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This is a crazy season.
So Shaq's back in the West for a couple years?
I bet the Mavs are the next team with the big move. Wont matter though. I like the Lakers or Spurs coming out of the west this season.
This is a crazy season.
So Shaq's back in the West for a couple years?
The Suns ought to trade Diaw if possible. However his contract is pretty big.
Shaq is a sorry, fat ass. Sure he's widely respected by most all players and is seemingly a joy to be around. But he's got contradictions in his prinicples and s in his armor.
He doesn't mind hoarding the lionshare of the salary (20mil per season), but he doesn't feel compelled to keep himself in proper physical condition.
Now he needs this trade to get motivated to play again.
He likes to refer to himself as the "son of a military man" and how he "learned self-discipline" growing up with his stepfather. OK. Where is it?
If he really wanted to be a team player, he'd realize he's no longer a productive player and he'd either give the team so financial relief or simply retire after this season.
It's not even a matter of motivation. Shaq is just not there physically.
ESPN News is now reporting the Suns have agreed to the deal.
See that is what I dont get. Shaq is a shadow of himself in all aspects of the game. Miami might have a realistic chance of keeping Wade afterall for the long haul. I dont see them keeping Marion after this year or next year. He is almost 30 and isnt in their future plans. Only way Marion bolts is via sign and trade. Marion wont opt out of a contract like that. Heat can use it for trade bait next year if they want to. They will have a good draft pick and cap room to build around Wade.
2 things: I'll admit that Wilt Chamberlain had a renaissance in his later years that included a le, but Shaq isn't Wilt.
And can we consider this trade another casualty of the Pau Gasol deal?
this is ed
And for those of you who may have already seen this, I'm sorry, but this is what Chris Broussard wrote on ESPN (insider only).
I think he has some great points and it's probably the best written opinion I've seen yet.
The Shaq deal: Some reasons why
My first thought was, "That's ridiculous! There's no way the Suns would trade for Shaq.''
With all due respect to The Diesel, he's just not what he used to be. And he's not worth $40 million over the next two years.
Then I began calling around and speaking with folks in the know. Here's what I was told:
"It's close to a done deal,'' said someone with knowledge of the Suns' thinking.
"I think it's going to happen,'' said someone else with knowledge of the Suns' thinking.
"Why?'' I cried. "I can't see one benefit to adding Shaq.''
Here's what I was told:
First, the Suns don't think they can win it all as currently constructed. Their lack of big, physical players scares the daylights out of them when they look at a Lakers frontline that features Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom (not to mention Ronny Turiaf).
I was told the Suns got word that Dallas was trying to trade for Shaq (in large part to combat the new-look Lakers' behemoth front line) and that that is what set this Phoenix-Miami deal in motion.
Afraid of what a Dallas team that featured Shaq, Dirk and Josh Howard would look like, the Suns have swept in and attempted to steal Shaq from the Mavericks.
I was also told that the locker room chemistry between Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire had gotten too negative to bear. No fighting, no yelling, just a bad vibe.
"But financially, it seems disastrous,'' I said.
In actuality, it's not that bad. Marion was owed more than $17 million next year, and he would have been foolish to opt out of that deal because no one else could have or would have paid him that much. Add in Marcus Banks' $4.1 million, and the Suns are actually saving money by paying Shaq $20 million.
Banks has two more years after next at almost $10 million total, so adding Shaq would cost the Suns about $10 million in the long run. That still doesn't jibe with owner Robert Sarver's cost-cutting mandate, but it's not as bad as I first thought.
Basketball-wise, the Suns believe the positives are this:
1. Shaq will give them the big, physical presence they sorely lack on both ends of the floor.
2. Shaq will enable Amare Stoudemire to play his true and preferred position of power forward, which will make Amare more effective, possibly increasing his scoring and rebounding numbers.
3. Steve Nash will make Shaq a bigger scorer than he currently is in Miami because of his ability to create easy baskets for the big fella. Plus, the Suns' 3-point shooting ability will open things up for Shaq inside.
4. The Suns can still run with Shaq because you don't need all five players sprinting upcourt to run a fastbreak.
The Suns aren't completely sold though.
I'm told that Amare wants the deal to happen and spoke extensively with Shaq on the telephone Tuesday night.
I'm told that Nash has some apprehension, but he's weighing the pros and cons. I'm told Coach Mike D'Antoni has even more apprehension, and that there are questions as to whether he can coach the team in a way that will utilize Shaq's abilities.
I'm told new president Steve Kerr thinks adding Shaq is a great opportunity for the Suns organization.
Personally, I wouldn't make this trade if I were the Suns. While they don't look dominant out West, the truth is that nobody looks dominant out West. They are one of four or five teams with a legitimate chance of winning the conference le.
I would give this core of Stoudemire, Nash and Marion one more shot before blowing it up.
While I understand the notion of Shaq adding a big, physical presence, I don't know that you can count on him to do that at his age (he'll turn 36 on March 6).
First, I think he could get in huge foul trouble because of Nash's inability to contain dribble penetration. And secondly, I don't know that Shaq will even be healthy most of the time.
I do like the idea of Dallas adding Shaq because I don't think they'd rely on him as much. I think he'd be a more effective version of Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop. But I think the Suns will need more out of him than Dallas would.
I think Grant Hill and Boris Diaw can make up for Marion's offense, but defensively, the Suns will miss The Matrix.
I agree that Shaq's presence will make Stoudemire better, and that he will not stop the Suns from running fast breaks. He'll slow down their halfcourt offense, but with all those shooters around him, he should be more effective.
After speaking with these "folks in the know,'' I can see some pluses to adding Shaq to the Suns.
But I still wouldn't do it.
Bad move, I'd say. Shaq isn't worth the money he's being paid, and he's constantly injured. Just a bad return on investment. If Marion wants out so bad, I'm pretty sure Phoenix can get more than an over-the-hill Snaq for him.
Next, Suns are trading Amare for Jeremey Shockey.
Dumb' Toni must be pissed right now bc here comes in a first year GM in Kerr blowing up what he has implimented the past 4 years telling him this isnt gonna work im trading marion for a 1-legged shaq who is 35 going on 36.
PHX should have went after a more mobile C like Andres Biedrens. He would be the perfect fit for them.
Well since everyone on these boards love the useless PER rating, Hollinger busted out some other stat that showed who kept their assigned man to the lowest FG % sometime last year in the Mag. And you know who finished 1st? Shawn Marion.
And if I had to rank the best defenders it would go: 1. Camby 2. LBJ 3. Marion.
I'm not kidding anyone, just coming with the truth.
honestly, i have no idea what to think about this. after d'antoni started hill in the last game against the bobcats instead of diaw, i considered teh season over at that point.. even they they were ahead by 20+ points nearly the whole 2nd half, i couldn't enjoy it, because he was too stubborn to realize what was working. even hill told him not to worry about bringing him off the bench. everything was working fine. so that already started off the rest of this for me.
marion, cya.. he's a good player, but complained too much and couldn't make his own shot. he was a good scrapper and a good defender. he is also losing his athleticism quite a bit, and it's shown alot in the last month or so. he's been going out and throwing up a lot of single pt/rb games. now i understand if you hwave one and not the other, but for both to be there for what he's getting paid, he's losing it. he's got joe johnson syndrome. he wants to be noticed and he wants to get paid. you'll get noticed in miami BEHIND wade. at least he can party now. he also wasn't going to opt out next year, he won't find another contract for more than 12 per year.
shaq.. i.. just don't know. if he's healthy (yes, big if) he's dominant. this does somewhat shore up the defense overall though. before the entire team was relying on the double team switch motion defense. this allows for more man on man defense which i think they need to be at. also, riley's practices are hard, and therefore hard on someone like shaq. phx has very easy practices which help save him more for game time. also, they have the best med staff in the league. i really think that nash is dead right now and amare had his right knee removed.. but they're so good, you can't tell.
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