LA Lakers Media Day 2013: Photos, Interviews and Takeaways

Well that was fun.

The Los Angeles Lakers entered media day facing a smorgasbord of questions. Some were answered; some weren't. 

But not even calculated deflections were enough to keep us from gaining insight into this upcoming season.

We know what the issues are. We also know that the Lakers know what the issues are. Now we'll anxiously await to see if they can tackle those obstacles at hand.

Still No Timetable for Kobe Bryant

Everyone wants to know when Kobe Bryant will be back. And I mean everyone. The media circus surrounding him was crazy.

Unfortunately, there's still no definitive date set for his return. Opening night remains the goal, but neither the Lakers nor Vino are prepared to rush the process.

On the bright side, Kobe did say he's regained his "muscle explosion" and is making "progress" overall. That's huge, and it will have to be enough to tie Lakers fans over until Kobe and the team have more answers.

The Lakers Will Proceed with Caution Because, Well, They're Old

One prevailing theme of the day was caution. Los Angeles won't put too much pressure on Kobe early on, and is taking the same approach with Steve Nash and Pau Gasol.

Both Gasol and Nash were said to be healthy, but the Lakers remain wary of overworking them after their injury-plagued campaigns in 2012-13.

To Gasol's credit, he still plans to be ready by opening night following offseason knee procedures.

Nick Young Confident He Can Coexist with Kobe

Nick Young isn't worried about playing next to Kobe.

Though he indicated he intends to keep on chucking, he also made it clear he would become more of a spot-up shooter when the Black Mamba was on the floor. No games have been played yet, but this pairing is already off to a good start.

Chris Kaman Excited to Play with Gasol

Chris Kaman is just as confident Young.

He feels Gasol and himself will be able to make it work down low together, both on offense and defense. All of Los Angeles is hoping he's right.

Kobe Doesn't Care About Dwight Howard

The Mamba was asked how he felt about Dwight Howard leaving Los Angeles for Houston, and he answered like only he would—with expletives.

I'll spare you the NSFW details, but he pretty much said he doesn't care about Howard anymore. No surprises there.

Mike D'Antoni Hopes Lakers Embrace Underdog Role

For the first time in what seems like forever, the Lakers are underdogs. Head coach Mike D'Antoni hopes his team uses that to their advantage.

He wants the Lakers to play with a "chip" on their shoulder, clearly hoping they can use their detractors as inspiration en route to a surprise playoff run.

This almost goes without saying, but the regular season cannot get here soon enough for this team.