D'Antoni: Suns better with Shaq

[Jeremy]

No, this article isn't from The Onion, it just seems like it is:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns...307sunsnb.html

[The Franchise]

Heroin is better if you inject it that doesn't make it a good thing.

[Matchman]

i still think shaq can turn it up in the post-season Miami Heat style

[mavsfan1000]

Cocaine is a of a drug.

[Armando]

Is still to early to call the Kidd and Shaq trades failures. In Shaq's case he has always been the type of player to coast thru the regular season. You have to give him time is not easy midseason to go to a new team. I think you will see Shaq and Kidd's impact come playoff time. What that means for Dallas and Phoenix we have to wait and see.

[spurms]

d'antoni is lying through his teeth...at least he tries to motivate his team, unlike houston fans.

[mavsfan1000]

Is still to early to call the Kidd and Shaq trades failures. In Shaq's case he has always been the type of player to coast thru the regular season. You have to give him time is not easy midseason to go to a new team. I think you will see Shaq and Kidd's impact come playoff time. What that means for Dallas and Phoenix we have to wait and see.

It looks much more promising for Dallas than Phoenix I have to say at this point. Marion is an all-star forward while Harris and Diop are just role players.

[E20]

D'Antoni is just deluding himself. They're 3-6, sure Amare looks good, but that's because of Marion's deprature giving him more touches. I sound like a broken record, but Shaq is a s of his former self, I wouldn't be suprised if they didn't make the PO's.

[spurms]

It looks much more promising for Dallas than Phoenix I have to say at this point. Marion is an all-star forward while Harris and Diop are just role players.

but harris plays better defense than kidd, and a better scorer, and much younger, this is a more stupid trade then the shaq one because the shaq one actually made some sense.

[resistanze]

What's he supposed to say, that getting Shaq was a mistake?

[Findog]

I would say the Mavs' recent struggles are more the fault of Josh Howard being terrible than trading for Jason Kidd. They'd probably be 5-5 in this stretch if they still had Diop and Harris.

[mavsfan1000]

but harris plays better defense than kidd, and a better scorer, and much younger, this is a more stupid trade then the shaq one because the shaq one actually made some sense.

Yes possibly as soon as next year this trade will benefit New Jersey more. Don't forget Kidd's huge contract will expire next year though. That means Dallas could possibly trade for another superstar or Cuban can let it expire. Kidd's defense has been good ever since he came to Dallas. Allen and Wright have also made a difference. Wright is looking like the possible starter at the 2 guard and Allen is probably the backup center since Mags looks like a mistake. Don't count Dallas out.

[Findog]

but harris plays better defense than kidd,

Really? Why don't you ask Baron Davis and Dwyane Wade about that? Kidd couldn't stop Chris Paul in his first game as a Mav, and guess what, Devin couldn't do it either. CP3 lit him up for 25 and 16 assists last night. Kidd couldn't stop Deron Williams on Monday night, with the kid from The Colony getting 17 points and 20 assists, but guess what, Williams hung 41 points on Devin Harris the last time they played.

and a better scorer,

We didn't get Kidd to score

and much younger,

I'd rather have Devin Harris over Jason Kidd if we're talking about 5 years from now, but this trade was made for this year and next.

this is a more stupid trade then the shaq one because the shaq one actually made some sense.

Oh really? Dallas lost to Golden State mostly because in crunchtime, they couldn't generate enough points with their iso offense. So they went out and got the game's best assist man to run their half-court sets for the playoffs. Meanwhile, Shaq has thrown a wrench into the Suns' offense. Yeah, the Kidd trade was stupid. A risk and a gamble, sure, but only a moron thinks Harris is better than Kidd and the Mavs won't be better off for the next two years with Kidd running their offense over Harris. The primary rationale against it is Harris' age, which is undeniably a high cost to pay. But his reputation as a defender is way overblown.

[spurms]

Really? Why don't you ask Baron Davis and Dwyane Wade about that? Kidd couldn't stop Chris Paul in his first game as a Mav, and guess what, Devin couldn't do it either. CP3 lit him up for 25 and 16 assists last night. Kidd couldn't stop Deron Williams on Monday night, with the kid from The Colony getting 17 points and 20 assists, but guess what, Williams hung 41 points on Devin Harris the last time they played.



We didn't get Kidd to score



I'd rather have Devin Harris over Jason Kidd if we're talking about 5 years from now, but this trade was made for this year and next.



Oh really? Dallas lost to Golden State mostly because in crunchtime, they couldn't generate enough points with their iso offense. So they went out and got the game's best assist man to run their half-court sets for the playoffs. Meanwhile, Shaq has thrown a wrench into the Suns' offense. Yeah, the Kidd trade was stupid. A risk and a gamble, sure, but only a moron thinks Harris is better than Kidd and the Mavs won't be better off for the next two years with Kidd running their offense over Harris. The primary rationale against it is Harris' age, which is undeniably a high cost to pay. But his reputation as a defender is way overblown.

yes ok points, but it's safe to say both team made bad trades that made their team worst at this point.

[Findog]

yes ok points, but it's safe to say both team made bad trades that made their team worst at this point.

How do you figure? The Mavs went on the road and had 4th Quarter leads against LA, San Antonio and Utah. Against the first two, they lost on their final possession and final play of the game. Against Utah, their 4th game in 5 nights, they rallied from a huge deficit and actually took the lead in the 4th Quarter. Close doesn't count, moral victories don't count, but the Mavs have shown that even with Josh Howard sucking a big one and integrating a new PG into the lineup, they can hang with the best the West has to offer. They will only get better.

Dallas isn't losing to Detroit at home by 30 points. They're not losing to Philadelphia at home. They're not giving up 125 points per game. They've been thisclose to getting it together. If Josh Howard plays the way he normally does*, and eventually he will, we'd have about 3 or 4 more wins than we do right now. And I don't think Shaq is the problem in Phoenix, considering he's brought them exactly what they were missing, rebounding and physical toughness. It's Steve Nash that has been sucking. His defense has gotten even worse, if that's possible.

* It's physical and mental with Josh right now:

http://www.dallasbasketball.com/full...mn.php?id=2721

[spurms]

How do you figure? The Mavs went on the road and had 4th Quarter leads against LA, San Antonio and Utah. Against the first two, they lost on their final possession and final play of the game. Against Utah, their 4th game in 5 nights, they rallied from a huge deficit and actually took the lead in the 4th Quarter. Close doesn't count, moral victories don't count, but the Mavs have shown that even with Josh Howard sucking a big one and integrating a new PG into the lineup, they can hang with the best the West has to offer. They will only get better.

Dallas isn't losing to Detroit at home by 30 points. They're not losing to Philadelphia at home. They're not giving up 125 points per game. They've been thisclose to getting it together. If Josh Howard plays the way he normally does*, and eventually he will, we'd have about 3 or 4 more wins than we do right now. And I don't think Shaq is the problem in Phoenix, considering he's brought them exactly what they were missing, rebounding and physical toughness. It's Steve Nash that has been sucking. His defense has gotten even worse, if that's possible.

* It's physical and mental with Josh right now:

http://www.dallasbasketball.com/full...mn.php?id=2721

oh ok..but you better get it together quick, or might be a dogfight with phoenix and denver for the last playoff spot..

[gmartin02]

Is still to early to call the Kidd and Shaq trades failures. In Shaq's case he has always been the type of player to coast thru the regular season. You have to give him time is not easy midseason to go to a new team. I think you will see Shaq and Kidd's impact come playoff time. What that means for Dallas and Phoenix we have to wait and see.

If the Suns actually make the playoffs, hack a Snaq will begin again - Snaq shot a mighty .333 (9-27) free throws in last years playoffs (4 straight losses). It's gonna be ugly.

Snaq has actually gotten worse at free throws since he was on the Lakers - he used to have a free throw coach for several years until '02-'03 (when his fat and lazy at ude really took over, except for his first year in Miami) - his last 4 years since he left the Lakers have been career lows in free throw %, shooting a horrible .422 in '06-'07 .

Phoenix will be forced to take Snaq out of the game in crucial situations like Riley used to do in Miami, but Riley had Zo to replace Snaq with, and Phoenix has no Zo. Phoenix will never go far in the playoffs with Snaq.