Leadership Is His Specialty : Filling Clipper Point Guard Role Excites Mark Jackson

Mark Jackson is as New York as, say, Madison Square Garden, a late-night deli and the tabloids that put him in headlines as “JAX.” His travels while growing up were measured by boroughs, playing pickup games on different courts around the city against the likes of Kenny Smith and Pearl Washington. College was St. John’s, pro ball was being a point guard with the Knicks.

And now, here he is in Los Angeles.

He is a Clipper, having been acquired along with Orlando’s Stanley Roberts in a three-team trade. Happy to be here, he says several times during a conversation.

“You can’t look back,” Jackson says. “Might run into something in front of you.”

His career with the Knicks was something of a contradiction.

It began with his being named rookie of the year in 1988, progressed to his playing in the All-Star game the next season, then regressed to erratic play, a weight gain, getting booed by the hometown fans and, the low point, getting suspended in 1990 for “insubordination.”

It progressed again last season, when Jackson showed up at Pat Riley’s first training camp in superb shape and played every game as if it were the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the NBA finals.

For his first visit as a Clipper, he has chosen a green suit. Bright green, too. But his tone of voice is subdued and his comments are all about stability. References to his strong Christian beliefs are intermixed.

“It is a perfect situation,” Jackson says of playing point guard for the Clippers. “They have a need for consistency, character and leadership at that position, and those are some of my strong points. I look forward to bringing that here.”

Leadership is of particular interest, since Doc Rivers and James Edwards are gone. Both were acquired a year ago, Rivers from Atlanta and Edwards from Detroit, largely because of their positive clubhouse presences.

“I’m not trying to fill Doc Rivers’ void,” Jackson says. “I’m not trying to fill James Edwards’ void. I’m just trying to be the best Mark Jackson I can. I just want to do the same things I’ve always done, and leadership is a part of that. . . . I don’t believe you evaluate me with stats. I try to do the little things.”

Jackson, who is building a home in Saddle River, N.J., won’t play at Madison Square Garden until Jan. 2. But Charles Smith, Doc Rivers, Bo Kimble and the Knicks have two early visits to Los Angeles. The first is for the two-day, four-team exhibition tournament at the Forum, and then they play the Clippers at the Sports Arena on Nov. 19.

Then again, Kimble faces a very uncertain future, so there is no guarantee he will even make it to opening night with the Knicks. The former Loyola Marymount star, who remained one of the most popular Clippers, despite his struggles, is the fourth shooting guard in New York, joining Rolando Blackman, John Starks and rookie Hubert Davis. Since the Knicks have a much bigger investment in Davis, a first-round pick from North Carolina, his spot is probably more secure than Kimble’s.

Clipper Notes

With a week left before training camp opens in La Jolla, rookies Don MacLean and Elmore Spencer remain unsigned. The $312,500 available under the salary cap is targeted for Spencer, less than a No. 25 pick might expect to get, so, understanding the financial constraints, he is considering taking that but signing a one-year deal and becoming a restricted free agent. He would then hope to turn a good season into a big payday, a la Stanley Roberts this summer. The Clippers could get another $462,000 by waiving William Bedford, as has been discussed. That money then would go to MacLean, again less than market value. But he might be agreeable if the Clippers compromise by giving him a long contract, something like six years.

Barring another trade, the Clippers will have at least one roster spot open for a free agent when training camp begins Oct. 9, two if Bedford is cut. The best bet? Jaren Jackson, a Georgetown product with 33 games of NBA experience with New Jersey and Golden State. He would back up Ron Harper at shooting guard. Gary Grant, a point guard in his four-year career, may also get time there.

The most interesting free agent may be Kiki Vandeweghe. If the veteran small forward signs, it would be a make-good contract for the NBA minimum and he would be fighting for playing time with Ken Norman and MacLean. Vandeweghe, from Palisades High and UCLA, played 12 seasons with Denver, Portland and New York before being waived by the Knicks on June 24. . . . Single-game tickets go on sale Saturday through the Sports Arena box office and Ticketmaster.