Team page/schedule | Stats: Preseason | Roster
Last year: 56-26, first in Pacific, second in conference
Coach/GM: Phil Jackson/Mitch Kupchak
Arena, first game: Staples Center (18,997); Nov. 3, 1999
All-time franchise record/NBA titles: 2,563-1,592/13
Notable: Highest playoff win percentage (15 of 16, .938) ever

THE ROTATION
Pos	Player	Key Stat	Skinny
PG	Lindsey Hunter	.381 FG	He's no Fisher, but he does drain threes
SG	Kobe Bryant	28.5 ppg	Monster numbers, plus 2 triple-doubles
SF	Rick Fox	118 threes	Steady player contributes at both ends
PF	Robert Horry	.387 FG	Like Yankees, saves it for playoffs
C	Shaquille O'Neal	.572 FG	Waiting around for ring for each finger?
6th	Mitch Richmond	16.2 ppg	12 ppg, 100 3s a ring and he bows out?
7th	Samaki Walker	.480 FG	Deep on Spurs bench to next to Shaq?
8th	Brian Shaw	80 games	Backup point until Fisher return, job is safe

		The Lakers remain the top team in the league, assuming Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant play a major part of the schedule. They need point guard Derek Fisher back from injury, but Lindsey Hunter will help them bridge that gap. The Lakers have such great depth. They picked up Samaki Walker as a power forward. A player to watch is Stanislav Medvedenko, who practiced with the team last year. Aside from him, they still have Robert Horry, Dickey Simpkins, Jelani McCoy and Mark Madsen in the frontcourt, although Madsen is hurt. Mitch Richmond was a great pickup who can play 15-20 minutes a game. He and Kobe can play the two or three under certain conditions. The Lakers can put five very good defenders on the floor. I think the Lakers will amble through the regular season and get down to business in the playoffs, like they did last year.

By Scott Howard-Cooper
Special to ESPN.com

The faces change, but not the expectations. If anything, the Lakers, despite an offseason with a considerable roster alteration, are even greater favorites to win the championship than a year ago at this time, with even opposing coaches conceding that at this rate it will take the Lakers slipping up and someone else playing near perfect. Quick, somebody get Shaq to bag on Kobe.

Who's Who
Horace Grant is out, Samaki Walker is in.

Ron Harper is out, Lindsey Hunter is in.

J.R. Rider is out -- and sometimes way, way out -- and Mitch Richmond is in. They just don't make dynasties like the old days. The Lakers may be on two titles and counting, what with Shaquille O'Neal still 29 and Kobe Bryant all of 23, but this isn't exactly a roster built on stability. It gets even worse given the injuries to Derek Fisher, who got the starting job last season when Harper went down, and Mark Madsen, a reserve big man scheduled for an increased role in 2001-02 because of the lack of depth up front. Greg Foster would have helped out there, but he was traded to Milwaukee to get Hunter for the backcourt. Hunter was needed when Fisher suffered a second foot injury in as many seasons. Walker was needed when Grant was not re-signed after owner Jerry Buss sent word to GM Mitch Kupchak that the Lakers will not be paying a luxury tax. Rider was not re-signed because he was taxing in other ways, so in came another veteran for depth, Richmond.

It would have been enough of a transition to start the season, except that O'Neal missed much of camp while recovering from toe surgery, Bryant missed the start following the death of his grandfather and coach Phil Jackson missed part following the death of his mother. Plus, Robert Horry becomes Grant's replacement, which is either deserving of congratulations since he gets a spot in the opening lineup or condolences since it comes in a Western Conference loaded with power forwards.

This all might be cause for optimism around the league, if not for three things: the start last season was loaded with uninspired play and poor defense, and look how things turned out; Bryant still plays for the Lakers; and, O'Neal still plays for the Lakers. So much for optimism.

	FANTASY SLEEPER
	Lindsey Hunter, PG -- If there is another fantasy-worthy player produced from the Lakers' roster, it will be a surprise. Last season, a third player failed to materialize. This season, Hunter has the best shot as he takes over at point guard. He won't lack for assist options and he's one of the best from beyond the three-point arc.

The Big Question
The inside game should be a legitimate concern. Contrary to usual appearances, O'Neal is not good enough to play two positions at once, and now the Lakers must rely on Horry, Walker, Madsen, Jelani McCoy and Slava Medvedenko as his supporting case, at power forward and backup center.

Best/Worst Case Scenario
Their best case is the worst case for the rest of the league: the Lakers stay healthy and stay focused, and then they stay on top.

"We had a very competitive year last year," Jackson said. "I know it didn't look like it in the playoffs, obviously because we hit a stride and played very well, probably as well as any team has in the playoffs. We know that the regular season is a grind. It's something that you have to go out and face the season with the apprehension of how can we put ourselves in the best position to enter the playoffs with good health, a nice situation where we're sitting with homecourt advantage. "We have a very difficult conference to go through. It will be as difficult as it was last year. I've set goal of 60 wins. It's something I expect this team to do, it's something they fell short of last year, and we'll go from there and hopefully find that momentum to get a couple of winning streaks which we never did last year until the very end."

The worst case is that Shaq and Kobe break the truce, that Jackson tries to put out the fire with gasoline. Of course, that happened last season and look what happened.

OVERRATED	UNDERRATED	TEAM MVP
Lindsey Hunter. He's never been an assist guy, and his shooting could land him on bench.	Rick Fox. Does just about everything well, and as long as they win, he keeps quiet.	Shaquille O'Neal. Sorry, Kobe, but without the Diesel, you don't win titles.