LAKERS NOTEBOOK: DON'T EXPECT TO GET READ ON TEAM, FOR OPENERS.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - As far as opening nights go, Lakers coach Phil Jackson long ago lived through one of the worst. The memories came back to him Monday and he shared them with reporters, his message implicit about rushing to judgment too soon.

It was the home opener of the 1993-94 season and Jackson's Chicago Bulls were presented with their championship rings beforehand. The newly retired Michael Jordan was seated in the front row and the old Chicago Stadium was abuzz.

Then Jackson's Bulls went out and lost 95-71 to the Miami Heat, totaling 25 points by halftime and six in the second quarter. They didn't take back the rings from Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Co., but few would have objected that night.

``Everybody thought it was going to be a dismal season,'' Jackson said. ``I think we won 57 games that year and proved everybody wrong without Michael Jordan. There are openers that don't count for anything. It's just adjustments that have to be made and teams that have to step up.''

With that in mind, the Lakers will play their season opener tonight at Denver with Jackson advising that sometime around Thanksgiving - 10 games or so into things - he will have a true indication of how good his team will be.

The Bulls actually won 55 games in their first season without Jordan, but advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Expectations are similarly low 12 years later as Jackson returns to the Lakers after a season away, starting the climb back to respectability.

``It doesn't matter to me where we're ranked to start with. It matters when April comes and the playoffs start,'' center Chris Mihm said. ``I'm confident that we're going to be just fine this season. If we're underdogs this year, that's just fine with me.'

After eight preseason games, the Lakers also can gauge how far they have to go in mastering Jackson's triangle offense. Until they do, Kobe Bryant may be forced to shoulder most of the load on offense.

``I wouldn't use the word proficient,'' Bryant said. ``We can be efficient, sometimes. It comes and goes. It's in spurts. We're not good enough to go really deep into our offense, into our automatics. But we can do some things and do some things pretty well.''

Tonight's game will be a good measuring stick for the Lakers, playing a Denver team that went 32-8 last season with George Karl as coach and is a consensus pick to win the Northwest Division. The Lakers will play their home opener Thursday against Phoenix.

Jordan isn't expected courtside for tonight's game, and the Lakers always can take comfort in what happened in last season's opener. They blitzed Denver 89-78 at Staples Center, looking like a team that wouldn't miss Shaquille O'Neal at all.

Instead, they sat out the playoffs for the first time in 11 years and finished the season looking up at the Clippers in the Pacific Division standings. They hope to take the first step in changing things in the Mile High City.

``Don't take anything away from this team,'' Jackson said. ``It still will be fun.''

--Also: Guard Smush Parker is expected to start on opening night for the first time in his career. ... Former Laker Caron Butler signed a five-year, $46 million extension with Washington.

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LAKERS at DENVER

- Ross Siler