Coach Phil Jackson does not like having to play raw rookie Derrick Caracter extended minutes as Pau Gasol's backup.

Jackson thinks that Caracter's confidence is getting shot by playing too soon. "I hate to put a kid like Derek in that situation, and have him fail consistently. That's not what you want to have done with rookies, you want to have them succeed," Jackson said. It probably doesn't help Caracter to see the word "fail" associated with his play either.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that he expects Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks to shuffle between the NBA and the D-League this season.

"I expect to move them aound a lot, but not until Andrew [Bynum] comes in," Jackson said. "We'll have to have that full roster right now." Caracter had six points and three rebounds in nearly 17 minutes on Sunday, though most of his minutes came once L.A. had the game in hand.

Derrick Caracter, who agreed to a clause that would give him guaranteed money this season only if he weighed less than 275 pounds upon entering camp, was able to satisfy the stipulation when reporting to the team Friday.

This is the first answer to what will likely be a career-long question about his conditioning. He's raw, doesn't defend well, and can't hit a jumpshot, and would be wise to carve out a role doing dirty work off the bench. He should be left alone on draft day.

Lakers rookie Derrick Caracter has a unique clause in his contract -- his salary is only partially guaranteed for 2010-11, but will become fully guaranteed if he weighs 275 pounds or less on September 10th.

Caracter has too many downsides to be worth a fantasy pick this season -- he's a poor defender, has an inconsistent jumpshot, and conditioning has never been his strongest suit (hence the weight clause).