LAKERS NOTEBOOK: RIDER'S SHOES MAKE HIM TARDY OFT-TROUBLED GUARD LATE, BUT BARELY.

Byline: Steve Dilbeck Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - If you're Isaiah Rider, perhaps you think the smallest of your transgressions have a way of being made out to be be felony offenses.

Then again, if you're Isaiah Rider, your list of transgressions is long enough that the lesser ones can have a way of looking small by way ofcomparison.

So it was on Tuesday that Lakers coach Phil Jackson, almost as an aside as he ended his daily press briefing, mentioned it was no surprise Rider was still learning the nuances of the triangle offense before adding:

``He's only been late once, that's the biggest surprise.''

According to Rider, the only thing that made him late for one of the team's first seven practices was that he walked on the court with his shoes untied.

But he walked on the court with years of troubled baggage, so whether Jackson was trying to send a not-so-subtle message or not, it was clear every move he makes is going to be watched closely.

At first Rider tried to avoid discussing his being late with reporters, but then he acted unconcerned.

``I'm the least of your guys' worries,'' Rider said. ``I'm fine.

``We're supposed to be on the floor with our shoes tied and ready to go. He walked in, and I walked in. That's what happened, period. My shoes wasn't tied, so you're late.''

Rider has already worn out his welcome with three NBA teams - last year he lasted only 60 games with the Hawks before being released. Being late, or missing practices completely, have hardly been his most severe difficulties, but they might have been his most consistent.

A similar incident with Dennis Rodman was finally the excuse the Lakers used to release him two years ago.

But as the Lakers readied to leave for New Orleans, where they will face Charlotte tonight in their first exhibition game, Rider acted at ease with Jackson's unexpected comment.

``Talk to him about it,'' he said. ``I don't have any problem with it. Neither does he, obviously. I'm still here smiling.''

--The Penberthy development: Guard Mike Penberthy, who has emerged as the unexpected surprise of early camp, was running with the first team for the second consecutive day of practice on Tuesday.

Penberthy is the former The Master's College star who had stops in the CBA, Venezuela and Germany before signing with the Lakers after guard Derek Fisher's injury was discovered.

``It's another step for me,'' Penberthy said. ``I have to get to the point where I'm not thinking - `Where's Shaq? Where's Kobe? Where am I supposed to be?' - and I'm just playing.

``Sometimes it's easier when I'm not playing with these guys, because you're worried, `Oh, shoot, I made a mistake. I missed this pass.' So you're constantly stepping on your own performance, rather than just playing. Once I get over that adjustment, I think I can fit it well with these guys.''

The 6-foot-3 Penberthy averaged 27.5 points his senior season at The Masters in 1996-97, and hit 141 of 330 3-point attempts.

With Ron Harper in his conservation mode and not playing much in scrimmages, somebody has to start at point guard with the first team. Still, that it would be the unknown Penberthy even in practice is an unexpected surprise.

Both Jackson and assistant coach Tex Winter have sung his praises.

``I'm not the kind of player that is going to hurt a team,'' Penberthy said. ``I dribble around, get guys in the offense and try to spot up when they need me. I just try to make things run smooth.''