LAKERS : Threatt Says Starting Isn’t Important Issue

He was brought in to back up Magic Johnson and might instead end up as back up to rookie Nick Van Exel.

He has started 186 consecutive regular-season games, the third-longest active streak in the NBA, but isn’t all that concerned about starting.

Sedale Threatt’s thinking has become as flexible as his game, and he knows he might contribute more coming off the bench than running the offense.

Coach Randy Pfund has said only that he would prefer not to have both James Worthy and Threatt in reserve roles.

But Threatt has known the future since the day training camp started, if not when the Lakers picked the speedy Van Exel in the second round of the June 30 draft.

“I’ve been in the league 11 years,” Threatt said Saturday night before the Lakers lost to the Seattle SuperSonics, 102-98, in the championship game of the GTE Everything Pages Shootout at the Forum. “I know they need to find a young point guard, and I’m not a natural point guard anyway. I can play either spot back there.

“It isn’t about winning a job to me. We’ve got Duane Cooper who’s a straight point guard playing, too. Nick has got a lot of quickness. My thing is to come off the bench and spark my team. I can still play and contribute a lot that way.”

Friday, in a 99-97 victory over Miami, Threatt was in the opening lineup, but Pfund used them together at times. Against the SuperSonics, when the Lakers fell to 3-2, Van Exel started for the second time in exhibition play, but they were together again, including one stretch of the final 10 minutes of the second quarter.

Threatt finished with 22 points, but the SuperSonics remained undefeated in exhibitions, improving to 5-0 as Ricky Pierce had a game-high 26 points and Shawn Kemp contributed 22 points and 10 rebounds. Seattle played without injured Derrick McKey and Nate McMillan.

Worthy continued his strong exhibition showing with 23 points for the Lakers, who now conclude the preseason with three road games. Vlade Divac added 11 points and 13 rebounds.

In Saturday’s first game, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat, 101-94, as Chris Mills had 23 points, nine rebounds and four steals in his first pro start. Steve Smith led the Heat with 23 points.