Trevor Ariza May Play in this Series

There is still a considerable amount of rust to peel off after nearly four months in street clothes with a broken foot, so by the time he returns to the court in a week or so, Trevor Ariza might just be a spot defensive stopper for the Lakers.

But Tuesday afternoon, Lakers coach Phil Jackson used the occasion of Ariza’s first day back at practice to create a little competition for starting forward Vladimir Radmanovic.

"Vlade has not played well in the last two games, and we need somebody to step into that position and that’s the position he (Ariza) plays," Jackson said. [LA Daily News]