Harris Hoping Smaller Lineup Is Answer

Hoping for better ball movement to jump-start the offense, and searching for a spark of any kind, Coach Del Harris plans to go with a small lineup more often as matchups allow, figuring the quickness will translate into increased energy.

One problem: Jerome Kersey, physical enough at 6 feet 7 to play power forward in such a setup, remains on the injured list because of a broken left foot and figures to be sidelined two more weeks.

That not only left it up to Cedric Ceballos to briefly move up in weight class Friday at Toronto, but for him to recently play through a three-game stretch of not-so-small small forwards--6-11 Kevin Garnett and power oriented Larry Johnson and Anthony Mason.

“You don’t worry about it when you’re playing,” Ceballos said. “You don’t feel any pain when the game starts.”

With Kersey and Trevor Wilson both sidelined, Eddie Jones is the backup but isn’t strong enough to handle the bigger players. Same with Kobe Bryant. But the three-guard alignment continues--with some combination of Nick Van Exel, Byron Scott, Derek Fisher, Jones and Bryant--forcing a guard to defend a forward.

In the meantime, the tinkering of the lineup may continue, though no changes are expected among the starters.

“We’ve been at it a month and we still don’t have activity, we still don’t have mobility, we’re still not moving,” Harris said of the offense that has yet to score more than 98 points. “There’s not enough energy in it.”