Lakers Need Wait-and-See Outlook for Everybody

Let me get this straight: Shaquille O’Neal sat out 22 of the first 30 games, Nick Van Exel just left for a month, the Lakers are rotating four power forwards in the absence of a satisfactory one, and from the throats of what seems like 1,000 talk-show hosts, et al., comes a blood-curdling cry:

“Give us the the head of Del Harris!”

What has Delmer done but help hold the Lakers together?

Of course, the players are stars and he’s the fuddy-duddy in charge. Del-hunting season occurs annually.

It won’t be hard to tell when it’s time to hold him accountable. If the Lakers feel like freezing their roster, they can pull the plug on Harris at the first disappointment.

But if they think they may have to make changes, they should play it out--the plan all along--see who responds, who doesn’t, and proceed from there.

Of course, changes are already in the air.

Worried about Van Exel--the problem, they say, is the knee that’s giving him trouble has been his good one--the Lakers were casting about for point guards, including a projected one, Brent Barry, at the trade deadline.

As scary as they can be, they’re still a team with two untouchables, age 25 and 19, that can’t find a set lineup and improves in fits and starts.

Their movable argument of last spring became November’s powerhouse and kept going with O’Neal out in December, leading people, here and everywhere else, to assume school would be out when he returned.

He’s back, school’s still in session.

Shaq makes them an elite team and Eddie Jones and Kobe Bryant make them spectacular, but it’s Van Exel who can get them over the top. When Van Exel plays well, they have the all-important No. 2 option in crunch time. Otherwise, it’s Jones, who isn’t that kind of scorer, or Bryant, who shouldn’t be expected to carry a team of grown-ups until he’s 23 or so, or their big guy at the foul line.

Before Jan. 1, Van Exel averaged 16 points, shot 43% and led the league in three-point baskets as they went 23-7, with Shaq missing 22.

Since, with Nick’s knee flaring up, he has averaged 12.7 points and shot 37%. They’ve gone 16-9, with Shaq playing all the games.

Last week, Harris slowed the offense down to shore the defense up and, voila! But why shouldn’t he get some heat? He hasn’t been coach of the year since 1995.

DESPERATION, THY NAME IS PITINO

Rick Pitino signs Chris Mills to a $33.6-million Celtic contract, trades him before the exhibition season is over for four Knicks. He cuts one, Scott Brooks; plays another, Dontae’ Jones, 57 minutes all season, and trades a third, John Thomas, with Chauncey Billups, the third pick in last spring’s draft, for Kenny Anderson, who has $40 million left on his contract.

Pitino, a great coach but a frantic general manager, seems to be getting wackier as he goes. In characteristic style, he refers to deals as mercy transactions--he has to find a good home for Dee Brown (and his $3.5-million salary), etc. He shopped Billups for months but insisted to the end he hated to see him go.

Said a Boston writer, “Upon completion of that statement, Pitino’s nose passed through customs and crossed the U.S. border.”

Despite doubling last season’s victory total from 11 to 22 at the All-Star break, Pitino, general managers said, had shopped every player he had, except Antoine Walker.

Oops, he just made it a clean sweep.

Pitino had been telling Walker through the papers that they wouldn’t pay him Kevin Garnett money. Walker said the right things until two weeks ago, when he told NBC’s Peter Vecsey, “I don’t see why I should have to take less.”

Pitino started offering Walker around the league the same night.

A BIG BULLS’ WELCOME FOR DAVID VAUGHN

Your dysfunctional dynasty outdid itself, ripping young, hopefully-not-too-sensitive David Vaughn, who came over from the Golden State Warriors for Jason Caffey.

“I thought it was Loy Vaught from the Clippers,” Dennis Rodman said. “I said to myself, ‘That’s not so bad.’ But David Vaughn? Who is he? Where did he come from?”

Said Michael Jordan: “I’ve kind of given up disputing the issue. [Management is] going to do whatever they want, no matter what I say. . . . I’m just sitting here and watching, trying to do what I can to keep this thing rolling.”

Said Ron Harper: “I think Jason Caffey is a much better player than David Vaughn.”

Caffey was a useful player on the last two championship teams, and the deal was made by General Manager Jerry Krause, whom players dislike. Coach Phil Jackson, who is feuding with Krause, wasn’t consulted. Insiders say Krause moved Caffey to force Jackson to play Krause’s favorite, Toni Kukoc, more.

“I just want to get the respect of my teammates,” Vaughn said. “I just want to come in and fit in.”

Good luck.

FACES AND FIGURES

SuperSonics will be SuperSonics: Elder statesman Nate McMillan, bristling after a home loss to the Celtics: “If you’re supposed to be leading this team, you lead the team the way it is supposed to be led and we aren’t getting that right now. Our captains and our leaders [presumably Gary Payton and Vin Baker] got to shut up and make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.” Asked if he could pinpoint the problem, McMillan said, “Yeah, but I won’t say. I know exactly what it is.” . . . New Heat guard Barry, joking about his bad-defense rap: “I thought de-fense was something you had around your yard.” Coach Pat Riley, not joking about Barry’s defense: “We’ll toughen him up.” . . . More B.S. (Bulls Stuff): Rodman didn’t take the court for a game against Cleveland until it began, didn’t start and was benched after taking four three-pointers. “Dennis was losing contact with reality,” Jackson said in an understatement. “That is not unusual.” . . . With Chris Dudley injured, Knick General Manager Ernie Grunfeld sorted desperately through usual suspects such as Cliff Rozier, Kevin Salvadori, Dickey Simpkins and Benoit Benjamin. Said Coach Jeff Van Gundy, ending the search: “Would you rather have a seven-foot stiff or a 6-7 guy who can play?” . . . Bringing up Cal: New Jersey rookie Keith Van Horn, on Coach John Calipari’s oft-stated admiration of authoritarian role model Riley: “I told him one time, ‘I think you love Pat Riley more than you love your wife.’ ” . . . Detroit’s Grant Hill, taking his squeaky clean “Change the Game” image seriously, is bristling at criticism he helped finish off Coach Doug Collins-- which he did, after months of begging by teammates: “Question my desire, my leadership skills, question everything. I’m going to be criticized until I win a championship. And then I will still be criticized. Fans are calling us spoiled and rotten for not wanting to play for a certain coach. Don’t come and watch us if you don’t like it, if you think the firing was messy. I can’t force you to like it. All I can say is, root for the Red Wings.” . . . Joe Smith, delighted to be a 76er, had better turn it up if he wants to stay. He arrived out of shape, went 17 for 53 in six games, looking weak for a power forward, slow for a small one and delusional if he really expects $8 million to $10 million a year. Says Philadelphia personnel director Billy King: “I’ll deal with that stuff this summer.” . . . At Kentucky, Pitino helped agent David Falk land Walker and Ron Mercer. After granting refuge to Anderson, another embattled Falk client, there’s speculation Pitino hopes for a favor in return, such as a reasonable attitude in negotiations with Walker and perhaps Falk free agent Matt Geiger. Of course, just where do they think they’re going with Walker and Geiger?

Piston coaches and players have had it with Brian Williams’ numerous injuries and writhing-on-the-floor episodes. “At San Antonio we had to use a golf cart to get Brian from the locker room to the bus,” conditioning coach Arnie Kander said. “I assumed his ankle would be all swollen and tender at Houston [the next day] but he came to practice wearing flip-flops and he was OK.” . . . On the other hand, they don’t make quotes like him any more: Williams, asked if there was a snowball effect from losses to the Spurs and Rockets: “Yeah. We don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell. That’s the snowball effect.”