NBA FINALS NOTES : Laker Reserve Drew Says He Doesn’t Expect to Return

Although reserve Laker guard Larry Drew has a year remaining on his contract, he says he doesn’t expect to return next season.

“I’ve got one more year, but as far as the way my year has gone, I don’t have good vibes about being back next year,” he said.

Although Drew hasn’t discussed his status with the Laker front office, he said: “Looking at the situation realistically, I’m 33 years old and I haven’t been playing this year. You have to understand the nature of the business about bringing younger guys in to groom them.

“I definitely would like to know (his status) right after everything is over with because I’ve got a family, and I’d like to go ahead and make my plans as far as what I’m going to do after the NBA is over,” Drew said.

Acquired as a backup point guard in 1989, Drew’s playing time has declined over the past two seasons. After averaging 16.6 minutes last season, Drew averaged 10.3 minutes this season. He has averaged 8.5 minutes in the playoffs but only five minutes in the NBA finals.

Drew, who shot 43.2% during the regular season, has shot 37.5% in the finals, making three of eight shots.

A 10-year NBA veteran, Drew played in Italy in 1988-89 before signing with the Lakers. He expects to return to Europe next season.

“If I had to guess, I’d probably say Europe,” Drew said. “I was in Italy for a year, and I had a good time.”

The Lakers might be without guard Byron Scott and forward James Worthy for Game 5 of the NBA finals Wednesday night at the Forum.

Scott suffered a bruised right shoulder when he slipped on a wet spot during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game. Although X-rays were negative, Scott said the pain had not let up Monday.

Will Scott play if his condition doesn’t improve?

“If it’s like it is today, I don’t think so,” Scott said. “But I have two days to get ready, and we’ll see how it is.”

Worthy, who left Game 4 late in the third quarter after aggravating his sprained left ankle, is uncertain whether he will be able to play in Game 5.

“I won’t know until right before the game until I do some layups and test it,” Worthy said.

Laker guard Magic Johnson said: “I think James is definitely out. And even if he plays he should be out because he’s hurting. We’re in a catch thing because he can’t really be James, so he should almost just sit because it’s killing him, and then he can’t defend and they know that, too.

“They’re not stupid, they’re attacking everything. It’s like, ‘What’s our advantage?’ He’s trying, I give him credit for that, but it’s hurting.”

If Scott and Worthy are unable to play, Terry Teagle probably will replace Scott and A.C. Green probably will start in place of Worthy.

“A lot of people can say ‘Woe is me, woe is me’ if we don’t have those guys,” Green said. “But if we don’t have them, we don’t have them and we have to go out there and take care of business.”

Teagle, who shot 44.3% during the regular season, has made only three of 13 shots in the finals.

“If you’re a basketball fan you should know that you don’t always shoot well,” Teagle said. “I’ve got to go out there and keep taking the shots. I’m not pressing at all.”

Forward Horace Grant of the Bulls said he hopes Scott and Worthy don’t play.

“I would rather Worthy and Byron stay on the bench or stay home,” Grant said. “That’s what I would love to see. Because if you have those guys on the court, they’re always a threat.”

Chicago guard Michael Jordan said his jammed right toe is still sore, but he expects to play Wednesday.

“It helps me to have two extra days,” Jordan said. “Maybe some of the other guys want to hurry up and get it over with. But you have to be patient. I’ve been patient for seven years, so I don’t think two days is going to make a big difference.

“I’ve been thinking about (winning the title) all morning. I woke up about 4:30 this morning. I’m anxious to go ahead and win it, but I can’t be overanxious.”

Asked if winning a title would quiet the skeptics who said that Jordan is a great individual player but that he can’t make his teammates better players, Jordan said: “What it actually proves is that (the media are) almost never correct.”

Asked by a radio reporter if he would be ready to retire if the Bulls won the NBA title, Jordan said: “I haven’t thought about retirement yet. You’re going to start pushing me into retirement if I win a championship?”

Johnson said he envisioned the series going to a seventh game.

“Anybody in their right mind would want it to go seven,” Magic said. “I pictured a seventh game and then me and Michael just saying, ‘OK, all you four guys sit down, the last five minutes it’s just going to be me and you.’

“That’s what I dreamed. We were going to tell the people to stand on their feet and then we were going to go at it.”

Would it be shown on pay-per-view TV?

“No,” Johnson said, laughing. “Because that was going to lead up to it.”

Jordan says he could never be the vocal leader people wanted but that he leads by example--and challenge.

The last teammate he took aside and dared to be great?

“Scottie (Pippen),” he said.

“Scottie has got so much talent. He can be one of the top players, and he’s emerging as one of the top players. I challenged him (at the start of the season) to overcome that Detroit syndrome. He’s the guy I can really compete against in practice. I said, ‘Treat everybody like me. Go out and play like you’re playing me in practice. You’ve got enough talent to beat these guys.’ ”

Pippen, told Jordan’s father is calling him Scottie Rodman in honor of his defense:

“It’s an insult. Don’t call me that.”

Grant, on Pippen’s appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show: “I think Scottie should get paid to go on. He’s going on for free. He’s being a nice guy.”

Pippen inherited the invitation when Jordan turned it down.

Times staff writers Mark Heisler and Scott Howard-Cooper contributed to this story.