AT SQUARE ONE LAKERS STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ENTERING SEASON'S 2ND HALF.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - Fifty games into the season, still trying to figure out what they will be, the Lakers have lived through everything imaginable - only to end up right back where they started.

More than four months since they convened for training camp in San Diego, the Lakers will start the second half trying to learn how to play in a new system with a new coach once again.

But the more things stay the same, the more they change, at least with this team, which traced a path from October to February unlike any other in franchise history.

It started with the publication of former coach Phil Jackson's tell-all book. Then Jackson emerged as the frontrunner - according to sources - to be the next Lakers coach, reuniting him with Kobe Bryant all over again.

Jackson's successor, Rudy Tomjanovich, resigned 43 games into the season, citing stress and exhaustion. Tomjanovich spent 34 years in the Houston Rockets organization but couldn't make it through one with the Lakers.

Bryant played the role of lead antagonist in feuds with Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal, culminating in a nationally televised Christmas showdown against O'Neal. The final score: Brick wall 1, Corvette 0.

And Bryant suffered the most serious injury of his career on the most mundane of plays, severely spraining his right ankle when he rose for a rebound Jan. 13 against Cleveland. He missed 14 games as a result.

All of which raises the question as the Lakers open the second half tonight against the Boston Celtics at Staples Center: How much can one team take?

``This league,'' forward Caron Butler said, ``it's brutal.''

Or as Lamar Odom put it, ``I guess this is the way it was meant to be.''

The answer will go further in determining whether the Lakers make the playoffs than the 19 of 32 games they will play on the road or the speed with which they adapt to interim coach Frank Hamblen's triangle offense.

``We've gone through all of this,'' Bryant said, ``and still managed to be in the playoff picture. It says a lot about us.''

Hamblen added: ``Trying to pick up the pieces, put them all together is strange and it's tough to do, but we're going to try to do it.''

Even in the best of times, bringing in 10 new players and a new coach would have resulted in growing pains. The Lakers went 26-24 in the first half and experienced more than their fair share of struggles.

``This is a group of guys just put together (whose) average age is (26),'' Odom said. ``I think sometimes we forget that, people forget that because of the uniform we have on.''

The first half was defined by Vlade Divac and Devean George's injuries, winning streaks that never could extend past two games, and a defense that gave up 100 points or more in half the Lakers' games.

It also featured stirring victories on the road against Sacramento and Minnesota, the beginnings of career-best years from Chris Mihm, Chucky Atkins and others, as well as the hope of pulling a surprise come April.

``We've had our ups and downs this season,'' Mihm said. ``But I'm happy with us on a lot of levels. We showed promise. If we can get this whole team healthy and together, I can tell that we're going to have a good second half.''

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said that with perfect health, ``I don't think there's any doubt we would probably have five or six more wins,'' which, in turn, would project to a 51-win season.

But the challenge will be just making the playoffs, though that also was the lone goal Kupchak stated for the season, to offer a reminder of the Lakers' expectations after trading O'Neal.

They head into the second half leading Minnesota by just a game for the eighth and final postseason spot. No NBA team has more games left to play on the road, in addition, than the Lakers.

``I think that's good for us because we're really going to see what we're made of,'' point guard Chucky Atkins said. ``If we're a playoff team, we're going to have to go out and win some big games on the road.''

The Lakers spent the first half learning Tomjanovich's offense, which relied heavily on the 3-point shot, only to switch the triangle this month with Hamblen taking over for the remainder of the season.

``The triangle's been very good to us,'' Kupchak said. ``I don't know how you can criticize it.

``Basketball players in general like to touch the ball and feel a part of the offense, and the triangle is designed so everybody gets to touch it.''

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

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(color) Lamar Odom and the Lakers have had to adjust to an injury to Kobe Bryant and two coaching regimes this season.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

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