Fox Says Jackson’s Assessment Should Be Players’ Wake-Up Call

Rick Fox did not accept Coach Phil Jackson’s compliment, the one that tore into the effort of every Laker but left Fox and Kobe Bryant unwounded.

“It’s on all of us,” Fox said. “I still see it as a team sport. It is embarrassing. This team has got to play harder.”

Fox read Jackson’s assessment of the Laker attitude two hours before arriving at Staples Center.

“It awakens anyone that’s approaching the games the way we have,” he said.

In essence, Jackson accused the Lakers of coasting into the playoffs with still months to go in the regular season.

“The coach is always right,” Shaquille O’Neal said, smiling.

O’Neal continues to be hampered by a sore ankle and Achilles’. His shoulder is sore. He has been less nimble as a result, but predicted he will be again.

“I will,” he said. “I’ll be ready. When it counts, I’ll be ready. I’ll just have to step it up.”

Reserve Greg Foster, who made similar observations recently, said no Laker player should be surprised.

“I think everybody knows it,” he said. “At least everybody who wasn’t here before knew it.”

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In order, according to the participants, Dallas Coach Don Nelson is a clown, O’Neal is immature and, as of Saturday, O’Neal’s place in the game has already surpassed that of Nelson.

See what a few harmless personal fouls and wayward free throws have wrought?

“I don’t need class,” O’Neal said Saturday, after being apprised of Nelson’s most recent observation. “I’m a bigger legend in the game than he’ll ever be. Now, how classy is that, Don Nelson?”

It has been weeks since Jackson and Dallas owner Mark Cuban called each other anything nasty.

So, after O’Neal called him a clown, Nelson kept the rivalry warmish with this: “I thought he was more mature than that. Obviously he’s embarrassed from his foul shooting.”

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All along, when it has come to Isaiah Rider, Jackson has been the patient one. Rather than rush Rider into the triangle, where he might be uncomfortable, Jackson has gone a possession at a time.

So far, so-so.

Rider, meanwhile, often has talked about the minutes that would come in January. It won’t be as simple as tearing off a page of the calendar.

“The big thing with J.R. is he’s got to earn the minutes like everybody else,” Jackson said. “I keep reaching out, seeing if he’ll earn those minutes and play well enough to find a role out there. He hasn’t been consistent yet.

“I don’t mean in his scoring, but in his play, so you know what to count on. There’s a chance we may get him some more minutes and see how he’s adapting. Right now he hasn’t shown that he’s earned it.”