Michael Ventre

On the Chinese calendar, there was the Year of the Ram (2003), the Year of the Monkey (2004), the Year of the Rooster (2005) and the Year of the Dog (2006).

In 2006-07, the NBA is ready for the Year of Kobe.

There won’t be any fireworks or colorful costumes (unless you count throwback jerseys). And there probably won’t be a massive celebration, because in the NBA that only comes with championships, and the Year of Kobe doesn’t figure to end with one.

Yet it will be the Year of Kobe because, simply put, this will be the season when he plays his best basketball. And that will be a festive display indeed.

Granted, it may not seem like the Year of Kobe at the start. Right now, Kobe Bryant is still nursing a sore knee from offseason surgery, and he’s questionable for Tuesday’s opener at Staples Center against the Phoenix Suns, although he said Saturday that he would play. If Phil Jackson can hobble to the bench on a cane a short four weeks after undergoing hip replacement surgery, Bryant probably will feel obligated to show up for work as well.

Once the year does get into full swing, however, look for Bryant to put on an eye-popping display of theatrics — and, more important, it will happen in the process of helping his team win basketball games.

Make no mistake, the Lakers have arrived. They’re ready. They’re poised. They’re positioned for maximum success.

They could even make it to the conference semifinals.

Special feature Team needs, predictions for season Curran: Are Celtics hungry enough to repeat? Walters: LeBron comfortable on NBA's throne Ventre: Lakers look to turn up the defense Expert: With Brand, 76ers are title contenders Celizic: Knicks, Nets have long roads ahead VOTE: Which team will win the title?

They are not ready to win a championship. No one is suggesting that. Even in the Year of Kobe, other names are vital to the Lakers’ fate, including guys named Lamar and Kwame. And it’s no cinch that Odom and Brown, respectively, will continue playing as well as they did during the final weeks of last season, when light bulbs appeared simultaneously over each of their brains. Brown, for one, will miss the start of the season because of a bruised rotator cuff and bursitis in his right shoulder.

The Lakers also have to hope their new free agent perimeter shooter, forward Vladimir Radmanovic, justifies the five-year, $30 million contract they gave him in the offseason; that second-year center Andrew Bynum breaks out at the ripe old age of 19; that Smush Parker can locate his outside shot after misplacing it during the Phoenix series last year; and that Chris Mihm eventually returns from an ankle injury that has plagued him since March 12.

Yet if all the stars align properly, the Year of Kobe could be here.

There is little question as to the man’s ability to score. He averaged 35.4 points last season, the highest in the NBA in 19 years. He also had averages of 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

The assists are a telling stat, because that figure is his lowest since 1998-99, when he posted a 3.8 average. That happened to be the season before Jackson arrived as head coach and led the Lakers to three straight titles.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Pain on the skating rink, flying high on the hardwood, upsets on the football field, and more. more photos

Is that an example of how selfish Kobe has become since then? Perhaps, if one wants to take the darker view. But a more reasonable assessment might show that last year Bryant had fewer assists because, for most of the season anyway, he had fewer reasons to pass. He’s usually ripped for hogging the ball. For much of 2005-06, he did his club a service by attaining career highs in field-goal attempts (2,173), three-point attempts (518) and free-throw attempts (819).

Last year, Odom and Brown — two forwards with unique histories of inconsistencies — had to learn the triangle offense in Jackson’s first season back on the Lakers’ bench. It was slow going. Odom seemed passive and unsure. Brown fumbled the ball a lot and was often out of position.

MORE FROM NBA

NBA Section Front

Oden matches career high as Blazers roll Shaq practices, hopes to return against Detroit Spurs stop Bucks' win streak behind Duncan   Court: NY can seize property for new NJ Nets arena Opinion: So far, Nowitzki is the league’s MVP Winderman: With strong class, point guard is back   NBA uniforms may be made in Asia   Vote: Will Nets set mark for worst start to season? Fan ranker: Who will be MVP of the NBA? Live odds NBA Section Front   Add NBA headlines to your news reader: