LAKERS NOTEBOOK: ODOM AT `CRITICAL STAGE'.Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer MEMPHIS Memphis, city, ancient Egypt Memphis (mĕm`fĭs), ancient city of Egypt, capital of the Old Kingdom (c.3100–c.2258 B.C.), at the apex of the Nile delta and 12 mi (18 km) from Cairo. , Tenn. -- With four weeks having passed since Lamar Odom Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6 1979, in South Jamaica, Queens, New York) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward (also plays both forward spots and is a "point-forward") for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers. suffered a sprained knee ligament, Lakers coach Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an American professional basketball team. said Tuesday that he hoped to get his injured forward back before the end of January. The Lakers' initial timetable when Odom went down Dec. 12 with the injury to his medial collateral ligament The medial collateral ligament or MCL (or tibial collateral ligament) is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial or inner side of the joint. was that he would be out a minimum of four weeks. The Lakers have won eight of 14 ames without Odom. ``We're just watching him progress,'' Jackson said, ``and happy that we think he's going to be back inside of this month and that we can count on him to be back and help us when he gets back and at that time we'll rejoice in his return.'' Jackson has targeted the Lakers' three-day break between games from Jan.23-25 as a time for Odom to return to practicing with the team. The Lakers leave on an eight-game road trip beginning Jan. 30. Odom has started working out again on the court, with Jackson describing him as being at a ``critical stage'' in his recovery. For the most part, Odom has been shooting jumpers and doing light running. ``Now it's what happens,'' Jackson said. ``Does he recover on a daily basis? Does he get swelling? What's his strength?'' Jackson also said Odom will have to play with a brace on his right knee, a process that will take some adjustment in terms of negotiating screens and driving to the basket. Future plans: After so much was made about his 900th career victory, Jackson was asked if he thought he would coach long enough to win 1,000 games. His answer: ``Can you win 82 games next year?'' For now, Jackson will stick to the three-year time frame of the contract he signed in June 2005, and re-evaluate things on a season-to-season basis. Owner Jerry Buss Dr. Gerald Hatten “Jerry” Buss (born in 1934) is an American professional basketball team owner, former real estate developer, and poker player. Early life Raised near Kemmerer, Wyoming, Buss earned a B.S. said in October that Jackson could coach as long as he pleased. Jackson said the question he asks himself is: ``How well can I provide the energy that a coach has to provide to meet the team, and hopefully this team continues to grow?'' He also continues to recover from hip-replacement surgery, a process that includes regular therapy sessions with athletic performance coordinator Alex McKechnie. ``I'm better than I was last year by far,'' Jackson said. ``But I'm still in a situation where it's still work to get going and get up and down and get out there on the practice court.'' The Lakers would have to win 60-plus games this season and next for Jackson to reach 1,000. Lenny Wilkens Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens (born October 28 1937, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is an American former National Basketball Association player and coach, as well as the NBA's career leader in coaching win-loss totals. , Don Nelson, Pat Riley For the American guitarist, see . Patrick James "Pat" Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American National Basketball Association head coach and team president of the Miami Heat. , Larry Brown Larry Brown may refer to:
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