Role Agrees With Russell

The Lakers had their doubts about Bryon Russell.

After nine seasons in Utah, the Jazz let him go with barely a phone call. He went to Washington last season to play with Michael Jordan and for Doug Collins, and that was a disaster, his shooting percentage falling to a career-low 35.3.

But, Russell’s agent, Dwight Manley, was persistent, Russell hung around El Segundo in late summer, and a couple of days into training camp, the Lakers signed the free agent to a make-good contract.

Twenty-three games in, Russell leads the team in three-point shooting at 40.4%, is a game, versatile defender, and has become an important part of the Lakers’ playoff hopes.

“He’s a real pleasant surprise,” Coach Phil Jackson said.

“But, not really a surprise. Our question when he didn’t play a whole lot last year was, what happened to his game? Did his game forsake him? Did he get overweight? Is age part of the factor? But, he’s played himself into a very valuable position here.”

Since Nov. 19, Russell has made 51.5% of his three-point attempts and 52.6% of his shots, and his playing time has increased, Jackson finding minutes for him at shooting guard and small forward in recent weeks.

Russell also has been a buoyant personality, having found happiness away from the Wizards and in a winning situation.

“It wasn’t his fault,” Collins, now with TNT, said of Russell. “He needs to play off the greatness of stars who create open shots for him because they’re double-teamed. He’s in a perfect spot here with the Lakers.”

Thing is, the Wizards had stars.

“I wasn’t any good last year because they weren’t passing the ball,” Russell said. “They were hogs. It was just selfish basketball, and that’s why I couldn’t do anything there.”

*

Rick Fox continues his recovery from May foot surgery, every practice day critical for him.

Jackson said he hoped to have an idea when Fox would be ready -- or close to it -- by Jan. 1.

Brian Cook, the Lakers’ first pick in the June draft, is practicing with tape around his surgically repaired finger and is feeling at near full strength.

“Right now, it’s a matter of getting him into a kind of playing shape in which he feels comfortable,” Jackson said. “He’s doing almost everything. There’s some things that are noticeable about his game [that] he still has to [work on].”

The organization would like to see Cook, who is on the injured list, develop a low-post game.

“Yeah, and playing with his hands,” Jackson said. “All that jamming with your hand to a guy’s back ... and using arm bars. Those things go back to using his hand as a real aggressive part of the game.”

*

Derek Fisher’s game continues to come and go in his new role as sixth man. After a stretch in which he appeared to have found his shooting stroke, Fisher is one for 19 from the floor in his last three games and has made one three-point basket in December.

Ever earnest, Fisher has thrown himself into his defense and has only four turnovers in his last 134 minutes.

“Some of it has to do with finding minutes coming off the bench, playing his role,” Jackson said. “Now that minutes are starting to accumulate to Kobe [Bryant’s] end, he’s got fewer minutes to play. I think that’s cut back on his rhythm and his ability to play with the ball as often.”

Fisher also likes a crisply run offense for his own rhythm, particularly as a shooter, and the Lakers have not provided that yet.

“I think that’s always a difficult thing, a player going back to the bench,” Jackson said. “There’s unpredictable things. You don’t know how many shots there’s going to be. You don’t know if you’re going to be a defensive player that night and you’re not going to get shots. If it’s not going to go in, you’re going to have to do other things for the team to win. So, it’s not an easy role, yet it’s one he’s played for four or five years.”