Jackson Hasn’t Eased Up on Rider

Laker Coach Phil Jackson made it clearer still Wednesday afternoon that Isaiah Rider has much to prove.

Rider played a forceful game Tuesday night despite a sprained right ankle. He proved that his conditioning and game are progressing, and he insisted again that he could be content within the confines of the triangle, an offense that already has its first two options in Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

Jackson, though, remained irked that Rider ignored two opportunities to treat the sore ankle before Tuesday’s game at the Arrowhead Pond.

Asked if he learned anything about Rider from Rider’s willingness to play through the injury at a point in the exhibition season when many players would sit, Jackson suggested Rider had no choice.

“He showed me that he made up for the fact he wasn’t professional enough to take care of that ankle after practice [Monday] or before practice [Tuesday],” Jackson said. “Then, he’s not going to accept an excuse of not being able to play as a ready out. He’s going to play anyway, so he’s got great grit and toughness. That still doesn’t take care of the professionalism you have to have, coming in and doing the right thing and getting therapy post and prior to games.

“But,” Jackson said, “his game out there, they started attacking him in the third and fourth quarter, they were going to try to make an example of him and he just stepped up and changed the ballgame around for us.”

Rider said he simply assumed the ankle would feel better. He volunteered for treatment before and after practice Wednesday.

“I’m going to keep playing through it,” Rider said. “I want to tighten up my game and be on the floor as much as I can.”

Jackson apparently intends to press the enigmatic Rider, particularly on issues of accountability. Last week, Jackson revealed Rider had been late to a practice.

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Depending on where you stop in the locker room, the Lakers have anywhere between two weeks and six months to get their game in order.

They haven’t yet played well, really, though Rider was better on one leg Tuesday night than he’d been on two for the previous two weeks. Mark Madsen spent more time on the floor than former congressman Bob Dornan ever did. And Greg Foster took guff from no man for 15 minutes, at which point he fouled out.

So, they may be 0-3 going into tonight’s game against Cleveland, the Lakers’ first at Staples Center since arena workers swept out the confetti, but it’s a spirited 0-3.

“We’re OK,” O’Neal said. “But this is a totally different team. Guys have to learn the offense.

“Once it’s all veterans out there, we’ll be fine. Once we get our core guys we’ll be fine.”

O’Neal and Bryant are healthy and chummy, Ron Harper is content and the offense appears to be improving

“The scores are irrelevant to me in the exhibition season,” Jackson said. “And yet at some level we have to take responsibility for putting the game in order and find a way to lead, especially with our first team in the first and third quarters. We haven’t done that yet.”

Bryant has used October to familiarize himself with the wing, an experimental period that has, at times, been exasperating for Jackson and anybody actually running the triangle offense.

“I haven’t played at the wing all that long to feel comfortable with it,” Bryant said. “I’m just feeling out spots on the floor. We all need to get our rhythm down. Until then, we’re just scratching the surface.”

Questions about the Lakers’ readiness on Oct. 31, when they’ll play their opener in Portland, or in mid-April, when the playoffs start, are met with bemused smiles.

“It’s preseason,” Bryant said. “It’s time to explore and investigate.”

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In the Shootout, Seattle plays Golden State at Staples Center tonight at 5, followed by the Laker-Cavalier game at 8. On Friday, the Lakers play the SuperSonics or Warriors at 8. . . . Forward Robert Horry (knee) and guard Tyronn Lue (ankle) practiced Wednesday and are expected to be available tonight.