Sam Cassell

[stretch]

Mark Cuban... if you are smart, you will go after him. Get a smart, crafty veteran, who knows how to run PG the right way, has a very good jumpshot, and can play some solid defense.

[Shank]

And he helps bring in the interplanetary financial support for the organization.

[sribb43]

yes bc Cassell is the missing piece...Mavs problems are much bigger than a backup PG

[DazedAndConfused]

Anyone see him club Rajon Rondo last night? Guess he won't be going to Boston

[ludda]

he;s going to the Celtics. Every dinosaur wants to go there.

[Fillmoe]

LOL..... he's mad that Rondo is taking his ring...

[lefty]

yes bc Cassell is the missing piece...Mavs problems are much bigger than a backup PG

Cassell had that championship experience.

Of course, Devean had that too, but unlike him, Sam is actually a proven winner, a true leader and clutch player.

[stretch]

yes bc Cassell is the missing piece...Mavs problems are much bigger than a backup PG
I'm not saying hes the missing piece. But he would certainly solve one of our bigger problems, in someone being capable of running the offense efficiently on a nightly basis. He is a much higher IQ player than both Terry and Harris combined, and that is a HUGE issue that we have at PG, as shown the other night against Boston when Terry made one of the poorest passes I've ever witnessed that basically gave the game away.

[stretch]

Cassell had that championship experience.

Of course, Devean had that too, but unlike him, Sam is actually a proven winner, a true leader and clutch player.
Being a spurs fan, what would you think if the Clippers bought him out, and the Mavs were able to sign him?

[lefty]

Being a spurs fan, what would you think if the Clippers bought him out, and the Mavs were able to sign him?

I wouldn't like that.

AJ will easily trust Sam.

Sam is a good decision maker, and he won't hesitate to yell at Dirk if necessary.

I'll have Cassell as starting PG, and Terry as a SG.

Devin will be the energy guy from the bench.

Sam is also one of the rare PG's who can post up smaller PG's.

[stretch]

I wouldn't like that.

AJ will easily trust Sam.

Sam is a good decision maker, and he won't hesitate to yell at Dirk if necessary.

I'll have Cassell as starting PG, and Terry as a SG.

Devin will be the energy guy from the bench.

Sam is also one of the rare PG's who can post up smaller PG's.

That post-up thing was the FIRST thing that came to my mind too. That would add a great dimension to our offense.

As for Terry, I prefer him coming off the bench. I think a guard duo of Cassell and Harris would be pretty tough, as they are both effective PGs, but in completely different ways. Cassell is more traditional and methodical, while Harris is a fast paced penetrator/scorer. I think despite being almost completely opposite, they would be a very good backcourt duo. And if we face teams with bigger guards, we can throw Eddie Jones in for the start at the 2.

[Findog]

Cassell would be great, but if he gets bought out then the Celtics are probably the frontrunner. If there's somebody on my wish list right now, it's Mike Miller.

[monosylab1k]

Watch JJ Barea try running the offense and tell me we don't need another PG.

[monosylab1k]

If we can completely eliminate the amount of time Terry plays point, we'll be MUCH better off.

Cassell/Harris at PG and then Terry/Jones at SG is pretty damn good IMO.

[stretch]

Cassell would be great, but if he gets bought out then the Celtics are probably the frontrunner. If there's somebody on my wish list right now, it's Mike Miller.
...I don't know if Cassell is going to Boston now after that flagrant, lol.

I wouldn't mind Mike Miller, but I'm more interested in getting a high IQ player at PG. The desicion making at that position sometimes is just downright awful. We need someone that can find Howard, Dirk, Damp, and Terry for easy buckets.

[stretch]

If we can completely eliminate the amount of time Terry plays point, we'll be MUCH better off.

Cassell/Harris at PG and then Terry/Jones at SG is pretty damn good IMO.
Agreed.

[Findog]

...I don't know if Cassell is going to Boston now after that flagrant, lol.

I wouldn't mind Mike Miller, but I'm more interested in getting a high IQ player at PG. The desicion making at that position sometimes is just downright awful. We need someone that can find Howard, Dirk, Damp, and Terry for easy buckets.

Mike Miller would definitely solve the gaping hole at SG, since Terry is so undersized, but Memphis won't want his contract. I'm about to bust a nut thinking of Miller getting open looks from behind the arc when teams double Dirk. If we could get Cassell, I would be ecstatic.

[stretch]

Mike Miller would definitely solve the gaping hole at SG, since Terry is so undersized, but Memphis won't want his contract. I'm about to bust a nut thinking of Miller getting open looks from behind the arc when teams double Dirk. If we could get Cassell, I would be ecstatic.
Yea, he would definitely be nice too. I just want to see the Mavs make some kind of move.

[Findog]

Yeah, I don't think this team can afford to stand pat. I don't advocate a complete 180 degree shift like Phoenix, but teams like Memphis and such are probably willing to unload players like Miller in exchange for expiring contracts, picks, young players. I'd like to see the Mavs do something as well.

[Xylus]

I don't advocate a complete 180 degree shift like Phoenix.
It's more like a 45 degree shift, but I see your point.

[remingtonbo2001]

Cassell would make the Mavs a better team. This would in the best intrest of their future, than trading for Kidd.

[Findog]

Much agreed. I wonder if Terry + crap would get us Cassell and possibly Maggette.

[stretch]

It's more like a 45 degree shift, but I see your point.
Let's compare...

Shawn Marion

Best fast break player with Nash
Best finisher on the break
Best athlete
Best defender
Best all-around player
Effective on offense without shots
Plays with effort

Shaq

Slow and can't run fast break
Fat, old and unathletic
Average at best defender
Average at best rebounder
Needs shots to be effective offensively
Plays lethargically unless he's getting all the shots

I'd say that is a 180 degree turn.

[monosylab1k]

What would it take to get Miller? I'm assuming Memphis will take dog shit for him considering what they gave away Gasol for.

[stretch]

Much agreed. I wonder if Terry + crap would get us Cassell and possibly Maggette.
I would definitely have done that at the start of the year. Right now... that would be a tough move to make, and it may make it hard to win a title this year, but for the future, that would be a great move.

As for Cassell, we could get him without trading, as he is trying to get his contract bought out.

[stretch]

What would it take to get Miller? I'm assuming Memphis will take dog shit for him considering what they gave away Gasol for.
We could probably give them KVH's contract, but Cuban probably wouldn't have the balls to do that. He's more interested in giving money away to someone that's not even on the team, than getting an effective player that could help our team make our strongest push for a title. It's just too logical.

[monosylab1k]

Stackhouse, Ager, Fazekas for Miller works. That's about on par with Kwame/Crittendon for Gasol.

Throw in a draft pick or two and it's basically the same deal on a smaller scale.

[Xylus]

Let's compare...

Shawn Marion

Best fast break player with Nash
Best finisher on the break
Best athlete
Best defender
Best all-around player
Effective on offense without shots
Plays with effort

Shaq

Slow and can't run fast break
Fat, old and unathletic
Average at best defender
Average at best rebounder
Needs shots to be effective offensively
Plays lethargically unless he's getting all the shots

I'd say that is a 180 degree turn.
You see things in stark black and white, without any consideration of Marion's weaknesses and Shaq's strengths. Shawn Marion was an important part of the team, but he wasn't the most important, or even the 2nd most important.. so the trade of a single player isn't going to change the identity of a team that's led by Nash, Amare, and D'Antoni (not to mention Barbosa, Bell, Diaw, and Hill, 4 players who thrive in the running game).

[Findog]

What would it take to get Miller? I'm assuming Memphis will take dog shit for him considering what they gave away Gasol for.

Expiring contracts, picks and young players, or some combination thereof. They turned down deals where they were getting far more talent for Gasol because they want cap space, not bodies. Chicago offered up Nocioni and they took Kwame because he comes off the books this summer.

[stretch]

You see things in stark black and white, without any consideration of Marion's weaknesses and Shaq's strengths. Shawn Marion was an important part of the team, but he wasn't the most important, or even the 2nd most important.. so the trade of a single player isn't going to change the identity of a team that's led by Nash, Amare, and D'Antoni (not to mention Barbosa, Bell, Diaw, and Hill, 4 players who thrive in the running game).
The thing is, Marion's strengths fit the Suns systems more than Shaq's strengths. Marions weaknesses are less destructive to they Suns defense than Shaq's weaknesses as well. They lose a LOT more than they gain. Just wait. You heard it here first.

[Xylus]

The thing is, Marion's strengths fit the Suns systems more than Shaq's strengths. Marions weaknesses are less destructive to they Suns defense than Shaq's weaknesses as well. They lose a LOT more than they gain. Just wait. You heard it here first.
Actually, this is the 354th time I've heard it, but I'll make note that you said it :toast

Anyway, I don't want to sideline this topic, which is about Cassell, not Shaq/Marion. Carry on.

[stretch]

Actually, this is the 354th time I've heard it, but I'll make note that you said it :toast

Anyway, I don't want to sideline this topic, which is about Cassell, not Shaq/Marion. Carry on.
If Sam Cassell comes to Dallas, Dallas will win 10 straight titles.

[lefty]

That post-up thing was the FIRST thing that came to my mind too. That would add a great dimension to our offense.

As for Terry, I prefer him coming off the bench. I think a guard duo of Cassell and Harris would be pretty tough, as they are both effective PGs, but in completely different ways. Cassell is more traditional and methodical, while Harris is a fast paced penetrator/scorer. I think despite being almost completely opposite, they would be a very good backcourt duo. And if we face teams with bigger guards, we can throw Eddie Jones in for the start at the 2.

That makes sense if they meet teams like New Orleans and San Antonio, where the starting PG's are pretty fast; Harris can keep up with TP and CP3, unlike Cassell

[ludda]

Cassell is most likely going to Boston, ejection or not. He said it publicly that Boston is where he wants to go.

I thought the Terry-Maggette trade was good for the mavs, but the Clippers shot that down.

If Miller is on the market, I'd expect other teams willing to give up more for him than the Mavs, who seem unwilling to part with Harris, Josh and obviously Dirk. And no one wants to take on Terry and his contract.

I dont see any moves for the Mavs, unless its a knee-jerk one.

[stretch]

Cassell is most likely going to Boston, ejection or not. He said it publicly that Boston is where he wants to go.

I thought the Terry-Maggette trade was good for the mavs, but the Clippers shot that down.

If Miller is on the market, I'd expect other teams willing to give up more for him than the Mavs, who seem unwilling to part with Harris, Josh and obviously Dirk. And no one wants to take on Terry and his contract.

I dont see any moves for the Mavs, unless its a knee-jerk one.
I heard he said he would be interested in Dallas too.

[Findog]

Wally S. would be a nice little pickup for Dallas, as would Kurt Thomas. Neither of those two guys are in Seattle's long-term plans and would fill pressing needs for us (size and scoring at the two, along with somebody who can help guard the paint.) With Shaq in Phoenix and Gasol now in LA, along with Duncan and Boozer, Mavs need another defending big since Diop is now in the doghouse.

[big3bigD]

good article by DLord on DallasBasketballBall.com about howthe Mavs can get both Magette and Miller without using KVH's expiring contract, thus allowing it to be used elsewhere... There are countless ways that these deals could go down, but these are some interesting ideas anyway...

Countermove
D-Lord Suggests Some Freshen-Up Trades
By David Lord -- DB.com

Should the Mavs respond to the moves made by LA and Phoenix? I offer a resounding YES.

When a franchise isn't going forward, it's going backwards. And even if they are going as fast as ever, that's no longer good enough once the competition has found a way to accelerate.

This Mavericks team –relative to the competition -- isn't going forward. So if it's my team, it's time to act NOW.

But isn't that just a panic move? Don't they need some patience to let the season play out on their chosen path? Up until now, I've thought “yes.’’ But now I'm changing course for several reasons, and panic is not the stimulus. These trades by the competition (the pending Shaq-to-Phoenix deal following Gasol to LA) are just the final straw of many that have been gradually piling up. Here's my reasoning.

First, at some point in a process, change can be good. In fact, change can even become desperately needed, just for the sake of change. And while the long stability to this core has been beneficial to this franchise, I think that point of needing some true change has now arrived.

For three to four years now, Dallas has featured the same core players, with the same strengths, the same weaknesses, the same coach, the same system. Continuity is good as a team grows into a unit. Unfortunately, after a while, it inevitably becomes the same old same ol’ for the fan, and I believe it can be true for the athlete, too. Conceivably, a team can get bogged down in a “you are who you are’’ mindset, the players accept it, and they gradually abandon the team's goals for their own.


In the last month or two, we are starting to hear rumblings of discontent from the roster. Because they've traveled this path too many times already, it’s logical that players tune out the team vision and create their own goals instead. A new dynamic, created by some change in the core (not in the fringe around it), has not occurred to create new mixes and challenges that can inspire and motivate. The unrest tells us that we may have hit the tipping point.

Second, a lack of substantive change over time can eventually create paralysis, as the franchise desperately begins to cling to the old and idealizes it. The Mavs have evolved from an aggressive "this is an upgrade business" and "we're always looking to improve" to an organization that stubbornly and repetitively says "we like our team." While that undoubtedly is meant to comfort and encourage the players who are here, it can also create a malaise.

I don't know how much, in their heart of hearts, the Mavs truly see their team as perfect. But they sure have offered that message to fans and players alike, ad nauseum. And at some point, even if it’s merely a PR phrase, that mantra begins to communicate to all (not only to fans, but also to players) that the status quo is fine, and there is no need to improve and grow. Change then becomes needed to demonstrate that improvement and growth is still the mandate here.

And finally, the urgency is heightened because the landscape around the Mavs is changing (and getting more challenging). In that context, given the nature of competition, there is indeed a need to "keep up with the Joneses" at all times.



But that greater urgency isn't just from seeing the competition getting better, but also from the opportunity created by that stouter competition. Seeing the handwriting on the wall, some teams are already throwing up their hands in resignation for the year. As a result, some crucial opportunities might be sitting there that won't be available later. So strike while the iron is hot! Does it make any sense to stay the same little band fighting the same battle once more, when help is out there begging to be grabbed? I don’t think so.

Yes Devin Harris has been developing, and Brandon Bass is new. But the core here is still a Dirk-Josh-Jet-Stack team with some solid centers anchoring the middle, and the preservation of that core which provides strength also starts to become its greatest weakness over time. Change is refreshing and even necessary at some point, and nothing of actual substance has been changing on this team in years. It’s time.



So what would you do, you ask? Here's where I'd begin.



I'd start with two calls to address the ongoing hole on this team at shooting guard. First I'd call the Clippers to see if there is some way to revive those "Jason Terry for Corey Maggette" talks of last summer. Terry wasn't quite enough to entice LA then, but what would it take NOW? Second I'd call Memphis and gauge their willingness to trade Mike Miller (which they've sounded open to doing) and determine the price. Based on their Gasol move, expiring contracts, picks, and youngsters are the things needed to do a deal with them.

Do the Mavs have the assets to get one of those players? Maybe. I can even devise semi-feasible ways to get both in one big 3-way deal where Terry goes to LA, Maggette comes back along with the Mavs taking unused Aaron Williams to sweeten the offer, and then the Mavs sending Williams and some more expiring/cheap pieces to Memphis for Miller and squeezed out-of-favor backup PG Kyle Lowry. Williams-George-Ager-Juwan to Memphis would be enough to satisfy the trade rules, and the flexible-but-expensive KVH angle doesn't even have to be utilized to do any of that. And before those get dismissed as impossible, let's focus on one important truth: if those players are somehow available (which would seem to be true), and if the price isn't exorbitant or out of reach (which would seem to be the case with both), then why can't the Mavs get one or both for some offer or another?


What's so special about those players? Maggette is a force at SG with a PER close to 20. He attacks and in fact he is No. 2 in the entire NBA in his ability to draw fouls. Lowry also has shown a top-level aptitude in drawing fouls from the PG position. Miller is an even better sharpshooter than Terry from the perimeter, and he's big, not small. All those players have some flaws of course, but they could alter the landscape and change the dynamic in Mavsland without reducing the general talent base to do so.

Of course the devil is in the details.



For starters, according to LA coach Dunleavy, LA's owner turned down Terry-for-Maggette in the summer, so would the Mavs taking Williams' deal be enough added benefit to entice them? If not, how much more would it take? A pick? A youngster with potential?



And then on the Memphis end, in that outline above we've constructed a way to provide for Miller's salary to be erased from Memphis' future, but that’s not enough. If we want a deal they'll also expect to get something that will offer some potential on-court value for their future. For Gasol their superstar, it took two No. 1 picks, plus LA's 2007 No. 1 pick, and a player still in Europe. Could the Mavs get it done for Miller with just a single No. 1 and a player in Europe? Just two No 1s? A No. 1 and a youngster like Fazekas or one of the kids in Europe? Two No. 1s and some of that young potential? Given the price for Gasol, some sort of offer like that should work, shouldn't it?

It could look something like this:
* Dallas sends Terry and a #1 pick to LAC, and sends George, Ager, Juwan, Fazekas, R Terry, and a No. 1 pick to Memphis.
* Dallas gets Maggette from LAC and gets Miller and Lowry from Memphis.
* LAC sends Maggette to Dallas and sends Williams to Memphis.
* LAC gets Terry and a No. 1 pick from Dallas.
* Memphis sends Miller and Lowry to Dallas.
* Memphis gets Williams from LAC and gets George, Ager, Juwan, Fazekas, R Terry, and a No. 1 pick from Dallas.

Of course there are lots of ways to negotiate those deals a bit differently as needed. Different picks maybe, or different youngsters. And both of these owners are extremely cash focused, so perhaps you offer cash to pay for some of the salary, or to sweeten things slightly, in lieu of picks or players. There is more than one way to skin a cat - errrr, to make a trade desirable.


Obviously both teams might say no. Or maybe one says yes and the other no. If LA says no but Memphis wants to deal, then it will take a bit of that pigeonholed KVH asset to make the expirings big enough. If Memphis says no but LA wants to deal, then taking back the Williams contract becomes tax prohibitive, so a different incentive needs to be added. But if you chase a bit here, one or more of those teams might just say yes, in which case the SG position just got populated with one or more legitimate threats that are big enough to be a SG and can actually put the ball in the hoop.

But what will the Mavs do if both teams said yes? How could they possibly make it work with both Miller and Maggette added? I don't know, but this team has been deficient at SG for so long that I can't see how the extra talent would be a problem. Too much talent at SG? I'm not gonna worry about it until it happens. (But in the worst-case scenario, where the Mavs get both and it just doesn't work, wouldn't it be nice to have a surplus of talent to use in a summer trade to erase other needs?)



In addition, if you have too much punch at the SG, isn't that a significant change that completely changes the dynamic of this team? You've gone from weakness to strength, allowing you to attack games in a very different way.



And if these don't work, there are other places to look. For example, Ron Artest appears to be available. If the price is right, isn't he an alternative worth pursuing?


So these ideas include trading Jason Terry, a superior shooter and fan favorite. Why him? Because, in my opinion, he really isn't capable of filling needed holes on this roster, and if you are going to make a change it has to alter some part of the core itself.



Out of the core, Jet makes the most sense as being a combination of tradable and replaceable. The Mavs need a backup PG at times, but he's not really able to get that job done. (Yes, I wrote recently that he was a more-than-capable replacement at that position while Harris is hurt, but boy was I wrong. He's regressed significantly there and has seemingly been passed by Berea in that role.) And the Mavs also need a SG, but he's not big enough to properly fill that role either. As one of the top shooters in the NBA and a solid citizen, many teams covet having someone like him.

If the Mavs got Maggette, he's not the perimeter shooter Terry is, but he can attack a defense in ways the Mavs lack right now, which would provide a fresh and different dynamic. And if they also got Miller, he'd more than replace Terry's shooting, and he'd be a much bigger guard.



Those are the places I'd start. Hopefully that would be enough to get a deal done. But if not, I wouldn't stop. It's time to get aggressive and make something good happen. And yes, if need be, it’s time for Cuban to open that wallet and use that KVH chip to enhance the talent base.

Sometimes patience is a good thing. But from what I'm observing, this team is getting stale as a group. The landscape is changing. And the time is NOW. Add a new dynamic, a breath of fresh air, another threat or two, and then run through the playoffs. Yes this team is close to being "good enough" already, but now is not the time to be idle. If opportunity knocks, it's time for the Mavs to answer. In fact, in my opinion, it's time for the Mavs to do the knocking.

231pm feb 6 2008

[ArgSpursFan.]

Let's compare...

Shawn Marion

Best fast break player with Nash
Best finisher on the break
Best athlete
Best defender
Best all-around player
Effective on offense without shots
Plays with effort

Shaq

Slow and can't run fast break
Fat, old and unathletic
Average at best defender
Average at best rebounder
Needs shots to be effective offensively
Plays lethargically unless he's getting all the shots

I'd say that is a 180 degree turn.

I think you've missed something there:
All Marion's atributions you said he has,He showed them playing alonside Steve Nash.

Now,I believe Shaq can get at least 50% more easy layups per/game with Nash tham what He used to in his untire career.

I'm scared to face the tamdem Nash/Shaq.
you should be as well.

[Warlord23]

.... I'm about to bust a nut thinking of Miller ...

:wtf Well he does have weird hair, but ... sheesh Findog, you aren't that starved of female company, are you?

[duncan228]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/02/07/cassell.clippers.ap/index.html

Cassell says he's not seeking buyout

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- While Sam Cassell acknowledges he's unhappy the Los Angeles Clippers are losing, the veteran point guard made it clear Thursday he's not lobbying to play elsewhere.

The Boston Globe reported Cassell was trying to buy out his contract so he could play for the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics. Cassell, averaging 13.1 points and a team-leading 4.5 assists in 34 games, is earning $6.1 million this season -- the final year of his contract.

"There's no truth to it," Cassell said by telephone from Toronto, where the Clippers play Friday night. "I never said I wanted to buy out my contract. There have been no negotiations, the team hasn't come to me about that, I have not gone to them about that."

The 38-year-old Cassell had 10 points and three assists in the Clippers' 111-100 loss to the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday night.

"They misquoted me drastically," Cassell said of the report. "It's just not right for my teammates to hear I'd be a perfect fit in Boston."

Cassell referred to television coverage of the published report.

"That's not what I said," Cassell said. "The reporter said I'd be a perfect fit in Boston. I'm still a member of the Los Angeles Clippers and I want to win as many games as possible with the Clippers. I'm not happy that we're losing, but I have a lot of good teammates on this ballclub that I really enjoy being around."

Cassell said he'd probably like to play one more season before retiring.

Cassell, a member of NBA championship teams in Houston in 1994-95, has said on several occasions he'd like to go into coaching when his playing career is over.

The Clippers (15-31) have played without injured star forward Elton Brand and outstanding young point guard Shaun Livingston all season because of injuries. They hope to get both back before season's end, but it's a virtual certainty that won't be enough to help them contend for a playoff berth because of the outstanding competition in the Western Conference.

With Brand and Cassell leading the way, the Clippers beat Denver in the first round of the 2006 playoffs before losing to Phoenix in the second round. They were eliminated from playoff contention on the final day last season.

[bostonguy]

I dont see Sam going to Dallas if JET/Harris are still on the team. Cassell will go to a team where he will be the automatic backup. Harris/Jet starting wont work because they will get abused by bigger backcourts. Jet coming off the bench works but Stack comes off the bench as does Bass and Diop. Cassell wont even know what kind of role he will get. I am not speaking out of hate but out of the situation. If Cassell wants a guaranteed consistent playing time role, he will go to a team that needs a backup pg (Boston,Phoenix)

[Findog]

I dont see Sam going to Dallas if JET/Harris are still on the team. Cassell will go to a team where he will be the automatic backup. Harris/Jet starting wont work because they will get abused by bigger backcourts. Jet coming off the bench works but Stack comes off the bench as does Bass and Diop. Cassell wont even know what kind of role he will get. I am not speaking out of hate but out of the situation. If Cassell wants a guaranteed consistent playing time role, he will go to a team that needs a backup pg (Boston,Phoenix)

there was some talk in the offseason of Terry for Maggette. I look at it as Terry backing up the 2 and Stack backing up the 3 positions. Harris and Cassell would run the point. I guess my point is that if the Mavs are serious about adding another PG, Cassell is a better fit and option than Kidd, IMO.

[SpursFan0728]

The last team i want to see is Cassell going to is the
Mavs...

[stretch]

I think you've missed something there:
All Marion's atributions you said he has,He showed them playing alonside Steve Nash.


Best fast break player with Nash
Best finisher on the break
Best athlete
Best defender
Best all-around player
Effective on offense without shots
Plays with effort

Absolutely NONE of these has anything to do with Nash. They are all natural instincts. Nash has nothing to do with how you play defense, or the amount of effort you give, or how good of an athlete you are. All of these has to do with Shawn Marion's personal skills and talents.

Having Shaq on Nash's team will not help Shaq lose the 80 lbs he needs to lose just to keep up with his team, or help him get off his lazy ass and actually play defense for the first time in the past 5 years.