Rambis, Shaw Back on Bench

In an otherwise unpredictable season, two symbols of stability sat on either side of Coach Frank Hamblen for Tuesday night’s game.

Kurt Rambis, a member of four Laker championship teams as a player and three as an assistant coach, and Brian Shaw, part of three Laker championship runs as a veteran guard, were pulled out of the front office during the All-Star break to assume roles as assistant coaches.

For Shaw, it was a first -- he had never coached in an NBA game.

Rambis has had seven previous seasons of coaching experience, although this season, more than others, has its share of work to be done.

“There’s a lot of areas that this team needs to improve on,” said Rambis, a former head coach who was filling an executive business-development role with the team before being called to the bench last week. “Part of our job will be to get this team to play together, understand the triangle [offense] better and work on the defensive end so there’s a little cohesion there. To this point, I don’t know if this team’s found their identity yet.”

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During the All-Star break, Hamblen met with what he referred to as his “advisory board” at an assisted-living home in Del Mar.

He has dinner there two or three times a year with a family friend and four others living in the home.

“Millie, the leader of the pack, she’ll be 97 on March 3,” Hamblen said. “Kay’s the youngest, she’s 79.”

The conversation turned to talk of the Lakers and, as usual, the advisory board had plenty of opinions.

“They want Phil [Jackson] back also,” Hamblen said. “And they also agreed that I should be game-to-game. But other than that they’re behind us 100%.”

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Forward Devean George was at his locker before the game when a reporter wandered up and asked if he was “getting close.”

“To what, getting with another team?” he asked with a slight smile.

The reporter actually was referring to George’s return from an assortment of injuries. George, who has yet to play this season, said Monday he thought he would be traded by Thursday’s deadline.

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TONIGHT

at Portland, 7, Channel 9

Site -- The Rose Garden.

Radio -- XTRA (570); KWKW (1330).

Records -- Lakers 27-24; Trail Blazers 21-30.

Record vs. Trail Blazers -- 1-0.

Update -- The Trail Blazers lost four of their last five games before the All-Star break. In a 91-80 loss Feb. 1 to the Lakers, the Trail Blazers scored 10 points in the second quarter.