Rooks Fills the Bill in the Big Man’s Role

Sam Bowie filled the role well before retiring after 1994-95, leaving the Lakers to go through three players last season trying to find a dependable big man off the bench, someone who could play power forward and center. Then they took the search into the summer.

“We had been looking for a Sam,” Coach Del Harris said.

They ended up with a Sean. Close enough.

Free-agent signee Sean Rooks has backed up Harris’ prediction that the Lakers would have a better three-man rotation than the solid Vlade Divac-Elden Campbell-Bowie combination of two years ago, and not only because Shaquille O’Neal is also on board. It’s that Rooks has been everything Harris hoped while contributing 5.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 50% shooting in seven exhibition games.

“Invaluable--that’s how valuable,” the coach said of Rooks. “To have a big man who can go in and play against either big man and pass, rebound and score? I’m so thrilled to have him on our team.

“You’ve got to understand, Sam was at the end of his career, his last year. With Shaquille, Elden and Sean Rooks, that’s considerably more firepower than two years ago. Elden is better than two years ago, Shaq is a four-time all-star, and Sean is young but in his prime.”

Or maybe Elden is just Elden--he’s averaging four rebounds and 21 minutes. By contrast, Corie Blount is getting 5.7 rebounds in 17.4 minutes off the bench and Rooks’ 4.7 is in 18.3 minutes.

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Kobe Bryant will not play tonight when the Lakers (5-2) meet the Seattle SuperSonics at Boise, Idaho, in the exhibition finale, meaning he will have played in only two of the eight contests heading into his rookie season. Bryant is said to be improving from the strained hip muscle, but the Lakers will not rush him back. There still are six days of practice ahead before the regular season opens a week from today at the Forum against the Phoenix Suns.

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Rooks, who played at Arizona after Fontana High, wasn’t the only Laker with a Wildcat connection at Wednesday’s game in Tucson. Football Coach Dick Tomey was Harris’ batterymate in the late ‘60s when they played semipro baseball in Indiana. He was behind the plate when Harris struck out 19 batters in one game.