LAKERS NOTEBOOK: PENBERTHY LEFT OFF PLAYOFF ROSTER.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - Mike Penberthy came out of seemingly nowhere to become a fan favorite, national media darling and 3-point sniper for the Lakers. Now he's back to seemingly nowhere and unhappy to be there.

The Lakers left the rookie guard off the playoff roster Thursday, opting instead for Tyronn Lue's defense and ending Penberthy's Cinderella season.

``I wish them the best of luck, and obviously they feel like they're better without me,'' Penberthy said. ``So good luck.''

The Lakers plucked Penberthy out of obscurity, signing him to a contract last fall after an impressive workout and giving him his first NBA job. The 1997 graduate of The Master's College had only played abroad and in the CBA.

He started out with a hot hand, making 43 percent of his 3-pointers through mid-December. Then defenses started paying more attention and an injury to Penberthy's right shoulder slowed him. Penberthy had difficulty defending speedy point guards, notably Portland's Damon Stoudamire.

In 53 games, Penberthy averaged 5.0 points and made 39.6 percent of his 3-pointers.

``I felt like I contributed the way I was supposed to be in this role, and if they don't need the role, then that's fine,'' he said.

A free agent this summer, Penberthy was noncommittal about returning to the Lakers and said Thursday's roster move will impact his decision.

``I hope things work out, but if other doors open and I feel like I need to step through them, then I will,'' he said. ``I don't feel any sense that I need to consider staying here over others.''

--Cleamons to Cavs? Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons is a leading candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers' head-coaching position, according to the Akron Beacon-Journal. The Cavaliers fired coach Randy Wittman on Thursday.

Cleamons could not immediately be reached for comment.

Cleamons worked with coach Phil Jackson for seven years on the Chicago Bulls staff, then joined Jackson when he took the Lakers job in June 1999. That same month, Cleamons inquired about the Cavaliers job after the firing of Mike Fratello.

Cleamons' only head-coaching experience came in Dallas, where he served for just over a season, compiling a 28-72 record from 1996-97.

--Roster angst: Jackson lamented the NBA's playoff-roster rules, which required teams to make their decisions by noon Thursday. Jackson said that left West Coast teams, which had not practiced yet, at a disadvantage.

Once playoff rosters are set, they are permanent, a rule Jackson called ``much too rigid.''

``It's ridiculous that we have to have it in while we are practicing, with two or three days left before the first game, when guys can get injured in practice,'' he said. ``And we've seen it happen before.''

Major-league baseball allows teams to alter rosters between rounds, and Jackson said, ``I think there's something to that.''