Rambis Likes Decision Even More

Talk about job openings that pass in the night:

After seven games, Kurt Rambis is undefeated as the Laker coach. And Chris Ford is winless in 16 as the Clipper coach, an opening Rambis bypassed to remain as a Laker assistant.

“I went pretty far with my consideration for that ballclub,” Rambis said. “The ultimate decision came down to the fact that it wasn’t the right job for me to take as my first head coaching experience. . . .

“If I was Chris Ford [with previous NBA head-coaching experience], I would’ve taken the job. It would’ve been a no-brainer.

“And Chris Ford is a good coach. But an unproven entity taking his first head-coaching job, going [0-16, people would think] ‘Kurt Rambis must [be lousy] as a coach.’ It’d be pretty tough to get another job.”

****

As Thursday’s trade deadline approaches, General Manager Mitch Kupchak said Laker management is wrestling with this question:

How much should the team’s winning streak affect management’s thinking on potential deals, especially the Eddie Jones-Glen Rice proposal with the Charlotte Hornets?

Rice, a three-point threat, has not played this season after undergoing elbow surgery, but has said he is ready.

“Obviously, when you’re playing well, winning games, you have to ask yourself, does it make sense to explore possibilities when you’re playing as well as we are, when you have a seven-game winning streak?” Kupchak said before the Lakers’ game against the Clippers on Tuesday.

“I do think it’s easier to explore possibilities when you’re not playing well. But you also have to put aside the fact we’ve won seven straight games. . . .

“You have to ask yourself realistically, are we playing as well as we can? And the answer is, we’re playing pretty good, but maybe not as well as we can be playing.

“We do think that the team can be improved. But obviously the decision is, do we keep exploring trade possibilities or do we just decide to do nothing and try to improve the team in the off-season? That’s what we’re faced with now.”