Shaq, Kobe still main keys to Lakers

[Stonecold]

LOS ANGELES — Though the Los Angeles Lakers added future Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton to the team to go after their fourth title in five years, the season has turned on, more than anything else, the health and psyches of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. O'Neal and Bryant will represent Los Angeles in Sunday's All-Star Game at the Staples Center.

Malone and Payton, perennial All-Stars who came to Los Angeles to win a title, will sit this one out. In many ways it seems fitting because they knew when they signed with "The Lake Show" they would take a back seat to O'Neal and Bryant.

Remember the high-water mark of the Lakers' championship three-peat?

That would be the playoffs of 2001, when the Lakers steamrolled through the postseason with a 15-1 record, winning their second of three consecutive titles, playing with a chemistry between O'Neal and Bryant unmatched before or since.

Remember?

"My idol," O'Neal called Bryant. "The best player in the league — by far."

Remember?

"The combination of the two of them is all that I envisioned that it could be," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who even discussed how, in some ways, Bryant was a better all-around player than Michael Jordan.

The reason for the trip down Lakers memory lane is that the happy ending in 2001 came only after the team endured and overcame the same sort of personal and physical problems involving O'Neal and Bryant that they're going through now at the All-Star break.

In January of that 2000-01 season, O'Neal and Bryant bared their egos and feuded over who should be the focus of the Lakers offense.

Near the end of that regular season, Bryant missed 10 consecutive games with ankle injuries, and his teammates and Jackson wondered how long it would take for him to be 100% healthy and what sort of dynamics he'd bring with him when he returned. That is, would he pass the ball?

Back then things turned out beautifully. Bryant returned with four regular-season games left, but the team clicked immediately. Bryant stressed getting his teammates involved and feeding O'Neal in the post, and the Lakers won 19 of their last 20 games, including Western Conference sweeps of Portland, Sacramento and San Antonio and a 4-1 Finals victory against Philadelphia.

Three years later the Lakers find themselves in familiar territory.

In the offseason Bryant was charged with sexual assault, and his ongoing legal case in Colorado remains a distraction. Just before opening night the Shaq-Kobe wars heated up again, complete with insults and name-calling.

The Lakers got through that, though, and started off 18-3, the league's best record at the time.

But injuries that have sidelined Malone since Dec. 23 and have caused O'Neal and Bryant to miss a combined 26 games threaten to derail the expected title run.

Now, as teams begin to think about playoff readiness, the Lakers hold their breath about what freak injury might occur. They're looking ahead to trying to get all their players in the lineup at the same time and how their game might look at that point.

Though Malone, expected back in mid-March, and Payton have important roles, the biggest factor, as it was in 2001, is how O'Neal and Bryant will play together. That is, will they share and be nice?

Jackson has said as much and is growing a little worried about the limited number of times Bryant and O'Neal have been on the court together lately.

Still, Jackson being Jackson, he is not panicking.

"I'm not like that," he says. "I'm not ruing my fortune. I think we're going to be fine. We just have to survive this optimistically, go through this and keep right with ourselves and not lose our patience."

[Jackal]

Shaq, Kobe still main keys to Lakers

Did anyone doubt this before you announced it? Even Malone & GP knew they would be (better than usual) role players...

Everyone knew Shaq + Kobe are and will remain the Lakers key players. (unless Kobe walks...)

[Matthew]

I actually think Karl Malone is the key to the Lakers. Shaq will always be dominant in one on one situations, so opposing teams have to collapse on him. Karl's unselfishness and willingness to do the dirty work is what the lakers need. Plus is kobe is out, then a backourt of fisher and payton isnt to bad. But if malone is out, they have to rely on horace grant or slava?

[Jackal]

Who are the 2 main players Matthew? Which 2 players will get the ball before the other 2 players, which 2 players, does the franchise rest upon?

Shaq & Kobe, Malone is good, but not the franchise player...Shaq & Kobe are.

[air gordon]

i agree with nba fan 23 here. the franchise player and key player/'x' factor are 2 different things. the franchise players are going to get their shots, their production is almost a given. but these key players/x factor guys, you're not entirely sure what you're going to get from them, but when they're on their game- it's over for the opposition

mj and pip had kukoc
dream and clyde had horry
duncan had stephen jackson
and so forth...

[GloveGuy]

When I think of the player the defines this year's Lakers squad, I think of Gary Payton. Last year, they were a half court basketball team with Kobe and Shaq, but now that they have Payton, they're run-and-gun when healthy.

The impact that Payton and Malone have had on this team has gone unnoticed since their success was so short. They both helped tremendously in putting up stops. I mean, Payton is still one of the most feared clutch defenders (don't believe me, check out the latest Sports Illustrated) and Malone's not wearing elbow pads. These stops lead to fast breaks, something that Derek Fisher doesn't provide. When Payton's out, the tempo dramatically and noticeably changes.

Payton's also remained the constant for the Lakers lineup all year.