Scott Aims to Cure Shooting Blues : Lakers: Guard thinks playing eight of next 10 games at home can help break slump.

Usually, Byron Scott has what basketball people call a shooter’s conscience. That means that he will keep shooting after missing five straight attempts because he firmly believes the sixth shot will go in.

Somewhere on the Lakers’ recently completed eight-game trip, however, Scott lost that attribute essential to any effective shooting guard. Or maybe he just temporarily misplaced it like mishandled baggage.

Whatever the case, Scott will enter tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings in a brief, yet profound, shooting slump. In his last three games, Scott has made just five of 28 shots (17.8%) and totaled just 15 points. For the trip, Scott made just 41.8% from the field and averaged 12.2 points.

This blast of cold shooting has dropped Scott’s scoring average to 15.5 points (compared to 19.6 last season) and his shooting percentage to 44.5 (down from 49.1 last season).

More disturbing, perhaps, is that Scott’s confidence in his outside shot has been affected. Whereas Scott normally will unflinchingly take an open jump shot, by the end of the trip he was hesitating and trying to force a drive to the basket.

“I’ve had that (shooter’s conscience) my whole career,” Scott said. “But the last three games, I lost it mentally. At times, I’ve looked uncomfortable out there and didn’t look for my shot. I hesitated.”

But Scott, who relished the Lakers’ five-day layoff and is looking forward to playing eight of the next 10 games at home, believes his slump is only temporary. Somewhat a streak shooter, Scott does not seem at all concerned.

“It’s nothing serious to worry about,” Scott said. “Now, if it lasted two or three weeks, then I’d be concerned. Now, it’s only three games, and I’ve forgotten them. That stuff happens. I’ve been working at it, and I think being home will help.”

Scott has no aversion to playing on the road but, this season, he is shooting 52.2% at home and 38.1% on the road.

The latest trip was not fun for Scott. The low points came when he missed all seven of his shots against the Chicago Bulls and was benched for the final 15 minutes 53 seconds. The next night in Minnesota, Scott made two of 10 shots, but played excellent defense in limiting Tony Campbell to eight of his 26 points in the second half.

One reason Scott does not appear overly concerned is that he has a knack for snapping out of shooting lulls at home. For instance, after making just five of 19 shots at Golden State on Nov. 9, Scott bounced back the next night to make 11 of 15 against Charlotte at the Forum. And, after shooting 33.3% in Utah on Nov. 25, Scott shot 66.7% the next night against San Antonio at the Forum.

So, if Scott was somewhat shaken by his three-game slump, he can hope for recovery tonight. Already, Scott’s confidence seems restored after the layoff from the trip.

“I know I’m a great shooter; I’ve proven it,” Scott said. “I know I have all the confidence in the world. But I also know I got to work for it, work for the shots or I won’t get them.”

Laker Coach Pat Riley, who called his team’s offense “sluggish, lethargic and boring” after back-to-back 36.4% and 39.8% shooting team performances, said Scott’s trouble mostly is a symptom of a team-wide problem. The Laker offense is averaging 106 points, eight fewer than last season.

In practice the last two days, Riley has emphasized such rudimentary offensive aspects as setting screens and making crisp passes.

“We’re not setting picks,” Riley said. “It’s all of the little things in the offense, like the initiation pass, the spots you catch the pass on the floor, the first screen, the second option (for a shot), the weakside motion. Right now, it’s all just very slow, non-efficient, non-purposeful.

“We’ve worked in just going through every little basic in the motion. You saw (in practice) that, once they concentrated, they got the shots they wanted. We really have to work hard on that the next couple weeks.”

That includes Scott, Riley said.

“The stuff we are now re-emphasizing on the weakside used to be things for him,” Riley said. “When the ball swings out of Byron’s hands to the other side, our other two players have to remember that Byron’s down there in the corner looking for the shot. As the ball is being worked over there, they’ve got to be looking to screen his (defender), so that as Byron pops up (for the pass) he is open. He used to get six or seven shots a game that way.”

Not only is Scott not getting as many shots as before, the ones he are attempting either are the low-percentage variety or are preceded by a moment of doubt.

“He is doing that (hesitating), but I don’t blame him,” Riley said. “Byron’s not getting what he normally gets. We aren’t calling enough plays for him. We’ve got to get our people tuned into Scott when he is on the floor. He won’t hesitate anymore after that happens. It’s really been as much our fault as his. But he may have stopped working (for shots), too.”

“Some of it is that I have not been aggressive,” Scott said. “If I don’t work hard to get the ball, then I tend to hesitate when I do get it. But I think now, I’ve cleared my mind, and I’ll be strong and aggressive again.”

Laker Notes

If center Mychal Thompson, who has missed the last five games with bursitis in his left heel, cannot play tonight, Vlade Divac will get his first NBA start, according to Coach Pat Riley. The Lakers had been going with a smaller lineup that included 6-foot-9 A.C. Green at center, 6-9 James Worthy at power forward and 6-7 Michael Cooper at small forward. “Starting Vlade will get us into our regular rotation,” Riley said. “Our offense really isn’t devised for that (small lineup). Now, if we played the passing game like Golden State, we’d be able to do that. But I think, for eight to 10 minutes a game, we could go with (the small lineup) for an inside game.” Riley also stressed that Divac will start only because Thompson is injured. Riley reiterated that he prefers Divac, the Yugoslav rookie, coming off the bench to provide an offensive spark inside.

The Lakers went 4-1 with Green at center, and Green said he did not mind switching from power forward to center. “It pretty much is the same,” Green said. “I’m basically playing the same post guy on defense--not always--so it’s no major adjustment. On offense, I know the five position (center). I just get banged and bumped more, but I can still get out and run the break. If there has been a change in my responsibility, it’s in rebounding. When I’m at center, Earvin (Johnson) and James (Worthy) have to be around the ball for rebounding all the time.” Given his choice, however, Green said he prefers power forward.

Newly acquired forward Jay Vincent does not figure to play significant minutes for a while, since he has yet to fully learn the Laker offense. Even after that, though, Vincent will fight for minutes in Riley’s substitution rotation. Riley has called Vincent a “specialty situation player,” basically meaning quick points off the bench. “Of course, every player wants to play, but I could have gotten more money and minutes with another team,” Vincent said. “I came here to play for a winner. I think I can be a piece of the puzzle. If it’s 10 minutes (per game), fine, or 20 minutes, fine.”