ANAHEIM, Calif. — Welcome to Lamar Odom's starting-lineup limbo, Andrew.

Unless Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol find a flow on the floor together soon, Bynum could begin the regular season on the Lakers' bench.

"It has been mentioned," Lakers consultant Tex Winter said of the coaching staff's internal discussions. "We played pretty well last year without him."

If Lakers coach Phil Jackson were still toting that cane around, he'd have spent most of training camp pointing it up at Bynum and Gasol, both 7-feet tall, and what they have been doing wrong as a twin-tower tandem.

"Right now, they're very clumsy; they're not working well together," Jackson said Monday. "We've got a group that played very well together last year. There are some things that we have to discuss and see how long we drag this out — or how quickly we facilitate it, because I think we have got the ability to play exceptionally well if we use all our skill players."

Said Winter: "The complexion of our team changes considerably when you're playing Gasol and Bynum together. That's going to be a real project to work that out so both those guys can play up to their potential and really show what they can do."

The slow start of the big boys was driven home by the decision not to start Bynum on Tuesday night in the Lakers' exhibition loss to Utah at Honda Center. Gasol started at center — which was a surprise to him during this intense power-forward tutorial — with Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Trevor Ariza and

Odom the other starters.

Bynum viewed it as Jackson just trying to push for more from him.

"I think it has gone well," Bynum said. "I think he's trying to motivate people. I think I'm fine."

That's essentially true. So one week into training camp, Bynum and Gasol aren't Astaire and Rogers — or Robinson and Duncan. This really shouldn't be viewed as a major disappointment for the Lakers.

Last season, Jackson didn't dwell or count on Bynum's anticipated return partly because the coach foresaw a whole lot of trouble melding Bynum to Gasol in the frontcourt. Now it hasn't come that easy because it isn't easy.

Both big guys are used to being the first to go challenge a shot, but both can't go first anymore.

With another big guy nearby, how much is each one free to stray from his assigned rebounding territory to chase and secure the ball (something that Bynum acknowledges he didn't do well enough last season)? Gasol is definitely good at the elbow and a surprisingly capable threat at the wing, yet he remains a big-time weapon at the low post and will need to figure out when to take that spot away from Bynum at times.

Oh, and by the way, a dude named Kobe Bryant will most often be up there at the wing, elbow or post this season, calling for the ball. So Bynum and Gasol must navigate that, too.

Asked directly how much he wants Gasol to play center again this season, Jackson said: "It depends upon how well they work together."

The group of Gasol, Odom, Bryant, Sasha Vujacic and Fisher was outstanding in finishing games late last season. Defensive ace Ariza, limited by a foot injury last season and a possibility to start instead of Odom in a frontcourt with Bynum and Gasol, could also start instead of Vujacic if Bynum begins the season on the bench. (Vujacic is currently nursing a sprained left ankle.)

Bear in mind how Bynum and Gasol together limits the Lakers' fast-break offense that was such a surprise smash hit last season. Jackson has been working the Lakers extensively in camp on committing even more to the running game this season, and most opponents these days are fielding smaller lineups, not bigger ones.

All the uncertainty put added emphasis on the exhibition opener, Bynum's first real game since he hurt his left knee nearly nine months ago. He looked beautiful with some offensive moves in a 15-point, four-turnover, 24-minute outing — he showed how improved his left hand is and hit the foul-line jumper he has worked so hard on — but did make several minor mistakes.

Bynum and Gasol didn't play together with Gasol limited to five minutes (six points on 3-of-3 shooting), although Bynum was used in the second quarter with center Chris Mihm at power forward to give Bynum more experience with the two-big alignment.

To put it bluntly — and Winter always will, which is why Michael Jordan loved him in Chicago — Gasol has been a lot better than Bynum in camp. (I can still hear what Tex flatly offered me last training camp about Kwame Brown: "Kwame apparently is not very tough.")

Winter said a major factor in the slow start so far has been Bynum not giving maximum effort in practice.

"He's just not exerting himself, maybe," Winter said. "And most of the other guys are. I think he just needs to play a little harder."

Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis, who has worked individually with Bynum for years, agreed with

Winter, saying Bynum needs to run the floor consistently hard.

"Andrew has had some good moments, but one of the things we're trying to impress upon him is he has to extend those good moments," Rambis said. "It's not a sometime thing; it's an every-time thing."

Bynum has said himself that practice work hasn't had him completely riveted.

"This is the first year where it's kind of a little bit boring just because we have to run through the same stuff we already know," he said.

On the bright side in the building of the twin towers, Gasol has looked downright dynamic out on the wing as a face-up player while still learning the position in the triangle. He fundamentally prefers playing power forward to center, so it is downright inevitable that Bynum and Gasol will start together — just maybe later than sooner."

Gasol has shown signs of playing the power forward pretty well," Winter said. "He has a lot of all-around skills. And when Bynum gets with it, I think it'll work itself out."