Anyone who thinks getting Shaq out of an atrocious situation in Miami is a bad thing, that putting his name in one if the NBA's premier markets is a mistake; obviously has not seen this from what truly drives motivation behind any major deal...money. I'm not here to tell you what Shaq brings to a team that cant play the half-court game in the playoffs, or how well he matches up against big men who have routinely killed the Suns in the past i.e. Tim Duncan, or even how Shaq not only opens up things for Amare on the offensive end but also provides another stopper in the middle once Steve Nash let's his guy get to the hole for the 67th time in the game...yea I said it, Nash plays less D then Irk Nowitski(get it? No D) What this trade does is prove that the NBA is one of the best run businesses in the country, led by one of the most savvy leaders we have ever seen playing the role of the commissioner. Shaq changed the game. He was at a time larger then the game. If you don't think he still holds weight in the PR department look at the ratings for Kobe-Shaq rematches EVERY time they play. Shaq to the desert means the NBA's fatest moving team now has a shot at winning, it brings back the Kobe-Shaq rivalry we all came to love (or hate), and most importantly it allows the game to go back to marketing it's biggest name since MJ. Criticize the move if you want, but the league and those who make money off it are smiling right now...Shaq has found his motivation. In the day where we either rush preps to pros or outsource our major talent like Dirk and Manu, it's nice to know we still have the Diesel to add a little drama to a post-season series, make fun of Kobe, or just make us smile. Time's running out and maybe this is his last shot, but one thing you can count on is that I will be watching...and I suggest you do the same.
2 comments:
Ehhhh Rocco!
Thanks for the post. Excited to see this Shaq thing play out. Hopefully it will motivate him some and we can see some newfound intensity. He has one season left in him after this one. A tack on championship would do wonders for his legacy and he knows it. His late career will be remembered as one in which he proved to be the little extra "je ne sais quoi" tbat teams needed to get over the top. A real champion. Five career titles?!?!?! Wow.
Personally, I think the addition by subtraction trade getting Marion out of Phoenix was a smart move, especially when you consider that Marion will not opt out of his deal at the year's end bc he is unlikely to get nearly as much money on the open market as he currently earns. I think Shaq will only play like 20-25 minutes a game and may not be on the floor in crunchtime against certain teams. If he doesn't get in shape, he'll get himself into foul trouble.
Speaking of foul trouble, the trade buys Amare some added time guarding the opponents PF slot, which will help keep him out of foul trouble and keep him on the court for crunchtime. Now maybe he can assert himself defensively and try to block a few shots, instead of letting folks score so he doesn't pick up fouls. However, Amare has made a living on catching Nash's perfect laid passes with a full head of steam (off the pick and roll or in transition) and having the entire lane free so he can finish at the rim. If Shaq is on the court he certainly will be in Amare's slashing lanes. Amare has a lot of aspects of his game that are underrated, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him adapt a little bit, but you won't see him dunking as many balls as he has the past few years if Shaq plays substantial minutes. Also, Amare's quickness against bigger defenders was a benefit for his slashing style as well. Now, he may need to develop his back to the basket game as he will be guarded by power forwards (who are quicker) instead of centers if Shaq is on the floor. I think we'll look back on the trade at the end of the year and comment that the team continued to win in spite of Shaq's production, rather than BECAUSE of it. Interesting to watch.
Also, I understand Boris Diaw can do a lot of the things Marion could (rebound, make plays, finish around the rim) but what he can't do is effect the game the same way defensively. Marion has consistently been one of the better athletic defenders in the league and all those turnovers he helped force led to easy buckets and fast breaks.
We shall see.
Keep the hits comin, Rock.
Timmy Bones (NY, NY)
Rock, T Bones, solid anal, if you will...love the Irk Nowitzki, no D get it??? Very Niiiiiiice...
Shaq is arguably the most marketable pro athlete not named Tiger Woods, the man sells tickets mann...i hope he does get in some sort of shape and get the job done in the land of the Sun, who knows maybe he'll get his own Gatorade like Eldrick Jr...
any predictions on the NBA western conf rep in the Finals??? Please no Utah like Sir Charles...
---E.Gesus
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