Winning With a Few Concerns

These are not particularly trying times for the Lakers, winning more than three-quarters of their games, getting along famously and pretty much laughing along the way.

Coach Phil Jackson left practice a little earlier than usual Monday afternoon, so his players practiced their half-court shots and trash talking, which will come in handy when the H-O-R-S-E portion of their schedule arrives.

The real grind is 21/2 weeks away, and then they’ll have needed these light days, so that Shaquille O’Neal’s feet could heal along with the Laker jump shots and triangle psyches.

They play Thursday at Houston, where the locker rooms will just have to do, and Friday at Memphis, then return for the Christmas Day game against the Philadelphia 76ers, NBA finalists once upon a time.

Outside of the mild two-game crisis last week, it has been a fairly easy run to 18-3. The Lakers have played one road game in the month, and no games outside of California. O’Neal is third in the NBA in scoring and Kobe Bryant is sixth, and they are separated by only four field-goal attempts. They could become only the third set of teammates to finish Nos. 1-2 in the league in scoring, but that might not interest them.

They would like to see a few teammates make a few outside shots, if only to lessen the load some. In their last five games the Lakers are 14 for 75 from the arc, so small forwards and large guards creep ever closer to O’Neal. O’Neal even managed an optimistic view of that.

“I don’t think it can get any worse,” O’Neal said. “However, we’re still winning.

“If they don’t hit them, Fire and Ice will do most of the work. But like I said, when we need the guys, they’ll be there. There’s no doubt in my mind they’ll be there.”

Some get so few shots, some are finding it difficult to know if they are hot, cold or somewhere in between. In six December games, Brian Shaw has made four of eight three-point shots in only 41 minutes. Rick Fox has made eight of 25. Derek Fisher has made seven of 25. Robert Horry, in a period of nearly three weeks, has missed all 10 of his three-point attempts.

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Monday’s emphasis was in finding the timing in the offense, a point Jackson tried to make late in the practice when Lindsey Hunter missed a 16-footer in a drill with no defenders.

“Why’d you miss that shot?” Jackson asked him.

“I just missed it,” Hunter said.

Jackson explained he missed because the pass was a second late, so Hunter was that far off, so the rhythm of the triangle offense--of any offense--was lost.

He ordered that they run the play again, at which point O’Neal announced, “He’s still going to miss,” causing everyone to break up.

Hunter did miss, but it was closer.

The team is off today and will practice Wednesday before flying to Houston.

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Isaiah Rider stopped by the Laker offices Monday to pick up his championship ring, and afterward spoke briefly with a few of his former coaches and teammates.

Rider, waived last month by the Denver Nuggets, said he has had discussions with other teams, but was not sure where the talks would lead. The Lakers have not considered re-signing Rider.