LAKERS NOTEBOOK: TURIAF EXPECTED TO SIGN TODAY.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

After everything he has gone through in returning from open heart surgery, Ronny Turiaf said he wouldn't be opposed to heading to the NBA Development League, as Lakers coach Phil Jackson suggested this weekend.

But Turiaf also hopes to prove Jackson wrong, that he doesn't need a trip to the Fort Worth (Texas) Flyers as part of his comeback. The 23-year-old forward is expected to officially sign with the Lakers today, according to his agent, Bouna Ndiaye.

``If coach decides that I'm not physically well enough to help this team and sends me to the D-League, that's where I'm going to go,'' said Turiaf, who stopped by the Lakers' locker room before Thursday's game.

``It's my job now as a professional to just show up here and show coach that I shouldn't go to the D-League, that I'm a good enough basketball player to help this team in any way possible.

``If that's the decision right now, that's going to be the decision. But I don't think (Jackson's) mind is that made up.''

Turiaf was asked if in some ways he might be a stronger player coming back from the heart surgery than he was before. Some of the workouts he did for the Lakers after being cleared by doctors to play last month were better than before June's NBA draft.

``I think I definitely appreciate the opportunity that I have a lot more,'' Turiaf said. ``It's a privilege to play basketball for a living. I think I might go even harder now. I know for a fact that I'm having way more fun than I ever had playing basketball right now.

``I'm just enjoying every single moment that I have, on the bench, talking to the guys, stuff that I used to never do.''

Turiaf played nine games with the CBA's Yakama (Wash.) Sun Kings as part of his comeback, averaging nearly 24 minutes per game. Jackson previously had said he anticipated Turiaf playing a 6- to 8-minute role in his first month with the Lakers.

``My job is going to be to play defense, to set some screens for (shooters), try to get those guys open, try to make things easy for those guys,'' Turiaf said. ``I'm not going to be a superstar on this team. I know that. Everything is clear. My job is to make their life easier.''

Ndiaye estimated that Turiaf's conditioning is about 85 or 90 percent. Jackson suggested Turiaf could head to the D-League when the Lakers leave on a seven-game road trip at the end of January. But Ndiaye said such an assignment was in no way guaranteed.

Turiaf said he did consider offers to play in Spain and Italy, noting that he could have celebrated his birthday last Friday with his mother. But Turiaf said the possibility of playing with the likes of Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom won out.

``When you have two of the best basketball players playing in this league on one team, you want to play with them,'' Turiaf said.

--Weighty issue: Jackson was asked about his impressions of Shaquille O'Neal, specifically that the Heat center might be overweight and out of shape coming back from a sprained ankle.

``I'm not going to weigh in on that one,'' Jackson said. ``I think that water's a little deep.

``But I think that Shaq measures himself against a season - I've always given him credit for that - and he knows what the end goal is. He's got a tremendous amount of pride and I anticipate that's the process that he's going through. He'll be there when the playoffs are going and he's going to be probably at his peak at that time.''

CAPTION(S):

Photo:

RONNY TURIAF

Second-round draft pick is expected to officiall y sign with the Lakers today, according to agent Bouna Ndiaye.