Lakers Can’t Stop the Music

The Lakers showed so many flaws in Sunday’s 100-91 loss to the Utah Jazz that it’s just easier to start with the one thing they don’t need: Dennis Rodman.

Rodman’s sole contribution is rebounds, and the Lakers had that department handled with a 49-38 advantage on the boards.

He sure wouldn’t help them at the free-throw line, where the Lakers gave away 18 points by making only 26 of 44 attempts (59.1%).

If stopping Karl Malone is the No. 1 priority for the Lakers to get through Utah and into the NBA finals, Rodman’s of no use there because most of Malone’s points these days come from the outside, from the free-throw line and on the fastbreak. It’s not about handling him in the post.

Besides, if Elden Campbell can put together more games like Sunday’s 14-point, 12-rebound effort, the power forward issue isn’t an issue. Campbell crashed the offensive boards to score on follow-up dunks and layups and he took passes and went to the hoop when the lane cleared. This shouldn’t be too much to ask for regularly, right Elden?

At this point, Rodman’s potential for distraction and discord on a young team already unsure of itself far outweighs his potential contributions.

So tell the fans in the upper reaches of the Great Western Forum who chanted “We want Worm” near the end of the game to stick with something more relevant, like “Dee-fense.”

And Jerry Buss should tell Rodman’s agents at International Creative Management that there’s no deal. Do what they always do in Hollywood, say there are “creative differences” and move on to the next project.

Shaquille O’Neal, who had lobbied for Rodman, has already changed his tune, from “I Want a Roughneck” to “It Takes Two”--as in a two-guard or a second threat.

“We need a great shooter,” O’Neal said. “We have good shooters; we need someone who’s known as a shooter.”

They Lakers need someone to complement O’Neal’s inside presence the way John Stockton consistently complements Malone.

“They have a great 1-2 punch,” O’Neal said. “We have a 1-and-sometimes-2 punch.”

Of all the potential Laker trades and free-agent signings the past two seasons, the only one that would have really made a difference was Eddie Jones to Sacramento for Mitch Richmond.

The Lakers still don’t have someone they can count on to nail jumpers, extend the defense and keep teams from double-teaming Shaq whenever a Laker even thinks about passing him the ball.

Two games into the season and Jones’ offense is nowhere to be found. He shot two for 12 against Houston on Friday night, then shot one for 10 Sunday.

As long as he’s slumping, the insertion of Kobe Bryant into the starting lineup at small forward can’t be considered a complete success because the Lakers are getting nothing from the shooting guard position right now.

Bryant has been fantastic at both ends of the floor. Playing in the frontcourt, closer to the basket, lets him showcase the previously unseen rebounding aspect of his game. He had another double-double Sunday, 16 points and 12 rebounds.

But the Laker guards were outscored, 41-19, by their Jazz counterparts. Stockton--man, what more can you say about this guy? He’s the one the Lakers need to stop. Derek Harper couldn’t do it Sunday, when Stockton scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and the Jazz just took over the game.

The point-guard situation is far from resolved. Derek Fisher started both games, hesitated to shoot some times and rushed shots at others, made a combined two for nine, and saw his minutes drop from 23 Friday to 17 (none in the fourth quarter) Sunday.

And he’s not too happy about it.

“I’m still considered at the same level,” Fisher said. “In this league, respect is given to you, it’s not earned. It’s not earned at all. Respect is not given to the people that come to practice every day and put that work in. Respect is given to the people that so-and-so wants it given to. Until that changes, I’m going to always be where I am, starting and playing 17 minutes.”

Meanwhile, Jones admits that the constant trade speculation creeps into his head. He won’t strike a direct correlation between that and his shooting woes, but the rumors sure don’t help.

Bryant likes starting and his numbers make it hard to take him out, so either Rick Fox will have to stay on the bench when his feet feel good enough to let him play again or Jones will have to sit down or “The Future” is going to have to wait again and not be happy about it.

Fox and Robert Horry don’t fit any defined roles, just doing a little of this and a little of that, presenting Coach Del Harris with more lineup and rotation problems.

Once again, uncertainty reigns at every position except center, where O’Neal was his usual reliable self with 37 points and 14 rebounds. But even he faltered in the fourth quarter, making only two of six shots from close range.

A regular-season victory over Utah would have meant nada; the Lakers did it three times last year, but couldn’t win once in the playoffs.

But the loss brings up all kinds of issues and exposes all kinds of sensitive nerves. The Laker problems might be more personal than personnel.

They had nothing to gain by playing the Jazz, everything to lose, just like their situation regarding a certain eccentric, 37-year-old, unemployed power forward.