way.

“Yeah, that’s the toughest thing for me,” Farmar replied when asked about having to do less as a point guard in the triangle. “I’m still struggling with it every day.”

So much of the transition to playing point in the triangle is attitude, and despite any struggles adjusting, it’s clear Farmar has a 24-carat attitude.

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But unlike Phil Connors’ adventures in Puxatawney, there’s nothing particularly hilarious about Mihm continuing to wake up on an operating table. Hopefully, today’s successful operation on his right heel can put to rest a never ending string of foot related problems. To say the least, it’s been a trying season for the center.

Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky - Los Angeles Times

El SEGUNDO – Los Angeles Lakers center Chris Mihm underwent successful surgery today to remove a screw from his right heel, it was announced today.

The 30 minute procedure was performed by Dr. Bert Mandelbaum of the Santa Monica Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Group. Mihm’s recovery time is expected to be approximately six weeks.

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By Scott Boeck, USA TODAY

Kobe Bryant is all smiles as he heads to The Big Easy for NBA All-Star Weekend.

The reigning All-Star Game MVP is playing for a contender — the Los Angeles Lakers (34-17) were in the fifth playoff spot in the Western Conference going into Wednesday — and is battling for his third consecutive scoring title, averaging 28.0 points to trail the Cleveland’s LeBron James, who averages 30.1.

“It’s going well,” Bryant said of his team’s first half. “We’re playing extremely well.”

Yes, all is good in Lakerland.

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Game Info: 5:00 pm PST
TV: KCAL 5:00 pm PST

By MIKE VOTTA, STATS Senior Writer

Thanks in part to Pau Gasol, the Los Angeles Lakers’ current road trip couldn’t be going much better.

The Lakers and their new center will wrap up a nine-game trip on Wednesday when they visit the stumbling Minnesota Timberwolves.

Los Angeles (34-17) beat Charlotte 106-97 on Monday, going 6-2 against Eastern Conference teams on its trek. The win was the Lakers’ third straight, and fourth in five games with Gasol in the lineup.

The Lakers have not played at home since a 120-109 win over New York on Jan. 29, and are 17-10 on the road.

“We have one more game before we can say anything about this trip,” coach Phil Jackson said. “Fortunately, we have gotten a few under our belt, and now we are down to one game and we want to get that one to go home on.”

Gasol, acquired Feb. 1 in a trade with Memphis, has averaged 20.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in his five games with the Lakers. He had 26 points against the Bobcats, his second-best scoring effort with his new team behind a 30-point performance in a 117-113 win at Orlando on Friday.

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By Mike Waldner - Daily Breeze

A group of veteran observers - reporters, broadcasters, stats people in various sizes and shapes, and others - gather in Staples Center on nights when the Lakers play.

Their meeting place is a round table. So it was that one of the members, Lawrence, I think, has taken to calling the group, “The Round Table.”

Not exactly. But it works.

At the start of the NBA season, confidence did not run high among the group for the Lakers. After Kobe Bryant’s summer of discontent, some questioned the ability of what appeared a dysfunctional team and organization to qualify for the playoffs.

Mitch, a senior observer of the Lakers not named Kupchak, counseled, as he always does, patience, and, as he also always does, reminded one and all that many things will happen during six months of basketball.

If memory is correct, John, the senior numbers guy, having witnessed the unexpected twists and turns of so many seasons, nodded in agreement.

Those who understand the expect-the-unexpected theory were not surprised at the by-itself-surprising growth of Andrew Bynum, which played a major role in the Lakers having a surprising head of steam as they entered 2008.

Then Bynum went down with a knee injury on Jan.13 and the Lakers won but three of eight games during the rest of the month.

Now gloom and doom and even no playoffs was predicted.

It did not help that Jan. 31 was the start of a nine-game road trip.

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