Lakers heading for a fall

Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson’s ambition may be driving the Lakers to the point of implosion as the Tinseltown franchise launches its bid for a third straight title in the National Basketball Association (NBA) this coming season.

In a move that’s been interpreted to mean nothing more than brownnosing, Jackson recently kicked revered long-time assistant Fred (Tex) Winter out of the Lakers bench to make room for Kurt Rambis.

It’s no secret that Jackson’s current flame Jeanie — Lakers owner Jerry Buss’ daughter and the team’s executive vice president of business operations — is a close friend of Rambis’ wife Linda. And it’s also no secret that Rambis, who was the Lakers’ assistant general manager last season, wanted out of the front office and onto the bench to avail of the fat bonuses that Buss dispenses to the coaching staff.

So Jackson did the unthinkable. He demoted Winter — to whom he owes a lot of his coaching experience — and struck him out of the Lakers’ money stream. Winter, who turns 80 in February, took a $125,000 pay cut and will miss out on the $500,000 bonus that the assistant coaches pocket when the Lakers win a championship.

Another Lakers assistant coach Bill Bertka suffered a similar humiliation. Bertka, 73, was relieved of his coaching duties and has been demoted to scout in his 21st year on the job for the Lakers. Bertka takes over the spot vacated by Ronnie Lester who replaced Rambis as assistant general manager.

"Phil doesn’t want me there (on the bench)," said Winter, quoted by Roland Lazenby. "He thought it was time to make a change. He wants me to continue to be a floor coach. That’s where I’m the most valuable to him."

When Jackson told Winter of his new assignment, his first impulse was to resign. But Lakers star Kobe Bryant talked him into staying — at least for one more season, for the three-peat.

Lazenby said Winter is increasingly getting frustrated because of Jackson’s ulterior motives. Obviously, Jackson hopes to control the franchise through Buss’ daughter, who once posed nude for Playboy Magazine. He’s already forced Jerry West — credited for rebuilding the Lakers franchise that Jackson inherited — to retire unceremoniously. If Buss isn’t careful, he just might be booted out of the boardroom before he knows it.

"As his teams have won championships, Jackson’s ego, already substantial, has grown," wrote Lazenby. "Part of Winter’s role in the past has been to help keep that ego in check. But Jackson doesn’t listen like he used to."

And why should he listen to anyone? Jackson’s secure in calling the shots with the boss’ daughter by his side.

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The Lakers opened training camp last Friday and play an eight-game preseason schedule, starting Oct. 7. They make their regular season debut against Portland on Oct. 30 at the Staples Center.

So far, Jackson has dropped four players from last season’s playoff roster — Horace Grant, Greg Foster, Ron Harper, and Tyronn Lue. Derek Fisher (broken right foot) and Mark Madsen (broken left wrist) underwent separate surgeries last July 3 and won’t be back in uniform until December. That’s six spots open in the Lakers’ lineup. Additionally, J.R. Rider — who was left out of the playoff roster — won’t be back.

Shaquille O’Neal also went under the knife last Aug. 29 as doctors cut out a bone fragment in his small left toe. Shaq will probably miss the first few weeks of the season — worse, he’ll report for work out of shape. He’s ballooned to over 340 pounds and without the benefit of training camp, he’ll be easy prey for the box-and-one zone defense that’s expected from the opposition this season.

O’Neal has predicted that "we’re not going to win anything the first month" of play.

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To shore up the Lakers cast, Jackson has signed up a load of free agents — Isaac Fontaine (who played for Sta. Lucia Realty in the Philippine Basketball Association last year), Jelani McCoy from the Seattle SuperSonics, Mitch Richmond from the Washington Wizards, Lindsey Hunter from the Milwaukee Bucks, Samaki Walker from the San Antonio Spurs, veteran three-point specialist Dennis Scott and former Chicago Bulls enforcer Dickey Simpkins, among others.

Back in the crew are O’Neal, Bryant, Fisher, Madsen, Rick Fox, Devean George, Robert Horry, Brian Shaw, and Mike Penberthy (who was Alaska’s Fil-Am Jon Ordonio’s teammate at The Masters College in Los Angeles). So nine roster spots are filled, leaving three up for grabs. Walker is a shoo-in as Grant’s replacement. Hunter will take over from Lue. Richmond, Scott and Fontaine will slug it out for Rider’s spot and Shaw might be axed in the shuffle. McCoy will back up O’Neal in Foster’s place and Simpkins looks like the odd man out.

No doubt, Jackson’s a talented coach. But if he continues to show a lack of respect for those who count in the L.A. organization, the Lakers might just be headed for a big fall.