10/9: Training Camp Reports - Day 10

Janis Carr of the Orange County Register Blog wrote:Center Chris Mihm only played 14 minutes in Tuesday’s exhibition loss to Utah, but it might have been the best 14 minutes he has spent in two years.

Mihm has been sidelined for most of the past two seasons because a right ankle injury and subsequent surgeries. He missed the entire 2006-07 season and played in just 23 regular-season games and five playoff games last season.

But Tuesday night beat any of those games.

“For the first time in a long time, I felt like me,” he said. “It felt good. I worked really hard the last two years to overcome a lot with my ankle.

“I am 100 percent healthy, probably at the stage where I was pre-ankle injury. I can play, throw on a shoe, do everything without thinking about it. Knock on wood.”

therealdeal wrote:If thats what he calls 100% then I think the Mihm deal may be done. Good for him he feels better now, but he's done and 3rd fiddle is the best he's every going to be ever again...

JSM wrote:

therealdeal wrote:If thats what he calls 100% then I think the Mihm deal may be done. Good for him he feels better now, but he's done and 3rd fiddle is the best he's every going to be ever again...

Watching Tuesday night's game, I was thinking the same thing. I'll give him a little more time, since that was the first game and there's bound to be some rust for everyone to shake off. But that wasn't exactly the start I was expecting after hearing him say how much better he was feeling, that he was finally back to his old self, etc.

Elliott Teaford of the LA Daily News Blog wrote:Phil Jackson made the trip to Fresno after missing Tuesday's exhibition opener in Anaheim because of swelling and soreness in his lower legs. The cause of the ailment remains something of a mystery, but Jackson arrived with the team for its game against the Clippers.

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register Blog wrote:Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are about to have their first date.

Phil Jackson said he’s determined to get a look at Bynum and Gasol playing together for the first time in the exhibition game tonight against the Clippers. He also indicated that Gasol’s surprise at starting at center in the exhibition opener Tuesday (and Bynum coming off the bench) was a Jackson mind game.

Jackson wanted to do something jarring because the tandem wasn’t doing well early in training camp.

“I thought they were a little bit lackadaisical to start with,” Jackson said. “I wanted to shake ‘me up a little bit the first game. And now we’ll see how they go. I’ll probably not start them that way (tonight), but they’ll play that way.”