Fans make themselves heard

It was time for the Los Angeles Lakers' annual reality check.

General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Coach Phil Jackson spoke to about 900 season-ticket holders Monday night at the team's annual "town-hall meeting" and fielded questions on topics that included Andrew Bynum and Kevin Garnett, a definite nod to the future instead of the present.

Audience members were slightly less enthused than a year ago, perhaps because the product they're paying to watch is on a 3-8 slide, far from the 11-3 run they were witnessing at the time of last season's meeting. Questions were e-mailed ahead of time by season-ticket holders, pre-screened by Los Angeles Lakers officials and answered by Jackson and Kupchak for about 75 minutes at Staples Center.

The second question of the night drew enthusiastic applause from the audience: Is Garnett in the Los Angeles Lakers' future?

Neither Kupchak nor Jackson answered it directly, citing league tampering rules, although Kupchak did eventually say that, generally speaking, "You've got to trust myself and Dr. [Jerry] Buss that we'll do everything to get a top player."

Garnett is not a free agent, but he can opt out of his contract after next season.

Season-ticket holders also were concerned about the progress of Andrew Bynum, who started the season with better-than-expected statistics but has tailed off significantly since January.

"We want to see Andrew age," Jackson said.

Kupchak said teams inquired about Andrew Bynum more than any other member of the Los Angeles Lakers in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline in February.

"We're very high on him and we'd like to see him grow old in L.A.," Kupchak said.

Of free-agent-to-be Luke Walton, Kupchak said, "He's in our plans and we have the resources."

Jackson also acknowledged the team's languid defense, saying he would turn more often to Ronny Turiaf, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic in the playoffs, if necessary.

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