|  | | Jason Kidd's Nets have fallen in the suddenly beastly East. |
No team from the Eastern Conference will hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy in June. But that doesn't mean the East isn't loaded. In fact, the East is much deeper than the West, with six teams capable of reaching the Finals, writes Marc Stein in his weekly NBA report.Chat wrap: Senior writer Marc SteinTexas' Big Three | An award's comeback?
| COAST TO COAST |
 They trailed the Trail Blazers by 15 points in the fourth quarter of that famous Game 7. They faced and staved off elimination twice against the Kings in last spring's conference finals. So the Lakers have seen grave before, and they say 6-12 doesn't qualify. Because Gen. Phil Jackson doesn't panic -- Shaquille O'Neal keeps reminding us -- and the soldiers who play for him won't. Only if they're playing this way two months into the season, the Lakers say, will they betray any concern over a start that sank to six games under .500 with Sunday night's home loss to a short-handed team like themselves (Minnesota). They're refusing to acknowledge any noise from the Month 1 doubters. Nevertheless ... it's clear, after unquestionably their worst week of the season so far, that Shaq's big toe isn't the only issue with these guys. Sacramento continues to win with a longer injury list than L.A. has; Dallas has seemingly promoted itself to the Lakers/Kings stratosphere; and the thrice-defending champs have no more help coming unless owner Jerry Buss softens his no-more-spending stance ... Click for more on Alvin Gentry's job security, Cleveland's high hopes and NBA rookie head coaches Eric Musselman and Jeff Bzdelik.
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| STAT OF THE WEEK |
4.12 Why is Earl Boykins, the smallest player in the league at 5-foot-5, so valued in Golden State already, less than a week into his Warriors career? Reason: Gilbert Arenas, averaging 16.3 points and 7.3 assists in his breakout second season, is also averaging 4.12 fouls per game. That's second in the NBA behind New York's Kurt Thomas (4.71) ... and there isn't another guard in the top 10. Arenas has to be smarter and has to stay on the floor.
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| STAT OF THE WEAK | 108.0 Detroit, if fortunate enough to reach the NBA Finals, wouldn't find comfort were they to see the Mavericks instead of the Lakers or Kings. Through Saturday's play, the Pistons were allowing exactly 80 points per game to every team not from Dallas ... and the aforementioned 108 in two blowout losses to the Mavs. Milwaukee, with 109 points Saturday night, is the only other team to crack triple digits against the Pistons.
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| SPEAK OF THE WEEK |
 "Now he's passing the basketball, because he says, 'Damn, I'm going to get it back.' "
—Utah's Karl Malone, explaining the sudden pass-and-cut productivity of new teammate Matt Harpring -- with a thinly veiled swipe at Harpring's former teammate in Philadelphia, Allen Iverson. Harpring has scored 103 points in Utah's past four victories, which extended the Jazz revival to six consecutive wins.
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Marc Stein, the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com, writes "The Stein Line" every Monday during the season. To e-mail him, click here.
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| STEIN SIDELINES |
SLAMS AND DUNKS
 Chris Webber, as you know, has expressed interest in representing his country at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Webber, however, floats a potential legal cloud over any team he's around, stemming from the ongoing University of Michigan scandal. That's why Mike Bibby, not Webber, is said to be the most likely Sacramento King to make the next Team USA squad, which must qualify for the Olympics in regional qualifying in August. Provided Bibby returns from foot surgery resembling the Bibby who tormented the Mavericks and Lakers in last spring's playoffs, he has a good shot at a guard spot. USA Basketball, in fact, tried to land Bibby as a last-minute replacement for Ray Allen for the team that slumped to sixth place at the World Championships in Indianapolis, but Bibby declined, citing the short notice.
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WHAT A SCOUT SAYS
 About Shaquille O'Neal, whose comeback from toe surgery continues when the Lakers play host to Dallas in the second game of ESPN's Friday doubleheader: "Shaq's obviously not in shape yet. He's scoring on a lot of dunks, but his touch isn't there yet. He tires real quick. If he's not dunking, he's not making any real moves yet. The whole offense looks rusty, actually. They're not moving the ball around the way they usually do. It's understandable, but the crispness isn't there. And when Shaq and Kobe (Bryant) aren't in the game together ... I just don't think their supporting cast is as good as it's been the past couple years. Shaq's still a monster. You forget how big he is. But when he comes off the floor, they don't have any other guys besides Kobe who can get their own shot. The other problem is they haven't had guys healthy; Shaq comes back and Robert Horry goes out. But you get the sense watching them that no one's overly concerned. They've proven they can come through so many times that I think they'll be playing much better by the end of December."
MAILBAG
 I have a question about this Olympic selection committee that's in charge of choosing the players that will take part in the Olympic qualification tournament and then the subsequent Olympics in Athens. Why hasn't this group asked Allen Iverson to partake?
Don't worry ... Iverson will be on the team this time. They actually have contacted him, and installing Larry Brown as coach certainly helps -- although historians will note that Chuck Daly's presence as the original Dream Team coach didn't prevent Isiah Thomas from getting the scroogie in '92. Injury and more off-court turmoil are the only real obstacles to keep A.I. off the next two Team USA squads. They need him and he wants to represent his country. Badly.
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