George Finds Niche

Devean George used to tell people, “Stay with me.”

He meant his game was coming. He meant he was starting to get it, a year, then two, out of Division III Augsburg College in Minnesota.

Six games into his third season, George is the Lakers’ most improved player, suddenly stealing minutes from Rick Fox at small forward, and on Sunday night drawing the pivotal defensive assignment against Orlando’s Tracy McGrady.

“I’m just trying to take advantage of the opportunity I’m getting,” George, ever low-key, said. “I’m getting comfortable knowing that my shots are coming and knowing what shots are acceptable to take. Now I’m taking them.”

He has averaged 6.5 points on 55.6% shooting in 18 minutes. Against the Magic, he scored 10 points in 29 minutes, the playing time matching his career high.

Driven in part by Kobe Bryant, George decided he could be better on defense, bolder on offense, and willing to live with errors of aggression. So McGrady, who scored 44 points two nights earlier against Sacramento, scored half that in a loss to the Lakers.

“I was looking forward to the challenge,” George said. “He’s a good player. You know, he’s athletic and long and I think I can match up with him. I think I did all right.”

Fox pointed out that George’s improvement came at a time when Fox’s game was off--he was one for eight from the floor Sunday and he has missed 13 of 17 three-pointers--and so was Lindsey Hunter’s. Hunter was two for eight from the field and failed to score in double figures for the first time as a Laker.

“I really am impressed,” Fox said. “It’s good because we need that. We’re deep as it is, but he’s an individual that’s been in the system for three years. Where he really hasn’t had the opportunity in the past two years to play as well as he’s playing, it’s good.”

The Lakers waited as long as they could for George. Three weeks ago, the team declined the option year on his contract, a similar decision that made Tyronn Lue a free agent after last season.

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Bryant does not have a broken nose.

He does have a sore, swollen, bruised nose, sustained in Sunday night’s game against the Magic. He was examined Monday by a specialist, who determined there was no fracture.

Bryant said he had difficulty breathing and suffered from dry mouth, but that it did not affect his play. He scored 12 fourth-quarter points Sunday.

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The combined record, before tonight’s games, of the five teams the Lakers beat to get to 6-0: 12-23.

They play at Houston (5-2) on Thursday, at Phoenix (3-4) on Friday, then at home against Sacramento (5-2) on Sunday.

If the Lakers get to 9-0 against the Kings, it would be five games before they would see another elite team--Milwaukee, at Staples Center, on Nov. 27.

The 1993 Houston Rockets and 1948 Washington Capitols each started 15-0, the NBA record. The club record is 11-0, set in 1997.

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If Shaquille O’Neal is trying to get Bryant the most valuable player award, he has a curious way of going about it.

The notoriously slow-starting O’Neal leads the league in scoring (30.7) and blocked shots (3.67, tied with Ben Wallace), and is fifth in rebounding (11.8).

Bryant is second in scoring (28.5), leads in steals (2.83) and is 14th in assists (7.2).