[ NBA BASKETBALL ]
Lakers unlikely
to field full lineupO’Neal and Bryant are
nursing injuries and may not
play with the team’s two new
Hall of Famers-to-be
Even the guys lining up against the Los Angeles Lakers this week are looking forward to see the new-look NBA power in action together.
But it's doubtful the Golden State Warriors and local fans will get to see the full Lakers lineup on the floor in this week's exhibition games at the Stan Sheriff Center.
"I'm anxious to see how their team looks because they have four great players that are Hall of Famers and it'll be exciting to see those guys," Golden State guard Nick Van Exel said.
The Lakers, led by headliners Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, face the Warriors in exhibition games tomorrow and Wednesday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Tip-off for tomorrow's game is set for 8 p.m. Wednesday's game starts at 6 p.m.
O'Neal took part in yesterday's practice after sitting out Saturday's workout to rest a bruised left heel. But Bryant remained on the sidelines, performing footwork drills as he continues to recover from offseason knee and shoulder surgery and is not in basketball shape yet.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson indicated that Bryant probably won't play in this week's games.
"Shaq's getting close. He ran a little bit tonight, his heel is starting to limit him much less now," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Kobe, I'm not so sure yet. He's not quite ready for anything other than skills and drills.
"He has a clear bill of health as far as we're concerned, but I think it's strength in his knee and his shoulder."
In a scrimmage at the end of yesterday's practice, the "gold" unit consisted of O'Neal, Payton, Malone, Derek Fisher and Devean George.
Even if Bryant and O'Neal aren't on the court, the exhibition contests will be the first chance for Jackson to get newcomers such as Malone and Payton into the flow of the offense under game conditions.
"I don't expect them to run the offense efficiently for the first three or four games really," Jackson said. "It's going to be an exercise in getting to learn to play with one another and how to mingle on the court together."
"We're still learning," O'Neal said. "I'd rather learn and work up the ladder than be at the top of the ladder and have nothing to learn. I think we're in a good place right now. We've got new guys and we're learning each other and we're going to work our way to the top."
Both teams opened training camp on Oahu last Tuesday, with widely different receptions.
While the Warriors have been quietly toiling at the Cannon Activities Center on the Brigham Young University-Hawaii campus in Laie, the Lakers have been greeted by a horde of local and mainland media throughout their camp at the University of Hawaii.
Much of it has been generated by Bryant's sexual assault case in Colorado. The Lakers star has been in the media spotlight since the charge was filed against him during the summer. Although he admitted to adultery, Bryant has maintained that the sex was consensual. He has a preliminary hearing set for Thursday in Colorado.
After the media circus that ended Saturday's practice when Bryant addressed the media for the first time in camp, the Lakers skipped yesterday's scheduled morning practice to play paint ball at the Bellows Air Force Station.
"It was nice, it was fun," O'Neal said. "It was a little unorthodox, but Phil has always been unorthodox."
Through it all, the Warriors have trained in relative seclusion on the North Shore. But when the team on the other side of the island has won three of the last four NBA titles, it figures to be a lonely existence.
"It definitely helps to not have the distractions, but when you have a lot of media around you that means you're a good team," Van Exel said. "So we're looking to get more media around us."
Barry Markowitz contributed to this story.
