How depressing it must be for every NBA player not on the Lakers roster.

Sure, the paycheck is nice, and there's much to enjoy about the NBA life, but nobody can have serious title aspirations as long as Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant are playing with such ruthless efficiency.  As a rule, NBA players are a competitive bunch.  Few get to the league without developing a healthy desire to win ? or at least embarrass the guy in front of him.

Yet, right now, they have to know there's little chance of dethroning the Lakers.  This year, Shaq, Kobe and Phil coasted through the regular season with unconcealed boredom, played so-so in the playoffs, yet bludgeoned a talented Portland team, and humiliated the Spurs.

After Boston beat Detroit, 66-64, Celtics coach Jim O'Brien said that the NBA isn't dance theater ? if you win, you go home with a grin on your face.  But this year's postseason, is just that.  We all knew the outcome before the first preseason game, at this point we're just watching to see if the Lakers do it with style.

Please understand that I'm not complaining.  The games have been scintillating, the action a joy to watch.  Dallas and Sacramento played some of the most entertaining hoops this side of Meadowlark Lemon.  Boston and Detroit competed with ferocity.  The Jason Kidd-Baron Davis duel has been rapture.

But the playoffs are less a competition than a coronation.  There's nothing especially wrong with that.  The chance to watch greatness ? be it Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods or Shaq and Kobe ? is always a treat.  What that level of greatness does, however, is remove the drama.

Yes, some of the Lakers games have been close.  They even lost one to the Spurs.  But there was still no real electricity around the series because everyone but optimistic Spurs fans knew the Lakers would win it in five.

Last season, the Spurs disgraced themselves by quitting.  This time, Shaq and Kobe were Lucy to the Spurs Charlie Brown, letting the Spurs roll to fourth quarter leads, then snatching the ball away and giggling as the Spurs fell.  Side note: I always wondered why Charlie Brown didn't forget the ball and just kick the living hell out of Lucy.

The series clincher was like watching Shaq and Kobe tear the wings off a fly.  The Spurs could do little more than thrash feebly while the powerful Lakers toyed with them.  If the Spurs aren't embarrassed, they're not paying attention.

The next victim is Sacramento.  There will be some who pick the Kings, but don't buy it.  They're a wonderful basketball team, but they still haven't shown they know what it means to play championship level basketball.

It would be great to see the Lakers challenged.  The Kings may have the personnel, but do they have the will?  I haven't seen it yet.

Here's what the Kings need to do to inject some drama into the proceedings ? win games one and two on their home court, then steal game four in Los Angeles.  Let's see what the Lakers can do down 3-1 on the road.  Until that happens, it's not a serious competition ? it's dance theater.

Playoff Notes

Has any player's star dimmed more this postseason than Jerry Stackhouse?  He has the ability to be a dominating scorer, yet averaged just 17.6 points on 32.1 percent shooting.  By the end, he was afraid to shoot, passing on an open three pointer in the final three minutes against the Celtics.

On the flip side is Kobe Bryant.  People love to hate him, and his shooting percentage has been nothing special.  But he makes all the big plays, and seemed to take special joy in killing the Spurs in the fourth quarter.  When the game is on the line, there's no one in the league better than Kobe.

I love to hear arguments that Phil Jackson is overrated as coach.  Winning with extraordinary talent is difficult because of the enlarged egos.  But Jackson has expertly blended the diverse personalities, constructed a working system in two different places and won eight championship rings.  So far.  He can coach my team any day.

Don't be surprised if Denver picks a European player in the draft.  The Nuggets are interested in hiring Mavericks assistant Donnie Nelson, who is credited with Dallas' acquisitions of Dirk Nowitzki and Wang Zhi Zhi.  If they get Nelson, expect him to attempt a recreation of what he's helped develop in Dallas.

On a non-basketball note: For anyone who hasn't been watching the Fox series "24" ? you've been missing something special.  But don't start watching now.  If you haven't seen most of the preceding 23 episodes, skip the finale and wait to pick it up from the beginning in re-runs or on cable.  It's the best show I've seen in at least the past decade ? so good, that I tuned out the NBA for an hour every Tuesday night.