The young Lakers handled their long road trip poorly

On Sunday, the Lakers completed a 12-day, six-game road trip through the Midwest and Northeast, their first lengthy sojourn of the season. (It was technically seven games, but the first one against the Clippers hardly counts).

As noted by Phil Jackson before Sunday's win in Toronto, the Lakers' two rookies had some trouble adjusting to life on the road.

"I guess that should make me sympathetic to the Lakers' rookies, Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks, when Phil Jackson was riffing Saturday about their confusion on this long trip. Jackson told stories about how Caracter ordered a $45 pitcher of orange juice for himself the other day and how Ebanks has eaten nothing but cheesesteaks for the past four days."

Perhaps Phil is exaggerating here; I don't fully understand how the Zen Master works, but open mockery could feasibly be a motivational tactic. I hope to death he's not, though, because this may be my favorite random story of the season so far.