Dailey Misses Laker Practice, Says He Overslept

The Hawaiian segment of Quintin Dailey’s first Laker training camp, which began a week ago with a missed flight from Los Angeles and an unexcused absence from a team meeting, ended Thursday when the veteran free-agent guard apparently overslept and failed to show up at a morning practice.

Whether Dailey will accompany the Lakers on a weeklong schedule of exhibition games, beginning Saturday night in Knoxville, Tenn., against the New Jersey Nets has yet to be determined.

But Laker officials are not happy with either Dailey’s performance or his work habits, and they are considering cutting him, even though his contract, reportedly for $400,000, is guaranteed.

“He just didn’t come in mentally or physically ready to perform,” Coach Pat Riley said a few hours before the Lakers played the Sacramento Kings in an exhibition game Thursday night. “We’ve got a lot of young guys on this team, and we cannot tolerate this kind of thing.

“I sort of feel sorry for the guy, a little bit. He’s had an opportunity to play for the Lakers--just keep playing in the league--and he does this. Look, he missed a flight, he missed a meeting, he fell out (left early) from the first practice, and then he oversleeps today. And he’s begged off (working out) in a couple of other practices, too.

“It’s unconscionable that a player would do what he’s done. We don’t think it’s a privilege to play for the Lakers, but there are certain things we won’t put up with. Everyone has had more than enough conversations with (Dailey). Jerry West and I will sit down and talk about it.”

West, the Lakers’ general manager, said a decision probably will not be made before this morning. The Lakers were due to leave Hawaii after Thursday night’s game on a red-eye flight to Los Angeles. They will leave for Knoxville this afternoon.

“That’s not something we like from our players,” West said of Dailey’s frequent absences.

Dailey, signed by the Lakers in September after being released by the Clippers after last season, said he apologized to Riley Thursday and explained that he slept through the 9 a.m. practice.

“Everybody said they gave me wake-up calls, but I didn’t get them,” Dailey said. “I know I got here late, then I fall out of practice, then I (injure) my knee. I’ve been through worse in my life. All I can do is try better.”

Dailey, 28, is no stranger to self-induced problems. He has been hospitalized for drug treatment three times since coming into the league in 1982 and is a two-time offender under the National Basketball Assn. drug policy. Dailey submits to twice-weekly tests and also undergoes counseling. A source close to the situation said Dailey passed his latest test “taken a few days ago.”

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard also has fought a weight problem in recent seasons. Dailey was suspended for a period last season by the Clippers because of excessive weight, and he has a weight clause in his Laker contract. Dailey reported to the Laker camp at 198 pounds but, according to Riley, was out of shape and dehydrated from not eating correctly.

“I don’t think his problems have anything to do with (drug use),” Riley said. “For three years, he’s been straight. Mentally, and physically too, he just doesn’t have it ready. The fact he wasn’t in shape to play, compounded with all these other things, doesn’t look good.

“I think he is a good person, and I’d give anyone a lot of slack. We gave Orlando (Woolridge, also a recovering drug user) a lot of leeway.”

Dailey, who had fluid drained from behind his inflamed left knee after playing only 13 minutes in Wednesday night’s 115-94 exhibition victory over the Kings, said: “Am I concerned? I don’t know what to do, what to think. I’ll keep quiet and go with the flow. I feel bad about (oversleeping). It could happen to anybody. But with all those other things, it looks bad.”