LOS ANGELES -- Shaquille O'Neal held his thumb and forefinger an inch apart on Sunday afternoon, that much better and not how high he can jump, if reporters read the gesture accurately, so not yet ready to play on his strained calf with the Cleveland Cavaliers in town Monday night.
What was going to be a big weekend for Karl Malone -- Coach Phil Jackson had hoped to have him on the practice floor and angling toward playing Wednesday night, when he can be activated from the injured list -- did not materialize.
"He's not ready," Jackson said, adding later, "I don't even want to talk about it until it's a reality."
Jackson also said that power forward Horace Grant had left the club to tend to his ailing father.
Grant notified the Lakers on Sunday morning that he'd left Los Angeles, according to Jackson. John Black, team spokesman, said he thought Grant had gone to Atlanta after receiving a telephone call from his sister that their father was taken to an Atlanta-area emergency room.
It is, then, fortuitous for the Lakers that 6-foot-11 Jamal Sampson, 6-8 Luke Walton and 6-9 Brian Cook have been getting playing time lately, because the Lakers' starting frontcourt against the Cavaliers could be 6-8 Devean George at small forward, 6-10 Slava Medvedenko at power forward and Sampson at center. The Cavaliers start 6-9 Carlos Boozer, 6-8 Eric Williamsand 7-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskasacross the front.
Include Gary Payton's sinus ailment -- he sat out Saturday and practiced Sunday but Jackson did not believe he felt well -- and the Lakers could have only nine players Monday night. The prospect has forced Jackson to consider a glance at the rosters of the National Basketball Development League, if only for 10-day reinforcements.
In case you didn't know.
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