Small Forward Situation Is Constantly Revolving

There is a consistent Laker rotation after all. A new starter at small forward every other game.

Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors marked the fourth time in a row that Coach Del Harris has switched between Jerome Kersey and George McCloud, Kersey getting the call this time. Just like two games ago, and two games before that.

McCloud went the other two times, sort of. His first start as a Laker, March 4 at Dallas, lasted 21 minutes, long enough to miss seven of eight shots. Sunday against New Jersey, he played the first seven minutes, missed both attempts, came out and didn’t return.

Both players have said they will be happy starting or coming off the bench, whatever Harris wants. This back-and-forth, though, might be getting a little dizzy.

“Sometimes,” Kersey said. “But he [Harris] is trying to get George going. He’s not getting a lot of minutes.”

He is also not making a lot of shots. McCloud, acquired just before the trade deadline largely because of his range, went into Wednesday’s game at only 27.3% (nine of 33) in eight outings as a Laker. His three-point production is a more respectable 35.7%, with five baskets in 14 tries.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” said McCloud, also held back by his arrival in less than top condition. “I had played well all year and shot the ball well the last month before I was traded. To come in to a new situation and not shoot the ball well is disappointing to me. It’s more disappointing to me than anybody else.

“For me, it’s just a matter of going out and playing instead of thinking too much. It’s been a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I thought I would come right in and pick up the plays and carry on like when I was in Dallas.”

Said Harris: “He’ll be all right. The fortunate thing is we know what he can do.”

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Tracy McGrady, the high school star from Durham, N.C., who on Tuesday announced he would go into the NBA draft, did not talk to Kobe Bryant before making his decision. But Bryant said he’d be glad to speak with anyone considering duplicating the same jump he and Portland’s Jermaine O’Neal made last summer.

“You can offer a person all the advice and give them your impressions of what it’s been like,” Bryant said. “But ultimately, it has to be their own opinion that makes the decision. All I’m here for, all Jermaine is here for, is to offer advice based on what we’ve been through.”

And what would Bryant’s advice be?

“That’s private,” he said.

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With the Phoenix Suns off Wednesday and playing at the Sports Arena tonight, former Laker Cedric Ceballos came to the Forum to watch the game.