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Shaquille O'Neal is not the same overpowering force he once was and, according to his coach, might never be again. The Lakers wait and hope for the old Shaq to re-emerge, but in the meantime, coach Phil Jackson is adjusting their formula for success.

Under the old model, O'Neal and Kobe Bryant dominated, their teammates dutifully filled in around the edges, and everyone thrived.

That model now appears obsolete, the Lakers having gone 11-19 this season and 8-10 with O'Neal in the lineup.

Three months after toe surgery, O'Neal lacks the mobility to be as imposing on defense and the explosiveness to be a wrecking ball on offense. With better conditioning, he had shown improvement in recent weeks, but "he's leveled off," Jackson said.

"He's giving us the best kind of effort that he can give. And that's good," Jackson said. "From that standpoint, I have no gripes, no hopes, no anticipations that he's going to be playing at another level, an elevated level, than what he's at."

Which means now, more than ever, it's up to everyone else.

"What I'm asking is for the other players that are playing around him to play at another level," Jackson said. "Kobe's defense, as an all-defensive player, and his ability to take good, quality shots. Rick (Fox)'s ability to be an offensive threat and do some things with the basketball that creates penetration and assists. Derek (Fisher)'s shooting and his choice of shots and his ability to make the right decisions with the basketball at different times in the game has to improve.

"Samaki (Walker) has got to stay within the offense and understand what the triangle is all about, so that we can operate the offense when it moves from side to side. Rob (Horry) has to give us a little bit more than a lick and a promise, even if he is physically not ready to play or not 100 percent every night. He's got to give more to the team defensively than he has, or has been able to, lately.

"Our bench guards have to be able to come in and give us a lift. Our backup players, our short-term backup players, have to do the jobs they can do - Slava (Medvedenko) come in and score, Mark Madsen rebound and defend.

"It goes on and on down the line, that's basically what we're talking about. One person can't carry the whole team."

76ERS

On the road again . . .

Can the 76ers' five-game trip that begins tonight in Utah have the same season-defining quality as the memorable 2000-01 sweep of the Jazz, Golden State and Sacramento?

Or do you get the feeling these Sixers will be redefining themselves all season, searching for an identity that remains hazy because of injuries and a trade?

What are some of the dangers lurking out there in a trek that will take them through games against the Jazz, Golden State, the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix and Dallas?

For openers, think about the perspective of Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich after the supposedly fading Jazz won in Houston Monday night, riding a 31-point, nine-rebound performance by Karl Malone:

"The Jazz are a team that is probably past their peak," Tomjanovich said. "I have to say this, though: I think they have another little peak in them."

The Warriors? They've been awful, and rookie coach Eric Musselman has threatened changes, although who knows who on their bench really could make a difference? But Antawn Jamison and Jason Richardson can be explosive.

The Clippers? The game is on New Year's Eve, not far from the revelry of Hollywood, Santa Monica, etc., which could be a distraction. And the Clippers might have won in the First Union Center on Nov. 6 if they had continued to send the ball inside to Michael Olowokandi rather than have their perimeter guys suddenly slinging up jumpers. They never went to the zone taught to them by former Temple coach Don Casey, and the Sixers are not exactly zone-busters.

The Suns? It's easy to get lulled to sleep in the Valley of the Sun, and Stephon Marbury seems to revel in games against Allen Iverson.

The Mavericks? Those guys can put up points faster than Iverson can put up shots.

The only overwhelming opponent on this trek is Dallas, meaning three victories should not be out of the question. And if that happens, even if that doesn't clearly define these Sixers, it should give everyone a better idea of what they at least can hope for.

TIME TO PAY UP

Assuming the Sixers reach the playoffs, their first-round pick in June belongs to Boston, part of the August 2001 deal in which they acquired the quickly gone Jerome Moiso for Roshown McLeod.

The pick the Sixers owe Denver from their three-way deal with Houston on Dec. 18 in which they acquired Kenny Thomas can be paid as early as 2005; league rules mandate that a team cannot go two straight years without a first-round pick.

But as always, there are contingencies. The pick owed to the Nuggets is thought to be protected through the first eight choices in the lottery in '05; it is protected through the first six the following year and is unprotected in '07. If, by other contingencies, the pick isn't delivered by then, the Sixers would owe Denver second-round picks in '08 and '09.

Bless whoever in the NBA office keeps track of all of this.

MAKING A POINT

Perhaps the Sixers are right that just-acquired Kenny Satterfield is a fleet point guard with a nice upside they can develop. But they might have been better served adding a veteran such as John Crotty, who signed with Denver. At least they might feel more comfortable using someone with experience to spell Eric Snow and allow Aaron McKie to concentrate on other responsibilities.

WHEN THE DUST SETTLES

Portland's Scottie Pippen said in the Chicago Tribune, "We'll win some games, but when the dust settles, we'll be under the dust."

To which Trail Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks responded in the Oregonian, "I hope we're a little higher than the dust."

QUOTEBOOK

Indiana's Ron Artest, on Allen Iverson: "This guy's coming to the hole like he's Shaq. I'm not trying to hurt him, I'm just trying to let him know, 'I can't let you keep coming to the hole.'"