Blount Getting Second Chance

The people spoke long ago. They want a power forward who rebounds.

Corie Blount spoke Sunday. He got 13 rebounds, more than any Laker non-center since Robert Horry on opening night, in 34 minutes, against Dennis Rodman and the Chicago Bulls at that

Tuesday, Del Harris spoke.

“Basically,” the Laker coach said, “when Robert’s healthy, Robert’s the starting power forward.”

The first opportunity for Blount came only because Horry was sidelined by the strained abdominal muscle and Elden Campbell lost the job by getting one rebound in 20 minutes on Friday. The next comes tonight, under difficult circumstances, with one of the league’s elite rebounding teams, the Portland Trail Blazers, coming to the Great Western Forum.

Blount will start again and Campbell will come off the bench, though maybe not at power forward, because all his minutes against Chicago came at center. Then Horry will have five more days off, the length of the All-Star break for the Lakers, before the next chance to reclaim his spot.

Another big performance by Blount increases the pressure. Anything less than a solid showing will be a major setback to any desire he has to unseat Horry.

“To do that, you have to string together some good performances and the incumbent has to show some weakness,” Harris said.

In other words, it’s still Horry’s job.

“But everybody who knows me knows I’m open to the ups and downs of the long season,” Harris said. “I suspect it would be hard to knock Shaquille [O’Neal] out of the starting lineup. But everything else is open.”

*

Nick Van Exel practiced Tuesday and is expected to play tonight after sitting out the last two games because of a strained hip. Harris said he will decide today whether to start Van Exel or stay with Derek Fisher for one more game. . . . O’Neal was named NBA player of the month for January, the second time a Laker has been so honored in three opportunities. Eddie Jones got it in November, Michael Jordan in December.

Tonight

vs.

Portland

* 7:30

* Fox Sports

West

Site--Great Western Forum.

Radio--KLAC (570), KWKW (1330).

Records--Lakers 33-11, Trail Blazers 26-19.

Record vs. Trail Blazers--0-1.

Update--A Laker victory will move Coach Del Harris into 18th place on the all-time victory list. He is currently tied with K.C. Jones with 522 victories. The Lakers’ last game before the All-Star break comes against a team that traditionally gives them trouble. The Trail Blazers have won 15 of the last 23 meetings, though they did lose the first-round playoff series last season.