LAKERS NOTEBOOK: JACKSON, BRYANT NOT TRAVELING FOR EXHIBITION.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO -- Six days after undergoing hip-replacement surgery, Lakers coach Phil Jackson wasted no time asserting himself as he sat through practice Monday.

While assistant coach Kurt Rambis wondered if the Lakers were ready to take on learning a new element of the triangle offense, Jackson ``shoved it right down their throats,'' Rambis said.

Jackson stopped by the Lakers' scrimmage Sunday night and returned for more than three-quarters of Monday's practice. He is still walking with a cane and needs to regain his stamina before returning to work full-time.

``Even from last night to this morning, he was spryer today and barking out commands to the guys,'' Rambis said. ``You can tell the itch is there with him. He's eager to get back.''

Jackson left Monday's practice before reporters were allowed into the gym.

Neither Jackson nor Kobe Bryant will be making the trip to Fresno for the Lakers' first exhibition game tonight against Utah. With the season opener in three weeks, the race might well be on between the two to see who gets back first.

Bryant will stay behind to continue strengthening his right knee. He has yet to practice but said he is on schedule to return before the Oct. 31 opener.

With Bryant and Jackson not in attendance, the featured attraction might be teenage center Andrew Bynum. The Lakers have stressed the need for Bynum to get game experience and the exhibition season affords him that opportunity.

With Chris Mihm sidelined as he recovers from ankle surgery, Bynum will be the primary backup to Kwame Brown at center. Bynum won't turn 19 until Oct. 27 but wants to prove he deserves a role as he enters his second season.

``We would love for him to go out there and play great and get as much time as possible,'' Rambis said. ``That would be good for him and good for us. But realistically, he's going to probably fail more than he's going to succeed when he gets playing time out there.''

The most Bynum has played in any NBA game, exhibition or regular-season, is 21 minutes. Rambis said he would wait to decide on a starting five and rotation pattern until today's flight.

The Lakers also hope Bryant's absence will help his teammates better learn how to run the offense without him. Too often last season, Rambis said, the Lakers would give the ball to Bryant and stop making cuts as they waited for him to shoot.

``We want to see the offense,'' Rambis said, ``and we want to see the team work together, and then Kobe just plug himself in so he can sustain himself for an entire season and be extremely fresh for the playoffs.''

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