Free-Throw Success Stays Elusive for Dutiful O’Neal

It arrived seven days into training camp, but it might have officially opened the defense of the Lakers’ NBA championship.

The first Shaq free throw question, pointed at Coach Phil Jackson.

Shaquille O’Neal has dutifully spent practice time on his free throws. Still, his early thrusts have been possessed by sideways spin.

While that’s good for planets, hurricanes and White House press secretaries, it’s generally bad for free throws.

He made 52.4% last season, below even his career average, and 45.6% in the playoffs. The Lakers played around it, however, and O’Neal occasionally happened upon a freak convergence of senses at the line.

Jackson acknowledged that O’Neal had lost ground on his Knoblauchian conflict over the summer, and that the coaching staff is preparing another strategy.

“I think we’ll talk about that a little bit,” Jackson said. “But, we haven’t discussed what we want to do with that yet. We’re still discussing [how he can] get the rhythm back and the format back and the ritual back.”

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One of the things O’Neal loves about rookie Mark Madsen, he said, is Madsen reminds him of “a young Greg Kite,” who gained some fame as a full-effort lug with the Boston Celtics who had more skills than a first glance might suggest.

O’Neal also explained that Madsen wouldn’t back down from a fight. And while there is no reason to believe O’Neal has first-hand knowledge of such, the flesh around Madsen’s right eye is smeared in purple and blue.

“He’s just one of those big, solid youths,” O’Neal said, smiling. “Like one of those skateboard dudes.”

Madsen already has the dynamics of the relationship down.

“Whatever Shaq tells me to do, I’m going to do it,” he said. “It’s simple. It’s real simple.”

Clearly pleased with the Kite comparison, Madsen said he also was a big fan of Larry Smith, an undersized yet aggressive rebounder and defender with the Golden State Warriors when Madsen was growing up in Northern California, and of Dennis Rodman.

With exhibition games still to come and Jackson unwilling to commit anything to the younger players until at least then, Madsen appears to be on the fringe of the regular rotation. Madsen said he hadn’t allowed himself to give it much thought.

“I never like to jump the gun like that,” he said.

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Horace Grant had surgery after last season to remove a cyst from the end of his right ring finger. While it has taken time to reacquire the touch on his jump shot, Grant said he does not doubt it will come. . . . Guard Emanual Davis, who has suffered from severe headaches since taking a blow to the head in a freak accident in March, continues to practice in varying degrees of pain. A neurologist was recommended by someone affiliated with the television show “ER,” and Davis said he intends to follow through. . . . Forward Nate Johnson was cut Monday. . . . The Lakers leave this afternoon for New Orleans, where they will play Charlotte on Wednesday night. . . . Kobe Bryant sprained the pinky finger on his right hand Monday and had a swollen knuckle to show for it. In reference to Larry Bird’s famously crooked fingers, Bryant laughed and said, “This means all my practice paid off. I’m an official shooter now.” Bryant is not expected to sit out any practice.

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Shaq’s Weakness

Shaquille O’Neal’s free-throw shooting season by season:

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YEAR FTM FTA FT% 1992-1993 427 721 .592 1993-1994 471 850 .554 1994-1995 455 854 .533 1995-1996 249 511 .487 1996-1997 232 479 .484 1997-1998 359 681 .527 1998-1999 269 498 .540 1999-2000 432 824 .524 Career 3326 6242 .533

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