West: No Laker Is a Leader : Pro basketball: General manager says Pfund has had more patience with team than he would have.

General Manager Jerry West, still supportive of Randy Pfund despite the Lakers’ franchise-record five-game home losing streak, said he has only one question about his rookie coach.

West, who coached the Lakers from 1976-79, wonders how Pfund held off so long before criticizing the team’s meekness Wednesday night after a 120-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns at the Forum.

“Obviously, I think one of his strengths has been his patience,” West said Thursday. “A lot of other people wouldn’t be as patient--me included.

“When you’re thrust into a job where the expectation level of fans is so high, everyone tends to put pressure on himself.

“From the time Earvin Johnson retired, we thought we were going to have an average team. With him, we thought we would have a very, very competitive team. Since then, there’s been an enormous amount, probably, of confusion in (Pfund’s) mind as to who to play because we don’t have players who may be able to step forward as leaders.

“Also, we don’t have a player that, late in the ballgame, if you’re playing a great team, you want to give him the ball because he’s going to make a play to win the game, or attract enough people around him to create holes for other people so they can make the plays. We don’t have that player this year.

“There’s been a lot of adjustments he’s had to make, and I think he’s done a nice job.”

Besides, West added: “We don’t get rid of people around here. We want him to do well.”

West also played down the notion that, because Pfund isn’t fiery by nature, he has been unable to inspire his players.

“There are some quiet people who are extremely tough-minded,” West said. “You don’t have to be someone who breaks and throws things to motivate people. (Coaches motivating players) is one of the most overrated things. For athletes, it should be a self-motivating thing. The reason they call those guys professionals is because they do things at a higher level and should be able to do the things necessary to make themselves successful.”

Pfund said he has been tough on the team at times, but it’s not his style to coach through intimidation.

“I feel as though I’ve pushed guys, challenged them,” he said. “It doesn’t do me any good to rant and rave and not realistically deal with the issues. . . . I can rant and rave, but more practically, (the solution) is to work the guys hard in practice.

“We’ve had a lot of success here and we’re not experiencing success now, and it’s tough. I can’t say (criticism) goes by me without bothering me. But I don’t dwell on it.”