Will Shaq Be Back in Time?

Shaquille O’Neal left the team for the second time in three days Monday morning, when he took a private jet to South Carolina to attend the wake of his grandfather, Sirlester O’Neal, who died Thursday.

The Lakers expected O’Neal to return Monday night or, if he chose also to attend a funeral scheduled for today, in time to play tonight’s Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“I’m a little bit confused,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “I’ve heard two versions.... [I’m as] concerned as you can be, provided there’s not a weather problem or anything else.”

He added, “He’ll be here.”

O’Neal’s absences -- the first was to witness the birth of his son early Saturday -- apparently have not yet been a distraction to the Lakers, considering their 19-point victory Sunday in Game 1 and their lightheartedness Monday.

“We know when he gets here, he’ll be ready,” Kobe Bryant said. “It’s not like he’s got to make major adjustments to his game.”

Said Derek Fisher: “The only unnerving part is the effect it’ll have on his play in terms of the travel.” He laughed and added, “Definitely, the decibel level around here isn’t as high.”

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Back in his native Minnesota, Devean George had 11 points and three rebounds in 27 minutes of Game 1, continuing his recent trend toward improved play after a mostly dismal regular season.

Though he shot 39% from the field in the regular season, his first under the terms of a four-year, $18.5-million contract, George was 20 for 43 in the final 10 days of the season, then made five of six shots against the Timberwolves.

Maybe it’s a start for George, whose injuries and uneven play contributed to the Lakers’ early problems. Management hopes so.

“The fact of the matter is, it’s the average NBA salary and as each year goes on, it’s going to be less than the average, because he signed a flat deal,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. “Is he an average player? Certainly. Is he going to get better? He’s going to get better.

“I think he’s still adjusting to the dramatic change in the levels of competition. A player who basically didn’t play for two years, then last year did play, showed some promise with no pressure. This year, there’s a lot of expectations, a lot of pressure, still adjusting to a different level of competition and expectations. On top of that, he had the ankle injury. We think he’s going to be fine and we think he’s going to be an integral part of the future of this team.”

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Bryant, secure enough to play to the end of his contract instead of taking an extension of nearly $55 million, patient enough to play an entire season without a shoe contract, smiled when asked about his intentions after next season.

Friends have said Bryant intends to opt out and feel around in free agency after next season, but they expect him to re-sign with the Lakers.

Bryant, however, insisted the information was, “Too strong. They need to breathe easy.”