O’Neal’s Surgery Becomes Weighty Topic

Last anyone heard from Shaquille O’Neal, shortly after he won his second consecutive playoff MVP award, he said he’d return for training camp rested, ready and weighing about 300 pounds.

Instead, he telephoned the Lakers in pain about 10 days ago, cut short his workout program, and today is scheduled to undergo surgery to shave excess bone from his left small toe. In the outpatient procedure at Kerlan-Jobe clinic, team physicians Steve Lombardo and Phil Kwong also expect to fuse the joint in the toe.

The claw toe deformity caused years of discomfort for O’Neal, who frequently was treated for the problem last season.

O’Neal is likely to miss most of camp and play only an exhibition game or two before the regular season, which opens Oct. 30 against Portland, according to General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Laker Coach Phil Jackson hoped O’Neal would start the season lighter and in better condition than last year, when foot and ankle injuries limited him in the season’s first half..

“At the end of the day, he’s not going to have a problem playing at the level at which we expect him to play, and the level he expects himself to play,” Kupchak said.

The Lakers met with several centers Tuesday, including former USC player David Crouse and former California player Sean Marks.

Notes: Derek Fisher, who had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot on July 3, is doing some light weight-bearing work. He expects to be on crutches for about three more weeks. Mark Madsen, who had surgery on his left wrist the same day, will have the cast off in the next week, then undergo a procedure to remove a wire inserted during the surgery. Both are expected back near the start of the regular season.... The Lakers signed former Washington State guard Isaac Fontaine on Tuesday. He averaged 21.4 points for the La Crosse Bobcats of the Continental Basketball Assn.