CHANGE HAS FOX WAITING FOR JUST A MINUTE.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

EL SEGUNDO - Unhappy on the Lakers bench during games or weary atop a bright yellow equipment trunk after practice Wednesday, Rick Fox sits and wonders now if this spring might hold a split-second of magic for him, too.

Fox watched Derek Fisher, the three-peat's other unsung hero, enjoy his 0.4 seconds of fame last week in San Antonio.

Meanwhile, in a cruel twist of numerology, Fox's own playoffs are summed up by a points-per-game average of ... 0.4.

``I've never had this many DNPs in my career,'' Fox said, referring to the ``Did Not Play'' abbreviation next to his name on most of the Lakers' recent stat sheets. ``This is the strangest feeling for me. I don't know what it feels like. High school, college, pros - I've always played.''

Fisher had the signature moment of his Lakers career when he made his desperate shot to turn the Spurs series.

As for Fox, how is he supposed to have a moment in the spotlight when he can't get a minute on the court?

Two months from his 35th birthday, he can remember when he was a starter and a 20-to-30-minutes-a-night player during the playoffs that led to NBA championships in 2000-02. He can remember when he was a starter and a 20-to-30-minutes-a-night player this season for the two months between his return from an summer foot operation and his April thumb injury. He can remember when he was a starter averaging 22 minutes in the first three games of these playoffs.

But since going scoreless while fighting the thumb injury in those three games, and being replaced in the lineup by Devean George in the fourth game of the Houston series, Fox has scored all of three points while playing 17 minutes in eight games - and he didn't get off the bench in the last three games against San Antonio.

``The guys that are playing now are playing well,'' Fox said. ``I got caught behind the 8 ball by getting hurt at the wrong time. I really haven't seen the floor since.''

Had the Lakers drawn the Sacramento Kings as a Western Conference finals opponent, Fox might have had more reason for optimism, given his success guarding Peja Stojakovic.

After the Minnesota Timberwolves' 83-80 victory over Sacramento in their Game 7 Wednesday night, Fox will go to Minneapolis for Friday night's series opener to sit and hope.

``Devean has stepped back into the starting lineup and helped us out,''said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who says Fox is healthy and available. ``But there's always situations that present themselves that may (make) us change things up.''

It was in part the coaching staff's decision to shake things up, to soften the offensive triangle, that knocked Fox out of the rotation.

``As you get older, you can hide in the triangle, use more of a mental approach and work off the traits of your teammates,'' Fox said, sitting in sweaty practice togs atop the equipment chest and leaning back against the white brick wall outside the gym's locker room. ``With the lack of the triangle, I think Phil's opted to go with a younger player (George) who can run faster and is more athletic, and that's understandable.

``My mother calls and asks why we're not running the triangle and why I'm not playing. I say, `It's kind of like I operate the heavy machinery. And we're not using the heavy machinery.' ''

George scored 16, a career playoff high, in what turned out to be Fisher's game last week. With Fisher and Kareem Rush playing well, Jackson has cleared minutes for the guards by moving Kobe Bryant to Fox's small-forward spot.

``I couldn't control getting hurt,'' Fox said. ''I couldn't control my teammates playing well enough to make the coaching staff stick with what's working. All I can do is be supportive.''

In that sense, he's simply taking to the next level what he has done for seven seasons, playing the supporting role of a tough defender, smart playmaker and locker-room leader.

``I've been anxious, and being anxious is not the best emotion to have this time of year,'' Fox said. ``You prefer to be calm and prepared. I feel prepared, but having that feeling without a release of actually playing creates a lot of tension. What I'm trying to do is get that release here on the practice floor.''

Like Fisher before last Thursday, Fox is a respected team player without a defining individual moment.

``I've just got three rings, that's all,'' Fox said with a smile. ``I've been a part of a lot of great teams, and I've contributed from time to time. Most of my stuff has been down at the dirty end of the floor. But I've made my share of shots that have helped us win.''

After Fisher made his hurried, twisting, falling-backward shot, teammates and fans frolicked in the deep meaning of the moment, enjoying the justice in one of the Lakers' heavy lifters taking a star turn.

I asked Fox on Wednesday what it would mean if he had a moment like that.

Fox laughed.

``It probably would mean,'' he replied, ``that Kobe, Shaq and Derek were covered.''

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Rick Fox has been a steady role player for the Lakers, but his latest role has him playing little, if at all, during the postseason.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer