 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
Samake likely to start Lakers' opener Posted: Monday October 21, 2002 10:17 PMUpdated: Monday October 21, 2002 10:49 PM EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -- Seven-foot center Soumaila Samake probably will start in place of Shaquille O'Neal when the Los Angeles Lakers open the season against San Antonio on Oct. 29. "That would be good for him, and me too," O'Neal said Monday. O'Neal still is recuperating from surgery on his right toe. He has not received a doctor's clearance to play and probably will start the season on the disabled list, requiring him to sit out at least five games. Dr. Robert Mohr scheduled to examine O'Neal on Thursday. The Lakers signed Samake as a free agent in August, after he averaged 3.8 points sand 6.0 rebounds for their summer-league team. Samake was a second-round draft pick of the New Jersey Nets in 2000, but he averaged just 1.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 34 games for the Nets the next season. "He'll be OK," O'Neal said. "He listens. He's young. So he's going to be all right, once I teach him some secrets. And then once we're out there together, he can do all that ... rebound, blocking shots. I can get out on the wing and run the court a little bit." O'Neal ran on the treadmill last week and reported some pain in the bottom of his right foot the next day. He said there has been no change in his condition. "It's hard to stay 1,000 percent the whole season," O'Neal said. "That's why every year I always come in 80, mess around and let you guys talk about me. Then I take it up to 85, then I take it up to 90. Then by All-Star, I'm 96, 97 and at playoffs I'm 100. The guys that come in at 100, they got to work extra harder to keep it at 100. Nobody works harder than me. So right now, I'm just sitting, looking, seeing who's doing what." |
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
