Are Lakers playing possum?

If the National Basketball Association (NBA) ended its regular season today, the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers wouldn’t qualify for the playoffs. They’d be in the running for the first overall pick as a lottery team but not for a fourth straight title.

The Lakers are struggling in the Pacific Division where bitter rival Sacramento is lording it over with a 22-8 record. The Tinseltown squad is 10 1/2 games behind the Kings and ranks a lowly sixth in the seven-team division.

David DuPree of USA Today cites several reasons why the Lakers can’t seem to get ahead–complacency, finger-pointing, dreadful execution, poor shooting, among them. Hall of Fame coach Jack Ramsay says coach Phil Jackson’s triangle offense, predicated on motion and hitting the open shot, isn’t as effective against the zone–now used in the NBA–as against the man-to-man.

There’s also the Shaquille O’Neal factor. He sat out the Lakers’ first 12 games and his teammates got off to a horrendous 3-9 start. That’s the hole they’re still digging out of.

When the Lakers can’t execute the triangle, their only option is to go to either O’Neal or Kobe Bryant. Of course, that option can’t be too bad. Shaq and Kobe are averaging over 26 points apiece. The problem is when the Lakers offense is down to just a two-man show, it becomes too predictable.

With the NBA’s policy of laissez faire defense, it’s now easier to defend against a team that relies on only a handful of stars for offense. In extreme cases, you can even triple team a man without the ball.

Because the Lakers aren’t used to losing, they can’t seem to focus on regrouping as a unit and making a strong stand to bounce back. Shaq and Kobe are blaming their caddies for lack of effort. Jackson is suddenly under the gun as an overrated coach whom critics insist, won his nine titles, not because of his skills but because of the stars he inherited at Chicago and Los Angeles. In case you’ve forgotten, Jackson never recruited Michael Jordan, Shaq or Kobe.

The talk is if the Lakers don’t improve within the next four to six weeks, a personnel shakeup is imminent. But who can Jackson offer as trade bait if Shaq and Kobe are untouchable? You doubt if any team would be interested in Brian Shaw, Robert Horry, Tracy Murray, or Rick Fox–who are all in their 30s. And who can Jackson lure to LA with the Lakers in turmoil?

Still, Shaq claims the turnaround is just around the corner. "Real life will be back soon," he says. "This is just a terrible, bad dream."

Despite the Lakers’ woes, New Jersey Nets coach Byron Scott isn’t writing them off. "They’re still the best team in this league until somebody can prove it differently in June," says Scott whose Nets were blanked by the Lakers in the Finals last season. Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown chimes in, "They’ve proved to me that they’re the best team when everybody’s healthy." Brown was Jackson’s victim in the Finals two years back.

Are the Lakers holding back for the stretch run? Are they playing possum? Maybe. But the stats indicate they’re slipping precipitously. Last season, LA shot 101.3 points a game–this season, the Lakers’ average is down to 94.1. Worse, they’re shooting a poor 42.5 percent from the floor, 23rd in the league.

If the Lakers are due for a turnaround, Jackson hopes it will come against the Kings in a Christmas Day game at the Staples Center. ABC-TV’s debut telecast will be shown via Solar Sports on IBC-13 at 7 p.m. tonight. Andy (Dr. J) Jao and I will be reprising our tandem in three previous NBA Finals for the play-by-play commentary.

ABC took over the NBA’s telecast rights from NBC this season after a 30-year absence. The network ended its last NBA contract in 1972-73 but now, it’s back with a vengeance. ABC is mobilizing 21 cameras for a full-scale, state-of-the-art coverage. The equipment lists seven hard cameras, three hand-held cameras, three hand-held super slow mo cameras, two above-the-rim super slow mo cameras, a digital steady camera, two periscope robotic cameras on the backboards, a free-flight camera suspended on cables above the court, and two floor cameras imbedded on the court.

You’ll marvel at the camera angles–the likes of which you’ve never seen before–in tonight’s game.

What’s more, the contest should be a humdinger because there’s bad blood between the Lakers and the Kings whom Shaq calls the Queens.

In the last three playoffs, the Lakers eliminated Sacramento. Last season, the Kings–who had the league’s best record–had a 3-2 series lead over the Lakers and sat on a twice-to-beat advantage in the Western Conference Finals. But LA, thanks to some homecooking, won Game 6, leaning on 27 free throws in the fourth period to repulse the Kings, 106-102. And in Game 7, Sacramento blew a nine-point lead in the third period and a two-point cushion in overtime to lose a heartbreaker. The Kings only had themselves to blame as they missed 16 free throws in losing by six. LA scored the last eight points to seal it.

In the preseason, the Lakers and the Kings figured in a tumultuous encounter. Sacramento won, 93-88, at the Staples Center without Chris Webber and Mike Bibby. Less than three minutes after the tipoff, Fox and Doug Christie scuffled. Fox elbowed Christie who was also shoved to the floor. Christie retaliated by punching Fox with a left uppercut on the jaw. They were both ejected. In the corridor leading to the dressing room, Fox attacked Christie and it sent the entire Sacramento bench to the tunnel in a rage. Shaq, in street clothes, tried to pacify the protagonists. Fox was later slapped a six-game suspension and Christie was canned for two.

In the aftermath, Shaq badmouthed Christie’s wife who went bananas during the altercation. And yes, Shaq called the Kings the Queens.

Tonight is the teams’ first meeting in the regular season.

The Lakers are showing up in brand-new white home uniforms, the first time they won’t be wearing yellow in 35 years. Could it be a sign of resurgence? At the Staples Center this season, the Lakers are 8-5 so they’re protecting a winning record. Their home losses were to New Orleans, San Antonio, Atlanta, Houston, and Minnesota. They’ve won four of their last five home games so the Kings, who are 8-6 on the road, can’t take the Lakers lightly.

In the offseason, Kings coach Rick Adelman brought in 6-11 Keon Clark from Toronto with Shaq in mind. Clark comes off the bench and is averaging 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds. He’s Vlade Divac’s chief backup. The third center in the lineup is 6-9 Lawrence Funderburke.

Aside from Clark, Adelman’s new recruits are Jim Jackson and Damon Jones. Jackson, a 10-year veteran, is a solid reliever at either big guard or small forward. Jones is playing for his seventh team in five years and brings experience to the point guard position.

Bibby has reclaimed his starting quarterback spot from last year’s Sixth Man Award runner-up Bobby Jackson. Bibby was reactivated after foot surgery only three games ago and is averaging 16.3 points and 5.7 assists. Jackson is hitting at a 19.8 clip. Bibby and Jackson will conspire to hound the Lakers’ Derek Fisher whose backups are the aging Shaw and untested rookie Kareem Rush.

Lakers’ power forward Samaki Walker will be matched up against Webber in what is expected to be a bruising duel. Adelman will likely assign Christie to Kobe and leave Peja Stojakovic to take on Fox. If Christie and Fox should face off, you can expect even more fireworks.

You can’t afford to miss the Lakers-Kings game on IBC-13 tonight.