Fox-Rice Combination Was Initial Plan

By TIM KAWAKAMI

Feb. 8, 2000 12 AM PT

Rick Fox, whose playing time off the bench has increased recently, could see more action in tandem with Glen Rice, Coach Phil Jackson said before Monday’s game.

“In our offense, for us to really operate the offense well, it takes every player being a threat, and sometimes we have players that don’t carry a threat on the floor,” Jackson said.

“Harp [Ron Harper] obviously, they make a choice to run off him. And A.C. [Green] . . . When you have two players out there that neither player they feel they have to play because of their outside shooting threat, it makes it difficult to get the ball back inside.

“When you do have Rick and Glen together out on the floor, it changes. The teams have to spread the defense and open up the inside.”

Jackson used the Fox-Rice combination several times early in the season but moved away from the double-small forward lineup once Robert Horry began a string of effective performances as the backup power forward.

Jackson said he wasn’t sure if Horry’s recent broken nose--he wore a protective plastic mask for eight games, until Friday’s victory over Utah--had been affecting his play.

“Robert played a string of games very well for us and he fell on hard times--the mask contributed to it probably,” Jackson said.

“I’m just looking at [Rice and Fox playing together] for unique situations where we’re struggling a little bit and we’ve got to get some offense going and we’re getting mired, bogged down.”

Would there be major concerns about the 6-foot-7 Fox matching up against large power forwards?

“I don’t think he has any problems with size,” Jackson said. “He’s got a big body, weighs 250, he’s a good post-up defender. It’s the rebounding aspect that might be a problem.”

Jackson said one of his main points of emphasis has been to sharpen his team’s defense against the high pick-and-roll--a longtime Laker nemesis--which Houston and San Antonio used to great success in recent Laker defeats.

“Our players are being picked; the idea is to avoid the picks,” Jackson said. “And we have guys that are finding a friendly chest to lean on--basically, what we call a rest spot.

“Kobe [Bryant]’s not used to playing that many picks out in front as a guard . . . [The team had to] work on some things about avoiding picks and how not to get hung up on them. . . .’ ”

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TRIPLE PLAYS / The Big 3

Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Glen Rice have been the driving force behind the Lakers’ success. How they fared:

O’NEAL

*--*

Mon. Season 35 Points 27.8 13 Rebounds 14.2 8 Assists 3.5

*--*

BRYANT

*--*

Mon. Season 29 Points 22.5 9 Rebounds 6.2 11 Assists 4.3

*--*

RICE