Lakers without Kobe

The law of the land in Hollywood is that the leading man gets all the glory. Rescues the girl. Saves the world. Hits the game-winning shot.

The Los Angeles Lakers are breaking this golden rule with All-Star guard Kobe Bryant still recovering from offseason knee surgery.

In Bryant's absence, a slew of sidekicks and role players have stepped into the spotlight and led the Lakers to a 2-0 start this season, covering the spread in both games.

The award for best supporting player goes to Lamar Odom, who in two games is averaging 28 points, 11 rebounds and more than seven assist. The 6-foot-10 versatile forward is a bit of a dramatic story himself, getting off to the best start of his career while dealing with the sudden death of his infant son in the offseason. The Lakers have depended on Odom to fill the huge hole in the offense left by the injured Bryant.

"Our guys weren`t getting into the offense, they weren`t providing a punch to how we want them to execute," Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis told the Los Angeles Times. "There was just too much standing around and waiting, and he (Odom) realized that."

Odom is not the only player on Los Angeles to step up on offense. Forwards Brian Cook, Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum and Ronny Tariaf have increased their scoring numbers in the first week of the schedule. This sudden outburst of offensive talent didn't catch oddsmakers off guard, who have been watching the team's chemistry grow since last season's playoff run when the Lakers bought into a team-first mentality.

"This issue can be traced back to last year's playoffs versus Phoenix," say bookmakers at Bodog.com. "The Suns expected Kobe Bryant to be the Lakers one-man scoring machine and barely got by Los Angeles in seven games as they were blindsided with the Lakers' teamwork on the court. Without Kobe thus far, the teamwork concept is taking another leap forward."

Los Angeles will bring its new-found philosophy back to the LA Staples Center tonight when it hosts the Seattle SuperSonics. The Lakers are sure to be home favorites for this game, but may get a bigger handicap than they deserve because of their quick start.

The team's two wins came against two of the NBA's worst defensive teams, in Phoenix Suns, who ranked 22nd (99.8 point against per game) and 28th (102.8 points against per game) in total defense last season. Tonight's foe, Seattle, was the worst defensive team in the NBA last year (105.6 points against per game) and is on the same track this season, giving up 110 points to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

"I just don`t know if there will be much line value with [the Lakers] because they`ll be at home against a fairly weak opponent," professional handicapper Scott Rickenbach says on betting tonight's game. "I wouldn`t necessarily say the Lakers` quick start is a fluke but it helps that they faced a weak Warriors team and they faced the Suns at home while they are going through transitions."

Lakers officials are pegging Bryant's debut tonight as a game-time decision and many skeptics believe his return to the court will disrupt the balance in the Lakers offense. The often-criticized shooting guard led the league in scoring last season (35.4 points per game) and took over 27 shots per game.

"If Kobe returns buying into the team concept and the Lakers show that they can consistently win, bettors won't be shy to jump on the L.A. bandwagon," say the Bodog.com bookmakers. "Regardless of who they play, we expect to see an increase in action on the Lakers once Kobe returns to the lineup."

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• Stars come out at Camp
• NBA considerations distant memory for pair of eager Cats

Kobe Bryant news:
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•Kobe Bryant Wins Scoring Title
•Kobe has most popular jersey in USA, China
•Bryant Proves the Best
•Wade beats Bryant for another Skills Challenge win
•Memorabilia Offered by Kobe Bryant and Upper Deck
•Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant Suspended
•Why did Kobe change to 24?
•Kobe Bryant: Won't Play This Week
•Kobe Bryant to Collab with Lil Wayne
•Lakers' Kobe Bryant ready for another run as NBA season nears
•Kobe Bryant Dunk Videos
•Kobe Bryant Videos
•Kobe Bryant Scores the Cover of NBA '07 for PlayStation
•Los Angeles Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant Scores the Cover of NBA '07

Los Angeles news:
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• Top 10 Most Valuable NBA Franchise
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• Lower back spasms from the court.
• Top 10 Los Angeles Restaurants.
• Top 10 Los Angeles Experiences

JR Pinnock news:
• Lakers sign JR Pinnock

Smush Parker news:
• Smush Parker Basketball Camp

Staples Center news:
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•Wild try to continue hot start in LA
•Hyundai Returns to X Games 13 Rally Car Racing
• Rumorville Eric Clapton to play the Staples Center
• Grady Brewer wins 'Contender 2' in a split decision over Steve Forbes
• Cirque comes the LA Staples Center

Phil Jackson news:
• Lakers coach Jackson fined US$25,000
• Phil Jackson to have hip surgery