A CRASH COURSE IN ... NBA 101 FARMAR USED SUMMER LEAGUE TO IMPRESS LAKERS' STAFF.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

LONG BEACH - As Jordan Farmar followed Junior Harrington toward the Memphis bench in the final minute of a summer-league game, the Lakers might have wondered what happened to the kid who showed up in a suit for his pre-draft interview.

There were 59.6 seconds left in the July 11 game, with the score tied at 83-83 and play stopped while a Grizzlies player was treated for a cut. Harrington went to talk to Memphis coach Mitchell Anderson as Farmar tailed him to the sideline.

For the length of the stoppage, Farmar stood next to Harrington, listening in with those big ears of his and showing that he was unafraid to stick his nose where it did not belong on the court.

``I was just playing around, trying to make him uncomfortable, and act like I knew what was going on,'' Farmar said. ``I have no clue. Whatever they say, I don't know their calls anyway.''

Little wonder that Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis praised Farmar, the former UCLA and Taft High of Woodland Hills standout, for being a ``nasty competitor'' after the last game of summer league play Wednesday.

``He goes over there and listens,'' Rambis said. ``That's the smart, crafty little move that he did. I liked that. He has as much right to stand there as the opposing player.''

It was the most telling moment in an excellent summer league for Farmar, the Lakers' first-round draft pick, who led the team in scoring -- 16.1 points per game -- and played beyond his years the past two weeks in Long Beach.

He grasped the triangle offense so quickly that Rambis remarked after the first game that Farmar must have been studying it the last two years at UCLA. But Rambis' most telling comment came when he was asked if he thought Farmar looked 19 on the court.

``I just think he grew up having nothing but dreams and aspirations of playing in the NBA, being a point guard his entire life,'' Rambis said. ``He's got instincts and vision you just can't teach, somebody's had to grow up playing that way.

``He's just got to be able to do that and execute that style of ball with those capabilities against bigger, stronger people. That's going to be his adjustment coming to the NBA.''

Whether Farmar will be able to earn minutes next season remains to be seen. The Lakers have four ballhandling guards on the roster in Smush Parker, Shammond Williams, Sasha Vujacic and Farmar. They can activate only 12 players for each game.

But Farmar made a strong case that more can be expected out of a player taken near the end of the first round.

``I've got great confidence whenever the ball's in his hands,'' Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said, ``and I think overall, he's played better than a lot of people expected.''

UCLA coach Ben Howland, who took in Farmar's final two games at the Pyramid, called his former guard ``one of the brightest players I've ever coached.''

It was easy to see why. For having only a handful of practices under his belt, Farmar looked remarkably comfortable in the Lakers' offense. He played well with teen-age center Andrew Bynum, but also delivered when his team needed it.

When the Lakers put the ball in his hands, Farmar drove for a game-winning layup in the July 11 game against Memphis. In Wednesday's summer-league finale, Farmar saw a team struggling on offense without Bynum and promptly hit back-to-back 3-pointers.

``I would have liked to win every game,'' said Farmar, who missed one summer-league game with a groin injury. ``That's what I'm out here for. That's my job as a point guard and a leader.''

The two 3-pointers were a welcome sight, coming in the one area with which Farmar struggled in the summer league. He went 6 for 23 (26 percent) beyond the arc, a couple of which were half-court heaves at the end of quarters.

Farmar said he still was getting used to the new synthetic NBA ball, as well as the shots he will get out of the offense. He passed on a couple of open shots at times, though Kupchak said he was not concerned with Farmar's shooting.

``He's got good form and he's got a good release,'' Kupchak said. ``There's no reason why he can't be a really good shooter.''

On the other hand, Farmar did shoot better than 63 percent from inside the 3-point arc, showcasing an ability to hit floaters along the baseline as well as get to the basket for layups.

For the rest of the summer, Farmar plans on attending a clinic in Maine and working out in preparation for training camp. He will pick up as much of the triangle as possible and try to improve his strength and quickness to be a better defender.

``I just work on my game,'' Farmar said, ``and make sure that if my chance is given, that I'll be ready.''

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Mihn to undergo surgery on ankle

Lakers center Chris Mihm will undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to remove scar tissue in his right ankle. Mihm still is recovering from a severe sprain of the ankle he suffered in a March 12 game against Seattle.

He is expected to wear a protective boot for two to three weeks and will be able to play again in four to sixweeks. The team said Mihm is expected to be fully recovered by the start of training camp in October.

``It never fully healed,'' Lakers spokesman John Black said of Mihm's ankle, ``and the problem that's causing him pain right now is the buildup of scar tissue.''

Mihm started 56 games last season and averaged a career-best 10.2 points per game. He missed a month with the injury before returning for the Lakers' final regular-season game against the Hornets. But he was unable to recover enough to play in the playoffs.

He will be the third Lakers player to undergo surgery in a 12-day period. Kobe Bryant had right knee surgery last Saturday and Brian Cook had his right thumb operated on Monday after dislocating it in a pickup basketball game.

- Ross Siler

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(color) Former UCLA and Taft High star Jordan Farmar led the Lakers' summer league team in scoring, averaging 16.1points per game, while showing a firm grasp of the triangle offense.

Noah Graham/Getty Images

Box:

Mihm to undergo surgery on ankle (see text)