NEW YORK - After all the time he spent shuffling around the practice court Monday in a triangle offense tutorial, Lakers coach Phil Jackson leaned on his cane and said, "My knee's killing me."

Former Lakers guard Ron Harper stopped by to say hello and wound up jumping into the fray to teach the offense's angles for an hour. It was all meant to help Pau Gasol prepare for his Lakers debut Tuesday night in New Jersey.

"I'm still trying to get a feel and just process it all," Gasol said of the offense that is generally thought to take a full season to know reasonably well.

Jackson never has had a player of Gasol's magnitude jump into the triangle at midseason, so this integration offers a significant challenge. Still, Jackson believes that by a week after the Feb. 15-17 All-Star break, Gasol will be capable.

It's also true that the center position is by far the simplest position to play in the offense (there's a reason Kwame Brown gravitated to that spot when he was supposed to be the Lakers' power forward). But Jackson wants Gasol at the post anyway while center Andrew Bynum is out. Barring any setbacks with his sore back, Gasol will start at center against the Nets and wear No. 16.

"We haven't had a real dedicated post part of our game," Jackson said of the Lakers' three weeks without Bynum.

Gasol, who fared reasonably well in practice Monday, declared about the triangle: "I don't think it's hard to learn." He reiterated his high hopes for his new team.

"I'm very, very fortunate," Gasol said about being traded to the Lakers. "So I'm going to try to do my best to help the team the best way I can to become better and have a great chance to accomplish greatness and go all the way, hopefully."

Gasol's back still doesn't feel strong, though. He referred to the inflammation in his facet joint as merely "under control."

"It's getting there. Good enough to perform well," he said.

And he's also a little weary from his recent travel. After going from Memphis to Los Angeles to Washington on Friday and Saturday, he went back to Memphis for some further housekeeping before rejoining the Lakers on Monday morning in New York.

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Guard Sasha Vujucic had an excellent training camp, got a spot in the rotation as Bryant's backup once Maurice Evans was traded, and now is flourishing after all the injuries at small forward pushed Bryant to play more small forward.

"I've given him the chance many times," Jackson said. "Second chances, third and fourth chances to prove himself, because I know how dedicated he is to it. When anybody cares enough about something, I usually think they're going to find success at some point.

Jackson has been happy with results from a backcourt of Vujacic and Jordan Farmar, with Bryant on the wing.

"It changes the game a little bit, speeds it up," Jackson said.Jackson said the lack of healthy bodies has also helped Vladimir Radmanovic play a more confident game lately, with Radmanovic more secure in his playing time.About Radmanovic having four and five assists the past two games, Jackson quipped; "He's a willing passer — sometimes to the wrong team, but he's willing."

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