Shaq Altering Course of Series

By SCOTT HOWARD-COOPER

May 12, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

SEATTLE —

There Shaquille O’Neal goes again, spending more valuable time on things other than free throws.

It’s another film this time. A compilation actually, to be seen by a very small audience, though at least he should be used to that last part by now. Check out the excerpts:

* Vin Baker being shut down from the left post.

* Vin Baker being shut down from the right post.

* Vin Baker being thwarted from most any spot on the court in an attempt to use what should be superior quickness to get around O’Neal.

By now we know that the Seattle SuperSonics can look at these game films and one-on-one edits and any other breakdowns all they want and come up with few solutions. They can watch and still not develop a counter for O’Neal, who has averaged 30.5 points and 9.8 rebounds and shot 61.3% and dramatically steered the course of these Western Conference semifinals with his . . .

Defense?

Seriously. Baker, an all-star, has gone from 19.2 points and 54.2% shooting in the regular season to 15 points and 44.8%, and the Lakers have gone from losing the opener to winning the next three and putting themselves in position to clinch the best-of-seven series tonight at KeyArena. Because O’Neal, an improving defender anyway, has, for the first time in his career, been nearly as much a force in stopping people as he has in stomping them.

Said Seattle Coach George Karl, a foil and an admirer, “His commitment to defense and transition are the best I’ve ever seen [from him].”

Probably the best anyone has seen. O’Neal, after getting shut out in balloting a year ago for the all-defensive team, got four votes from coaches for his 1997-98 play, one of them, for the first time, picking him ahead of Atlanta’s Dikembe Mutombo, who annually dominates the attention at center. It didn’t come from Del Harris either, since coaches can’t vote for their own players.

In the playoffs, O’Neal has kicked it up another notch. His 2.40 blocks a game during the regular season, good for eighth in the league, went to 2.50 in the first round against the Portland Trail Blazers and now are at 3.00 as the Lakers have a 3-1 lead against the SuperSonics, all while his offensive production has also increased.

“I believe his playoff defense is much more focused and purposeful than in the regular season,” Harris said.

And it’s not just that O’Neal has been known to get more blocks in a day than a real estate tycoon, most recently the five on Sunday. It’s that he has handled the quickness and skills of an athletic and talented power forward, an assignment Harris has stayed with even on those rarest of occasions when the SuperSonics use Jim McIlvaine, and more than survived.

Baker is still getting shots off--14.5 a game, about the same as against the Lakers during the regular season--but they aren’t the shots he wants. He can’t get over O’Neal. He can’t get around O’Neal. What he gets instead, mostly, are fallaways.

“He’s a great player, sort of like Hakeem Olajuwon down there,” O’Neal said, offering high praise for Baker. “He has a lot of moves. While he makes a move, I just try to stay in front of him.”

Added Laker Jon Barry, “He’s made Vin Baker settle for jump shots. Hell, that’s what you want. Vinny Baker is as tough as anybody in the league.”

Barry has little size and even less experience at playing center in the NBA--6 feet 5, and absolutely none--but he does have standing. Playing with the Hawks, he watched Mutombo all of last season.

“They’re certainly two different guys, completely different guys,” Barry said.

“But I think the job that Shaq has done on Baker has been excellent in Games 2, 3 and 4.

“Vin Baker is an all-star. [O’Neal] has taken him out of his game for three straight games. I think he’s been dominant in the sense that he’s taken out Seattle’s best inside threat three straight games.”

Long enough for the Lakers to take control of the series.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

TALE OF TWO SEASONS

How the Lakers and Seattle matched up during four regular-season games and through four games of the playoffs

REGULAR SEASON

*--*

LAKERS SEATTLE 96.3 Points 98.8 .439 FG% .463 .659 FT% .748 .250 3-Pt.% .434 45.3 Rebounds 37.3 23.3 Assists 20.3

*--*

Player: FG%, Pts.

Fox: .455, 10.3

Horry: .300, 6.8

O’Neal: .680, 30.8