ORLANDO IS STILL FEELING THE : AfterShaq : What Life Without O’Neal Promises: Lower Expectations, Higher Free-Throw Percentage

Shaq who?

That question is plastered on bumper stickers all over this town, a defiant response to another question asked over and over again this summer of everybody who plays for, works for or just happens to be a fan of the Orlando Magic: How in the world are you guys going to get along without Shaquille O’Neal?

On the surface, the team is trying to cope with losing its superstar center to the Lakers through free agency with a forced smile, gritted teeth and unconvincing optimism.

But just below the surface, the tension remains.

And recently, that tension burst loose when O’Neal lobbed a few shots at his former team from 6,000 miles away at Laker training camp in Hawaii, saying, “Those guys down there, they never stood up for me.”

Determined to avoid a war of words, Magic officials advised their players to stay out of the line of fire. Look forward, not backward, they were told.

But before the wall of silence went up, guard Nick Anderson, who was singled out by O’Neal for not being satisfied as a role player, got a few shots in while talking to an Orlando radio station.

On O’Neal’s claim that the Magic didn’t support him, Anderson said: “Not only the Magic catered to Shaq. The league catered to Shaq. They made a monster.”

On O’Neal’s work ethic: “The guy never wanted to practice, if you ask me. He would get mad at practice and say, ‘I’ll see you with my new team next year.’ ”

On O’Neal’s ego: “He started believing he was the greatest. You can’t have people around you all the time saying, ‘You’re the greatest.’ ”

On the thumb injury that sidelined O’Neal for 22 games last year: “What was mind-boggling to me was when we played in L.A., he was supposedly there at the time and didn’t even bother to come to the game.”

Anderson’s advice to another Nick, Laker guard Nick Van Exel: “All those shots he was accustomed to getting, those will diminish real quick.”

Anderson admitted he was hurt by O’Neal’s remarks.

“If a real man has a problem,” Anderson said, “you go to the source. I don’t need to voice how I feel through the media. In my four years playing with Shaq, I never had anything bad to say about him.”

Magic General Manager John Gabriel refuses to say anything bad about O’Neal now, but he acknowledges although he has tried to get his team to turn the page on the O’Neal era and start writing a new chapter in team history, he isn’t ready to close the book on the past just yet. He still isn’t at the point of conceding that the Lakers obtained O’Neal fair and square in July, honoring strict league rules against tampering.

“We have not closed down our investigation,” Gabriel said. “We are in our research and fact-finding mode. We know that we have to initiate any possible league action. I’m not expecting [league officials] to pick up the phone and tell me, ‘You guys should do something about this.’ ”

Whatever Gabriel finds, he can find no fault with the action taken by his organization to keep O’Neal last summer when negotiations heated up for the rights to the huge center, potentially the most dominating figure in the game once Michael Jordan retires.

“We did everything we could,” Gabriel said. “At least, I thought we had done everything we could. But I’m not going to walk around with a medal of satisfaction on my chest because [in the end], we wound up losing him.

“We know that some players need customized treatment. We gave that to Shaq when he was here. We knew it was necessary, we accepted it and we lived with it. But somehow, some way, it wasn’t enough in the year when it needed to be.”

So far, the exit of O’Neal has not resulted in an exit by fans, who have packed Orlando Arena in recent years and reveled in the glory of what had become one of the rising powerhouses in the league, a team that has been in the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, in the conference finals in each of the last two seasons and had reached the NBA finals in 1995 only to lose to the Houston Rockets.

Orlando, which won 41 games in O’Neal’s first season, 50 in 1993-94, 57 the next season and 60 in 1995-96, has an ongoing streak of 254 home sellouts. And the Magic has had 99% of its 16,000 season seats in its 17,248-seat arena renewed for this season.

“I see the same level of interest that I have seen in the past,” Gabriel said. “I don’t know how long it will last, but right now, there is a sympathetic view of the team because we have lost [O’Neal]. How it affects us later on in the won-lost column remains to be seen and that is something everyone will have to deal with.”

Gabriel is still dealing with his own feelings over O’Neal’s departure.

“I feel a loss,” Gabriel said. “I feel a sadness because we have lost a member of our team, our family.”

And how do you replace such a member, a 7-foot-1 giant who can stuff the ball with such force that he can take the glass backboard down with him, who rebounds with such power that opposing players around him often seem like mere children tugging on the arms of their parents, an undeniable presence on and off the court who can sell rap tapes and fill theater seats as easily as he does seats at Orlando Arena.

Replacing O’Neal will be a tall order indeed.

So meet the next Shaq--Felton Spencer.

Felton Spencer?

He has the height at 7 feet. He has the weight at 265 pounds. He has the experience with six NBA years behind him. But he certainly doesn’t have the numbers, having averaged 6.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 0.4 assists in limited duty with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Utah Jazz before being traded to the Magic for forward Kenny Gattison, guard Brooks Thompson and a future No. 1.

Spencer himself is under no illusions that he will be the next O’Neal, who averaged 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 2.4 assists in his four seasons with the Magic.

“If I was coming in here expected to take over [O’Neal’s] role, it would be more difficult,” Spencer conceded. “I know my limitations. My job is to play defense, get rebounds and clog up the middle. I’m not expected to provide a lot of the offense. I’m a good offensive player and I’m improving, but that’s not what they brought me in for. I’m not the main go-to guy. I’m expecting to play 20 to 30 minutes. If it’s more than that, great.”

Orlando Coach Brian Hill hopes to maintain the excellence achieved in the O’Neal era by turning the Magic into a fastbreaking, defensive-minded, versatile squad built around the undeniable talents of guard Penny Hardaway.

“We’re excited,” Hill said. “I remember the way we played when Shaquille was hurt last year [going 17-5]. I enjoyed that. I am looking forward to this season, but it’s going to be a lot different.”

Especially in the middle.

“Felton Spencer is our starting center,” Hill said, “and I expect him to be there all year.”

Gabriel doesn’t try to minimize the loss of O’Neal. “It will be a huge task to replace him,” Gabriel said. “With Penny and Shaquille anchoring the front and the back, you had a duo who could carry you through the low times and sustain the level of play. That is what 60-win seasons are made of.”

In at least one area, Magic officials are hopeful that the middle will be more productive with Spencer replacing O’Neal: free throws. O’Neal was infamous for his difficulties at the free-throw line, his success rate there going down in each of his four years in Orlando, from 59.2% to 55.4 to 53.3 to 48.7 last season.

When Spencer, a career 68.5% free-throw shooter, goes to the line, the Orlando fans go wild. After making a free throw in an intrasquad game at Orlando Arena, Spencer almost missed the second one because he was laughing so hard over the standing ovation he received for the first one from the 500 or so fans on hand.

The next night, in the Magic’s exhibition opener against the Indiana Pacers on Orlando’s home court, Spencer was again the darling of the crowd when he was successful on all four of his free throws.

“If they brought me in to make a foul shot, it’s not a problem,” Spencer said. “When I made my first free throw, the crowd gave me a big cheer. When I made my second, they gave me a standing ovation. When I made two more, the crowd lost it again. The fans have been waiting for someone to make free throws in the middle.

“It’s cool. A lot of people have told me they are glad I’m here.”