Lakers might not take flight without their 'space cadet'

"Absolutely not," he said.

Laugh. Pause. Sigh.

Here we are in the NBA Finals, and Absolutely Not is guarding Absolutely Money.

Absolutely Not will have to defend the Boston Celtics' most explosive scorer and relentless attacker.

Absolutely Not must stop a guy who scored 41 points in a Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Vladimir Radmanovic must defend Paul Pierce.

With Lakers championship hopes perhaps riding on it.

Funny, huh?

"I don't joke about things like that," Radmanovic said after Tuesday's practice. "People joke about things like that, I punch them."

He slammed his left fist into his right hand.

Then he smiled.

Yeah, that's him, the most unknown, unpredictable and unexplainable of Lakers starters.

You know how coaches sometimes talk about their favorite players?

Jackson once called Radmanovic his "favorite Martian."

And he's guarding Paul Pierce?

You know how coaches are always talking about the importance of spacing?

Jackson once called Radmanovic a "space cadet."

And he's guarding Paul Pierce?

The coach has publicly, if not seriously, urged his erratically gifted forward to seek professional help.

"No one has been able to do anything with [his] head for a while," Jackson said. "Something is wrong with it."

And he's guarding, well, you know.

The most delicious part of it all is that Pierce's nickname is "the Truth" and he's being guarded by a guy whose most celebrated Lakers move has been a lie.

Radmanovic, you may remember, separated his shoulder during last season's All-Star break and initially said he fell on some Park City, Utah, ice.

Later he admitted that, in fact, he had been injured while snowboarding, an activity directly forbidden in his then-new five-year, $30.2-million contract.

Because the injury essentially ended his chances of being effective for the rest of the season, the Lakers could have sent him packing, but instead fined him $500,000 and subjected him to constant harassing from Jackson.

More than a year and a bunch of playoff wins later, the 6-foot-10 shooter has become an interesting addition to the starting lineup.

Sometimes he makes brilliant three-pointers (41% during the regular season) and sometimes he doesn't (37% in the playoffs)