He Coasts From Coast to Coast

Still Shaq after all these years: Nostalgia being very big here, while we wait for Phil Jackson to come riding over the hill -- OK, his agent says he’s not available to save the day till next fall -- let’s check in with another old fave.

See if any of this sounds familiar:

There are still more than two months until the playoffs, way too soon to burn oneself out, so after the Miami Heat recently stumbled home off a 2-3 West Coast trip, Shaquille O’Neal, harkening back to his Laker days, announced it didn’t matter.

“Truthfully speaking, anywhere in the first four spots would be good,” he said. “... Then you have home-court advantage. I’m not really concerned, as long as we have one of those four spots.”

To that point, Coach Stan Van Gundy had been encouraging O’Neal subtly, noting how many pick-and-rolls opponents were running or

using code words, like “energy” and “effort.” However, Van Gundy almost had a cow on that one.

“I’m just not on the same page with him on that stuff,” Van Gundy said. “I’m just not.

“It has nothing to do with simply where you finish in the seeding. It’s not that. I think that this approach that we’re going to turn it on at a given time, that may work for some people. It may work for Detroit this year, they know the level and that they can at least get to that level. Our team’s never been to any level. We’ve never been together. We have no idea how good or bad we can be. To say we’re going to turn it on, turn it on to what? What level are we going to get to? What have we proven?”

Of course, O’Neal has a rich history of dialogue with coaches. Jackson took a rosy view of Shaq in his book but did mention that he “always seems to be in a funk between Christmas and his birthday [March 6],” noting the staff used to joke about letting him take January off, officially.

Phil was being kind. Some seasons it was from Labor Day, the first Monday in September, to April 15, the IRS deadline.

On the other hand, what do they know? Shaq won two of his three rings, and two of his three Finals MVP trophies, without finishing first in the West.

“I would say it’s more pacing myself,” he told the Palm Beach Post’s Karen Crouse. “It’s more finding myself. It’s more stepping up at the right time. The funk is caused by me.”

So it really wasn’t a surprise when the Heat lost in Philadelphia on Jan. 24, which was still early to be stepping up, and O’Neal got five rebounds.

That was the night the Eagles’ Terrell Owens, who was still hobbled with an injured ankle, was sitting courtside and Crouse wrote that he “looked to be moving better than O’Neal.”

Then there’s the matter of support. O’Neal still isn’t getting enough and, once more, it’s one of those pesky guards who isn’t stepping up.

Shaq has nothing but good things to say about Dwyane Wade, and should, since Wade has been Miami’s big guy in the clutch all season.

Wade is an unusual young player, a monster talent who gets to the basket whenever he wants, dunks over whoever’s there, but doesn’t grab the rim, pound his chest or pull his jersey back to show his heart. He just turns around and runs downcourt.

So far, he’s perfect for Shaq, who doesn’t do well with in-house rivalries, even if they’re only tacit, as with Penny Hardaway in Orlando.

Nevertheless, while saving himself in that loss at Philadelphia, O’Neal observed a teammate or two who could have been doing more.

“Some of the guys on this team have to take it personal,” he said. “When your man leaves you to go double on somebody, you have to take it personal. Because other teams are hitting shots when we double, so you have to hit shots.”

That was Eddie Jones, who went three for 12 from the field. Shaq used to zing him when they were on the Lakers together. Jones started horribly and has been coming on but had better keep it going if he doesn’t want to hear more from you-know-who.

This is the honeymoon, in which we were guaranteed to see the best Shaq we would ever see again, determined as he was to show he wasn’t the Lakers’ problem and to get his extension.

He’s no longer the Shaq you knew for most of his eight seasons in Los Angeles. He’s no longer on career-low numbers, but he’s close at 23.2 points a game. He has been better since getting over early leg injuries but his average in his best month (25.9 in January) would be 11th best in his 14 seasons.

Nevertheless, he’s still Shaq and, with a good attitude, could remain so for years.

As his Lakers were always the team to beat in the West, his Heat is the team to beat in the East.

“Shaq has been the best in our league since I’ve been around,” Detroit Coach Larry Brown said recently. “Wherever he goes, that team has as much chance of winning as anyone.”

He’s not likely to go anywhere with Heat management hoping to sign him to an extension. In a city in which the excitement was long gone and the season-ticket base was dwindling, he represents a marketing bonanza and a new start.

Next season may be more like the rest of Shaq’s career, or like a lot of his Laker career except with fewer points. He’ll be 33 in March and in a year or two, the path Jerry Buss chose may be looking more lucid.

For the moment, however, it’s the Chris Mihm era in L.A., and it’s just not the same.

Faces and Figures

Farewell, sweet Mailman: While everyone debates whether Karl Malone was right to retire 1,459 points shy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record (that’s 98 games at 15 points per), the actual Karl Malone couldn’t find the old desire within him, which is all that counts. Agent Dwight Manley tried to get him to play this season to preserve his options, but although Malone had sweetheart offers from all over and worked out as if he were going to join the San Antonio Spurs, the feeling never came.... Of course, Malone is often of two minds, may well start to miss the game now and could yet come back. Nevertheless, if this is it, say goodbye to the greatest power forward who ever lived.

Starting over in Minnesota: Owner Glen Taylor refused to re-sign Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, who threw a dual pout, ruining the season and angering General Manager Kevin McHale, who fired Coach Flip Saunders and took over himself. Saunders’ teams averaged 51 wins over five seasons, McHale has never coached a game, and the Timberwolves are now officially a former elite team.

No longer gets it: New GM John Weisbrod, who brought back nice-guy Coach Johnny Davis (“He gets it”), is making ominous noises as the Magic, No. 27 in defense, treads water after a 13-6 start. “You can’t encourage guys to do things the right way,” Weisbrod said. “We need to require it. It can’t be optional.” ... Meanwhile, self-obsessed point guard Steve Francis announced, “I’m tired of doing this by myself. I’m the only one who’s mad out there.”

Brown Is On His Way Update: Kobe Bryant, who said dutifully he could “roll with it” if Jackson came back, brightened when asked about Brown, calling him “an amazing coach,” saying he “loves” him and noting, “I’m sure he’s one of the guys” Buss and GM Mitch Kupchak will consider.... For his part, Brown was so upset at being drilled locally for embracing speculation about going to the New York Knicks, he ducked the entire Knick press corps the next time the teams met. However, despite speculation he’d go to the Lakers, Brown talked to the Laker writers and jumped at a question about Bryant, noting, “He’s special.”

Intrigue in the East: Alonzo Mourning, cut by the Toronto Raptors, wants to return to Miami. However, any team below the Heat in the standings can assert a waiver claim and it remains to be seen if the other East teams will let it happen.... No Warriors need apply: The Golden State Warriors were hoping to get Jason Richardson in the All-Star dunk competition, Mickael Pietrus playing for the sophomores against the rookies and Troy Murphy in the three-point shootout. Pietrus and Murphy weren’t invited. Richardson was invited to defend his dunk title but didn’t even call the league back. “There’s no sense in going down there just for that,” he said.

Losing it in Salt Lake City: Jazz owner Larry Miller, who has never given anyone a dollar without reminding him what he owed him, went off on his players after they lost at home to the Knicks, and repeated his criticism the next day. The main target was Carlos Boozer, who averaged 20-10 through Christmas but is at 12-6 over the last four weeks amid speculation he doesn’t like being yelled at by Coach Jerry Sloan. Miller said, “Some nights, he has looked like he didn’t care that much,” adding, “He’s a talented player. I don’t know how tough he is.”

Priceless, little-used Magic guard DeShawn Stevenson, told by an assistant coach to get some rest: “I have been resting.” ... Stevenson, on getting an “F” in an Orlando Sentinel midseason report card: “I guess this means I’m academically ineligible.”