Wednesday Insider

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Lakers still waiting

for the Shaq of old

by Terry Brown

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Also Below: Could McDyess make it back this season? | Peep Show

Where's Shaq?

"Talk to the [expletives] that ain't doing nothing," Shaquille O'Neal told the Los Angeles Times after the Lakers suffered their 14th loss in 23 games, this time to the Golden State Warriors on the road. "Don't talk to me."

Shaquille O'Neal

Center

Los Angeles Lakers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

11 26.6 10.5 2.1 .534 .625

He scored 36 points Tuesday night to go along with nine rebounds and three blocks on 70 percent shooting in 39 minutes.

"He's a long way away," Derek Fisher told the Los Angeles Daily News.

On the year, he is averaging 26.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game on 53 percent shooting in 35.8 minutes after spewing rhetoric of vengeance upon his return from toe surgery.

"When he refused to come out of the game the other night, I said the [censored] with it," Laker coach Phil Jackson told the Daily News. "He'll let me know when he's tired."

For his career, he's averaged 27.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks on 57 percent shooting in 37.7 minutes.

"To expect him to be the Shaq people expect him to be on a nightly basis, I don't think is really fair," Fisher added. "He's still able to go out and give us 25 and 10, and that's what makes him the most dominant figure in the game."

Yet the Lakers fell to 9-14, percentage points ahead of the team that just beat them, the team that is dead last in Pacific Division, 8.5 games behind division-leading Sacramento and 10 games behind conference-leading Dallas and yet to win even three games in a row while giving up 4.6 more points per game to their opponents since Shaq has been back.

"Eight guys out there with me who want to play," is all Shaq said he wanted before the Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks and were thought to have turned around their season.

But one year from now, five, 10, when it's all said and done and we're all telling the tale of Laker lore to grandkids on our laps, no one is going to remember that Samaki Walker scored only two points on Dec. 10, 2002. Or that Fisher shot 30 percent from the floor and Robert Horry shot 41 percent. Or Rick Fox pulled down only three rebounds or that Brian Shaw, Devean George and the rest of the Laker bench could scramble together only 10 points.

They're not going to want to know about the [expletives deleted] or Phil Jackson or Jerry Buss or Jack Nicholsen or what uniform the Lakers girls changed into after halftime.

They're going to want to know how O'Neal could miss almost half of the team's games to this point in the season after leading the team to three consecutive championships and then fail to score four more points or block three more shots or hand out two more assists on a night that fellow legend Kobe Bryant tallied 19 points, 14 assists, five rebounds and three steals on 50 percent shooting.

That used to be enough.

"We did a good job of fighting toward the end," Bryant said, "but we weren't able to get over the hump."

Sounds like famous last words for a once-proud team that has to win 32 of its next 59 just to reach .500 after winning only 54 percent of its games since Shaq has returned, much less qualify for the playoffs and defend its legacy in proper form.

Lakers trip on way back

Howard Beck / Los Angeles Daily News

Worriers Back in Laker Defeat

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

O'Neal 'long way away'

Howard Beck / Los Angeles Daily News

No Limits for O'Neal

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

Could McDyess make it back this season?

It started out as rumor, a whisper, perhaps floated within a franchise desperate for any type of good news after starting the season 6-13. Then there was an actual spotting of Antonio McDyess, silent since having left kneecap surgery on Oct. 15.

Officially, he is "expected" to miss the entire season after suffering the injury in the preseason. Doctors have said that it takes a minimum of five months to recover from such an operation, which would put his probable return near the end of March, beginning of April. The regular season ends for the Knicks on April 15.

But McDyess has neither confirmed nor denied any of these reports and may speak to the media today concerning just that.

But first, somewhat of a denial.

"I don't think he should rush back," Kurt Thomas told the New York Post of his teammate. "He should take the full year to get rest and let his body just heal up. He shouldn't be trying to rush back."

In his last full season of action in 2001 with the Denver Nuggets, McDyess averaged 20.8 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game on 49 percent shooting. That would currently place him second on the Knicks in scoring, first in rebounds and second in blocks.

He is a former All-NBA third teamer with Olympic credentials who has missed 84 games due to injury over the last two seasons.

And as bad as it's been for the Knicks, one of the highest-paid teams in the league, the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference is currently going to a team that is only 10-10.

McDyess Set To Break Silence

Marc Berman / New York Post

Peep Show

Odom

Clippers: All the Clippers want for Christmas is a healthy Lamar Odom. After spending 11 months on the injured reserve list due to wrist and ankle injuries, the multi-faceted small forward is expected to be cleared for play on Dec. 28. "They keep telling me he'll be back right after Christmas," coach Alvin Gentry told the Los Angeles Times. "He's getting stronger every day." Odom has been practicing with teammates for about a week now and appears ready to play. Starting center Michael Olowokandi is expected back this Friday to play against the San Antonio Spurs after sitting out five games with tendinitis in his left knee.

Magic: Grant Hill may be back Friday to play against the Golden State Warriors after sitting out Tuesday night's game to rest his surgically repaired ankle, along with power forward Horace Grant who missed the first month of play due to injury. It was the third time this year that the Magic have had four games in five nights. "This is crazy. The knee, the back, everything is falling apart," Grant told the Orlando Sentinel.

Bulls: Eddie Robinson says he can't play because of a hyperextended knee. His coach will repeat the sentence. But there are still questions. "He didn't feel like he could run and play," Bill Cartwright told the Chicago Tribune. "So there it is." But Robinson felt the need to defend himself further. "It's hurting, I can tell you that," Robinson said. "I'll play as soon as I can."

Battie

Celtics: Tony Battie says he didn't mean to kick the ball that hit referee Mark Wunderlich on Monday, but the league and Wunderlich apparently don't believe him. Wunderlich assessed the center two technical fouls and kicked him out of the game while the league suspended him one game, thereby forcing him to forfeit $44,444 of his salary. "I don't think it's warranted, but they do, so all we can do is prepare to play Phoenix with what we have," Boston coach Jim O'Brien told the Boston Herald Tuesday night. "I'm disappointed that he would be suspended because in looking at the incident and knowing Tony the way we all know Tony, I don't think it was a malicious act. I don't think he was trying to embarrass anybody. That being said, the NBA has to protect its officials."

Pacers: Reggie Miller's ankle isn't getting better but it isn't getting any worse, either. "It is what it's going to be," he told the Indianapolis Star. "I'll play as hard as I can and let everything fall." The 15-tear veteran player isn't expected to miss any games in the near future with the injury, but is averaging a 14-season low 11.5 points per game.

Potapenko

Sonics: The Vitaly Potapenko Era begins for the Seattle Sonics on Monday versus the Cleveland cavaliers. Please hold your applause. The 6-foot-10 Ukranian center began has been in the league six years, averaging 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, recently coming to Seattle in the Vin Baker trade to Boston. In order to make room for him on the active roster, Jerome James was placed in IR. "I'm cool with that," James told the Seattle Times. "I thought they would have done that a long time ago. But it's cool. I'm still planning to come back next week when we get back to Seattle."

Warriors: What's $15 million among friends? Gilbert Arenas, who is averaging 16 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game, is a restricted free agent at the end of this year and several teams are keeping their eye on him, including Denver, Detroit, San Antonio and Miami. But because the Warriors are over the salary cap, they are limited in what they can offer him. "[Money] is not going to be the deciding factor," the second-year guard told the Contra Costa Times before Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. "If an East Coast team offers me $50 million or something, I don't know. What can the Warriors offer me? $35 million? I'm going to stay here. I can't be that far from home."

Odom Is Tantalizingly Close

Elliott Teaford / Los Angeles Times

Hill, Grant sit due to injuries

Tim Povtak / Orlando Sentinel

Robinson's injury no laughing matter

K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune

League boots Battie one game after kick

Steve Bulpett / Boston Herald

Miller deals with ankle injury

Mark Montieth / Indianapolis Star

Potapenko may make Sonics debut Monday

Percy Allen / Seattle Times

Arenas' future cloudy

Matt Steinmetz / Contra Costa Times

[Diesel]

For them to believe that it's because Shaq isn't himself is pure denile. Shaq has been himself. He score 36 points on 12/17 shooting. He pulled down 9 boards. What more do you want. The Lakers were beat by GS because Gs's gaurds simply outplayed the Lakers guards. NOT Shaq's fault. The problem is that the Lakers are so used to beating teams that are not coached well and limited in talent.

Well, like I said this summer. The league is getting better and the Lakers are getting older. Emuss coached GS passed the Lakers and every team that the Lakers play this season will face them with the anticipation of winning. Hate to say it but every game will be a hard fought contest for the Lakers... Because now, everyone knows that they can win.

So the bigger question is will the Lakers even make the playoffs? I'm sure a run is in order... However, last time I looked, even Memphis was looking good. AND HOUSTON!!!

I'm looking forward to Shaq vs. Yao and Kobe vs. Mobley and Griff!!!

[Traceman]

I just hope you're right and the Lakers won't get back on the winning track but I think they will still be the team to beat once the playoffs start.