Rambis Wants Players to Put Things in Motion

Frustrated by the previous night’s defeat by Phoenix and the team’s general lack of offensive flow, Coach Kurt Rambis spent Thursday’s practice urging his players to be as active on the court as the Laker management has been off it.

Rambis, having seen enough of the team’s habit of dumping the ball to Shaquille O’Neal or tossing it to Kobe Bryant and then standing around, emphasized rapid screens, back-screens and sharing the ball.

“We talked about movement--that was like the theme of today’s practice, movement,” Bryant said. “Constantly cutting, spacing, reading each other. . . .

“It was just like more of a motion type of offense, even when we go into Shaq. Guys were splitting, guys were back-dooring, cutting, doubling down. Always. I mean, always.”

Rambis said it’s all about moving away from isolation, all-dribble, no-pass offense.

“I just didn’t like the way we played too much one-on-one basketball,” Rambis said. “It’s not beneficial to the players’ talents that we have. We have guys who can cut, slash, pick, spot-up, move, run. . . . We stood, watched and played one on one. . . .

“I think we play right into somebody else’s hands when we play one-on-one basketball.’

Rambis also said he wanted a quicker start to the team’s fastbreak. Too often, he said, the Laker guards trot, instead of rushing downcourt for a longer outlet pass from the rebounder.

“I want them running up the court,” Rambis said. “I don’t want them walking up the court anymore.”

Bryant acknowledged that he operates well when he’s left alone with the ball and given time to break down his defender, but added that Rambis’ tinkering should produce easier shots for everybody.

“I can go one-on-one all day, man,” Bryant said. “That’s fun as hell. But if you want to improve your basketball game, you’ve got to work on everything. And I’m ready and willing to work on moving without the ball and everything.”

*

Rambis, contemplating more alterations in his playing rotation and starting lineup, said that for the time being, J.R. Reid will get most of his minutes as O’Neal’s backup, sharing the No. 2 center role with Sean Rooks. . . . All of the Laker players--although O’Neal was a bit late--avoided a $10,000 league fine by attending the annual team-by-team meeting put on jointly by the NBA and the NBA Players Assn. to go over substance-abuse policies, financial planning information and educational issues. . . . Why did O’Neal come out of Wednesday’s game early in the first quarter for a lengthy spell? It wasn’t an aggravation of his stomach muscle, it was because of an upset stomach.

TONIGHT vs. Sacramento, 7:30

Fox Sports West

* Site--Great Western Forum.

* Radio--KLAC (570).

* Records--Lakers 19-10, Kings 12-16.

* Record vs. Kings--0-1.

* Update--Led by O’Neal’s league-leading 57.7% shooting--60.9% over the last five games--the Lakers are the No. 1 shooting team in the NBA at 46.5%. Twelve days ago, they lost to the high-flying Kings, who got an especially wounding 17 points from guard Predrag Stojakovic.

* Tickets--Sold out.