Watching Phil Jackson move around is painful. He appears to have significant issues with arthritis, if his extraordinary stiffness is any indication. He has had both hips replaced, but you wouldn’t know it from following him down the hall.

If he has to travel any distance inside Staples Center, a golf cart is used. And toward the end of the current season, he was getting cart treatment for the trip from the Lakers locker room to the small interview room — which is about 100 feet.

He also has had issues with swelling in his leg during air travel. That can be both painful and dangerous.

Still, Jackson, 64 in September, seemed to catch reporters/fans unawares when he said this week he would have some medical tests done before deciding on whether he will coach next season. We have to assume there is at least a reasonable chance he will not be able to go.

So, if Phil isn’t back, who coaches the Lakers?

–Kurt Rambis. Jerry Buss could go the conventional route and give the job to Rambis, 51,  a current assistant and former Showtime Era player who was the sort of more-effort-than-skill guy (like Phil Jackson) who often makes for a good coach. Rambis has been in or near the mix in sideline decision-making for a while now. He coached the Lakers for most of the lockout-shortened 1999 season, going 24-13 and getting to the second round of the playoffs before getting swept by San Antonio. He is the safe and obvious successor.

–Brian Shaw. Another Lakers assistant, Shaw, 43, has been increasingly visible as the sort of go-to guy for reporters looking for more candor than Jackson (and Rambis, too) are likely to provide. Being popular with the media never is a bad idea. Shaw also has a reputation for handling prickly personalities, going back to his four seasons with the Lakers (200-2003), when he often served as peacemaker between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. He would represent a jump to a generation closer to current players.

–Byron Scott. Another Showtime Lakers stalwart, but he has far more coaching experience than does Rambis. Scott, 48, has just shy of 10 full seasons as a head coach in New Jersey and New Orleans, and twice took teams to the NBA Finals. (His Nets were routed by the Lakers in 2002, by the Spurs in 2003.) Hard to imagine that Scott, a native of Inglewood, wouldn’t love to coach the Lakers, but he is under contract to the Hornets — who, by the way, seemed to quit on him at the end of this season. Granted, the Hornets are Chris Paul, David West and not much else,  but they seemed to underachieve down the stretch and then got smoked in five by Denver,  including that infamous 58-point loss in Game 4. A darkhorse, because the Lakers would have to compensate New Orleans, presumably.

–Jeff Van Gundy. As an analyst for ABC, Van Gundy, 47, must have caught the attention of owner Jerry Buss and GM Mitch Kupchak with his acumen and incisive commentary. Plus, he has nine-plus seasons as a head coach in New York (so he knows pressure) and Houston.  Got the Knicks to the 1999 Finals when they were on the backside of their competitiveness. A bit of an out-of-the-box choice, but not a goofy one. Seems like Stan’s little brother is destined to return to coaching eventually, and why not here?

–Kobe Bryant. Yes. I said it. Kobe Bean Bryant, Lakers coach. A player-coach, and maybe the first since Bill Russell. Kobe already seems to coach the Lakers, particularly during games. He would have plenty of assistants around to do the drudge work, break down film and scout, and all that. Kobe knows the triangle offense, and the current Lakers both respect and fear him. There would be no questions about who is in control. An obvious question would be whether Bryant has the people skills to deal with the players and the media. And there is the old issue of whether great players ever make competent coaches. (Most evidence seems to indicate “no.”) But hiring him certainly would be an out-of-the-box decision and attract scads of attention. Not that Kobe or the Lakers necessarily need it.