Jackson's lineup for opener? It's a secret

Is the Lakers' rotation set yet?

"Um, not even close," Derek Fisher said, smiling.

That's because the Mad Scientist, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, still is in his laboratory tinkering with his formulas.

The team has played eight exhibition games and yet nothing is definitive.

The Lakers open the season tonight at Staples Center against the Portland Trail Blazers, and Monday, Jackson still wasn't forthcoming about his starting lineup.

"No, I won't say I've settled," Jackson said, "but I have a good idea, a real good idea."

With Jackson, it's never good to assume, but the assumption is that Vladimir Radmanovic will start at small forward alongside Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant. The other assumption is that Lamar Odom will come off the bench.

After all, Radmanovic started the last six exhibition games and his outside shooting forces teams to extend their defense.

So, he was asked, does he expect to start tonight?

"Well, I haven't been told differently," Radmanovic said . "I'm expecting to start."

But he also knows Jackson could change the startling lineup during the season.

"I'll try to play good so it doesn't happen," Radmanovic said. "If it happens, I guess somebody else will try to play good to keep it.

"It's good to have competition on your own team. It makes you better. We play hard each and every practice and as long as we have that, we're going to be a better team. We have a lot of guys who can play and whoever is out there on the court will contribute."

Of the 587 NBA regular-season games in which Odom has played during his nine-year career, he has come off the bench only 14 times. Last season he played in 77 regular-season games, all as a starter.

Odom has a new role, something he has warmed up to after initially disliking the concept of being the sixth man.

"All I can do is go play, man," said Odom, who is in the final year of a contract that pays him $11.4 million this season. "Worrying about anything else is just a waste of time. I know I can play.

"I think we're past the point right now of beating each other out for the spot. Our goal is to compete to make each other better."

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Defense is key

The Lakers came to training camp with a different mind-set, something that was established by Jackson. There was more emphasis on defense.

"We realize that it's an area that all championship teams are very good in and have been tops in the league in the past," Fisher said.