Likely Lakers lineup: Brown out, Odom in

The Los Angeles Lakers likely will replace one big man with another Friday night.

Center Kwame Brown is doubtful against Minnesota, but Lamar Odom appears ready to make his season debut.

Kwame Brown sat out practice a second consecutive day Thursday in his recovery from bursitis in his right heel. He did not play in the Los Angeles Lakers' last game Tuesday and probably will need more time to recover.

Asked if Kwame Brown would sit out Friday, Coach Phil Jackson said: "More than likely."

Jackson isn't tipping his hand as to who will fill in for Kwame Brown. But the Los Angeles Lakers likely will put out a starting lineup of Odom, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Chris Mihm and Ronny Turiaf.

Odom came out OK after he absorbed contact on his left shoulder for a second consecutive day. He needs to be medically cleared to take the floor, but he talked as if that were a formality.

"I'm just going to get out there and run as hard as I can for as long as I can," Odom said. "It's been a long time since I played in a basketball game."

It would be the first time Kobe Bryant and Odom played together in a meaningful game in the Los Angeles Lakers' new up-tempo offense. Kobe Bryant is required to do more passing and ballhandling, which should free up Odom to be more active from the small forward position. Neither player expects too much adjustment in their new dynamic.

"That's no problem," Odom said. "From the first day of practice, I went backdoor, and he saw me and gave me an alley-oop. That's going to pick up like that."

Said Kobe Bryant: "It's a process. We have to build our rhythm back up. We're just plugging back into things. It will take a little bit of time, but we'll figure it out."

The 7-foot Mihm had eight points and six rebounds in 17 minutes Tuesday, his first start since March 12, 2006. Jackson is pleased with Mihm's progress after he missed all of last season to recover from right ankle surgeries.

"He's kind of broken through," Jackson said.

STATE OF KOBE

Kobe Bryant said he is "as close to 100 percent as I'm going to be." His right wrist is still stiff enough for him to wear a sleeve, and he has had nagging knee ailments.

As for his state of mind regarding his precarious status with the club, Kobe Bryant said he does not pay attention to what people try to read from his body language.

"People look way too deep into things," he said. "They should do the same thing I'm doing, which is focusing on what we're trying to accomplish here ... stop worrying about whether I crack a smile or not. I don't smile that much when I play anyway. I have a job to do."

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