O’Neal Works Out; Hopes Are Raised

Near the end of the Lakers’ practice Monday, all eyes were on center Shaquille O’Neal as he worked out with the team’s other big men.

Wearing a black rubber sleeve over his strained right calf, O’Neal didn’t exert himself during the drills, but he moved around well enough to lend hope that his return to the lineup will be sooner rather than later.

“We can’t tell you when Shaq will play, but we’re hopeful that he’ll be able to practice tomorrow,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “We want him cleared by [team orthopedist] Dr. [Stephen] Lombardo before he plays.”

After going through a full rehabilitation workout and participating in a shooting drill, O’Neal ran a couple of conditioning sprints with his teammates before calling it a practice. On his way off the court, O’Neal refused to talk about his status with reporters.

“He wants to come back, but they are not letting him back,” guard Gary Payton said about O’Neal, who has sat out 14 games -- including the last 12 -- because of his injury.

“They are going real cautious with him. He wants to play, he’s out here and anxious. He’s shooting around and running with us, but they don’t let him have contact yet.”

If O’Neal is given the OK to practice today, there’s a chance he will play against Seattle on Wednesday at Staples Center. A determining factor will be whether O’Neal feels pain after going through a full workout.

“This is a multiple injury that he’s had on the same calf and on that regard, it raises some questions,” Jackson said. “Once he’s healthy enough to practice, then we’ll make a decision.”

Jackson said O’Neal’s status is different from that of other players in the league because of the physical nature of NBA games.

“Nothing can replicate what he gets on the court,” Jackson said. “When people just throw bodies on him and he tries to power his way to the basket, that’s entirely different. That’s why we are trying to be cautious. Even though we can’t duplicate what he has to go through in a game, practice will tell us something like whether he’s still feeling discomfort or not.

“He’s going to have to jump into the water at some point, so it doesn’t matter really [who the Lakers play]. Everybody is looking forward to his return, especially our players.”

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Kobe Bryant did not work out at all Monday because of soreness in his right shoulder.

Bryant, who sat out six games this month because of a sprain to that shoulder, had 21 points on six-for-15 shooting in the Lakers’ victory at Utah on Saturday. But two days after returning to the lineup, Bryant was still feeling some tenderness in his shoulder.

Like O’Neal, Bryant did not stick around to talk about his injury, leaving it up to Jackson and Payton to give updates.

“Kobe said that he still has some pain and discomfort in the shoulder and didn’t want to run today,” Jackson said.

Added Payton: “We didn’t want to rush him, and look what happened. We always say, ‘Don’t come back if you’re not really ready because all it’s going to do is delay you more.’ If you play one game and then you’re delayed for two or three weeks, [that] isn’t [the answer]. I’d rather you delay for a week and get you better for the rest of the season.”

Bryant, listed as probable for Wednesday’s game, impressed Payton with his willingness to play injured.

“You always respect somebody a little bit more when you’re around him all the time,” Payton said. “You find out things about him that you didn’t know. I’ve been able to see the toughness that he has. Stuff you don’t read about or hear stuff about, but something you see for yourself and that always gives you a better perspective.”

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Forward Rick Fox plans to make his season debut Wednesday, returning from several months of rehabilitation following surgery on his left foot.

Fox said he has seen a marked improvement in his leg strength and mobility over the last two weeks. Although he was activated off the injured list before Saturday’s game at Utah, Fox did not leave the bench. He expects to play at least a few minutes against Seattle.

“The guys we have have been playing together for 41 games, and they’ve been doing a good job,” Fox said. “Working me into the lineup will be dictated by how the game is going.”