Lakers' Farmar impresses with his solid improvement



HONOLULU -- An hour had barely passed after the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Javaris Crittenton when a player unexpectedly walked into the team training facility in El Segundo.

Jordan Farmar showed up for some late-night work, taking shot after shot after the Los Angeles Lakers had taken another point guard in the draft in June.

It wasn't a vote of no-confidence toward Jordan Farmar as much as it was a vote of no-position by the Los Angeles Lakers, who were thin at the ball-handling guard spot after free-agent-to-be Smush Parker tailed off badly in his second season with the team.

(Unforeseen events would unfold a few weeks later that would deliver Derek Fisher to the Los Angeles Lakers.)

Jordan Farmar's appearance that night at the team facility might have been coincidental -- he played it down when asked about it -- but, just the same, he had an active off-season in the gym and has been called the biggest surprise of the Los Angeles Lakers' training camp by some observers.

Coach Phil Jackson, never one to give a rookie too much praise, was kind toward the second-year guard.

"He's playing really well," he said. "I think his decisions are better. I think his shooting's better right now too."

Jordan Farmar did not shoot well while starting all five Los Angeles Lakers playoff games after Smush Parker's meltdown became complete, as he averaged 6.4 points and 1.6 assists, and made only 20% of his three-point attempts against Phoenix.

Jordan Farmar's numbers were negligible compared to the Suns' perennial All-Star point guard, Steve Nash, who averaged 16 points and 14 assists in the series.

Jordan Farmar, never one to be called insecure, was in over his head against Nash.

"He exuded confidence, but he wasn't making any shots, so there was something there going on that wasn't quite right," Jackson said. "If you have confidence when things are going right, then it's rewarded confidence, but he had nothing to be confident about, so this is a little better. He does believe in himself. That's good."

A year later, with a season's worth of the triangle offense stored up, the former UCLA standout appears to be more settled.

"I don't need to impress the coaching staff," Jordan Farmar said. "I'm not trying to make every shot so that they see I can shoot. I'm not trying to show them what I can do, really. My game's just speaking for itself. I'm comfortable. I can rest easier at night. I don't have so much to worry about."

Forward Ronny Turiaf has a sore right knee and will have an MRI exam today. . . . Jackson has never been a fan of exhibition games. Thus, his response to what he hopes to see Tuesday and Thursday against Golden State: "Quick games, no overtimes and a limited amount of timeouts."

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