Derek Fisher

In hopes that he won't feel constricted with the extra clothing, Lakers guard Ramon Sessions plans to play Sunday against Oklahoma City without a protective pad along his sprained left shoulder. "It feels better not having it on," Sessions said. "It irritates you a little bit, but it also protects you. I'm going to try it tonight before we get into the playoffs to see how it feels without it. " Sessions said his sprained shoulder doesn't feel as sore as when the Lakers defeated the Clippers, 113-108, on April 4. He's also planning to keep the padding and additional undershirt handy in case the shoulder worsens against the Thunder.

This is the 11th in a series of posts grading the Lakers on the 2011-12 season. Player: Jordan Hill How he performed: 4.7 points on 46.7% shooting and 4.4 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game in the regular season; 4.8 points on 43.4% shooting from the field and 6.3 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game in the post-season. The good: The moment Hill stepped on the court, many Laker fans surely thought Mike Brownwas just needlessly shuffling his rotation again.

1. Speedy and playmaking point guard. Here's a recipe. Add Derek Fisher's declining speed, sprinkle in inconsistent shooting from both Fisher and Steve Blake and mix in the backcourt's inconsistent playmaking. What comes out hardly looks pretty. The Lakers, according to Hoopstats.com , feature the league's least efficient point-guard tandem. Break it down further: The Lakers' backcourt ranks last in points per game (12.1), 27th in assists (6.1) and 23rd in shooting percentage (40%)

The meeting between Coach Mike Brown and All-Star guard Kobe Bryant would mark an important breakthrough in defining their relationship. Bryant had remained quiet about Brown's hire as Phil Jackson's replacement since the front office didn't alert him beforehand. Brown arrived in Los Angeles to a throng of skeptics, and he needed to make sure Bryant wasn't one of them. And the meeting, set at a golf course in Orange County, reconfirmed what drives Bryant in his 16th season as he stressed the desire to win a sixth NBA title.

So, the Thunder want to force Kobe Bryant out of his game. Oklahoma City will double and triple team him to limit his dominance. The Thunder hopes the strategy will force him into a role as facilitator. The brash and aggressive combination of James Harden and Thabo Sefolosha try to goad the Lakers' star into needlessly throwing up shots. Oh, it works sometimes. Only three days ago, Bryant's fourth-quarter disappearance gave the Thunder a second victory in the Western Conference best-of-seven semifinal series.

In less than a week, Derek Fisher went from leading the Lakers locker room to suddenly looking for work. The Houston Rocketsofficially waived him Monday, four days after the Lakers traded Fisher and a first-round pick for Jordan Hill. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, Fisher can sign with any team except for the Lakers once he clears waivers Wednesday. A statement released through his business manager Sunday evening indicated Fisher reached a buyout with the Rockets partly because "Derek's desire to win a sixth championship is what drives him and will continue to drive him as he moves forward.

A statement released by Derek Fisher's business manager suggested the Houston Rockets bought out his contract partly out of his hope to play on a championship-contending team. "After much discussion and expressing their desire to welcome Derek to their team this season as well as the 2012-2013 season, the Houston Rockets and Derek have negotiated a buyout," said Jamie Wior, Fisher's business manager. "Derek's desire to win a sixth championship is what drives him and will continue to drive him as he moves forward.

Former Lakers guard and captain Derek Fisher was on Oklahoma City's active roster, meaning he was going to suit up and be able to play for the Thunder in the game against the Clippers Wednesday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Fisher admitted that he was “surprised” by the Lakers trading him to the Houston Rockets last Thursday after winning five NBA championships with L.A. Fisher was able to get a buyout from the Rockets, which opened the door for the 6-2 guard to sign with the Thunder Wednesday after he cleared waivers.

The Lakers lameted Derek Fisher's inconsistent shooting. But they marveled at his clutch shots. They fretted over his inability to stop young and quick point guards. But they admired his willingness to make key deflections and take key charges. Fisher hardly matched Kobe Bryant's talent. But he nearly matched his work ethic and toughness. And the list goes on and on. That's why it shouldn't be surprising Laker fans remain in what appears to be a state of contradictions.

No, no, no! The Lakers wanted a Finals with characters, like Mickey Mouse, Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy, not character, although they were getting more than they bargained for, at least for three games plus 47 minutes and 56 seconds. At that point, Derek Fisher buried a three-pointer to send Game 4 into overtime, where the Lakers proceeded to beat the Orlando Magic, 99-91, on Thursday night, taking a 3-1 lead in the series that seemed about to be tied.