NBA: Kobe vs. Shaq: who's been better for the Lakers?

Historically dubbed "Showtime," a more appropriate name for the Los Angeles Lakers this year may be "As the World Turns," thanks to an epic soap-opera-like battle between the team’s two star players. Throughout the season, guard Kobe Bryant and center Shaquille O’Neal have been struggling to assert themselves as the team’s preeminent player, each believing that winning a second championship involves the other taking a more subordinate role in the offense.

The fight came to a critical point during the All-Star weekend when O’Neal allegedly told an Orlando newspaper that he would consider rejoining his former team, the Magic, although he has since denied making any such statement.

With O’Neal and Bryant thinking too much of the team’s energy is revolving around the other, Phil Jackson is faced with one of the toughest coaching challenges in his illustrious career. So who should step aside and let the other lead the Lakers charge to repeat? A comparison of their performances this season reveals this is no easy choice.

When examining the entire season, Bryant seems to have made a stronger case than O’Neal, at least offensively. Scoring wise, he’s averaging 29.8 point per game, highlighted by a field-goal percentage of 47 and a free-throw percentage of 87. He’s also collecting 6.1 rebounds and dishing out 4.76 assists per game.

In contrast, O’Neal is scoring 27.3 points per contest and continues to fail from the free-throw line, shooting just 42 percent during the year. Nevertheless, his accuracy from the floor is making up for his troubles from the stripe. With a 57 percent field-goal average, he's among the league leaders. Complementing his shooting, O’Neal is grabbing 12.7 boards per game, making him a consistent 25-point, 10-plus rebound threat night in and night out. He’s also responsible for almost four assists per game, evidence of his growth into a great passing big man.

On the defensive end, O’Neal and Bryant appear to be dead even. O’Neal is blocking three shots and causing over half a turnover per contest. Not to be outdone, Bryant is averaging 1.7 steals and .7 blocks per game.

After being injured for a number of games, O’Neal has come back with a vengeance, making a case for his superiority in recent weeks. During the month of February, he’s scoring 33 points, snatching 12.3 rebounds and blocking four shots per game. Even more impressive, he’s raised his free-throw percentage to over 50 percent, though his assists have dropped to 3.33 per contest.

Similarly, Bryant hasn’t slowed down a bit, despite a season replete with nagging injuries. In February, his output has been up — scoring 30.5 points, generating 6.17 assists and securing 8.8 boards per contest. However, his production has declined in other areas. Compared to earlier this year, he’s only blocking 1.17 shots and creating just 1.33 steals. His average turnovers per game have also risen from 3.27 in November to four in February.

By any standard, Bryant and O’Neal have both been having excellent years, yet the Lakers should be concerned about their durability since both have already been plagued with several minor injuries during the season. This isn’t surprising when both are playing well over 40 minutes per game and are coming off a long championship season.

Still, the most pressing matter to the Lakers future is having O’Neal and Bryant settle their feud. If anyone can manage these egos, it’s Phil Jackson. But if he can’t and trade demands surface, the Lakers will be confronted with the unenviable decision of having to decide which player to keep.