I know this puts me in the minority, but acquiring Shaquille O'Neal was a good move for the Phoenix Suns.
As the old adage goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
That might have been what the Phoenix Suns were thinking when they traded Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat for Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal has a perfect record when it comes to taking his team to the finals. Phoenix hopes there is enough diesel power to deliver one more to the desert.
Commissioner David Stern has presented the championship trophy eight times since "His Airness" retired, and either O'Neal or Tim Duncan has been standing on the platform beside him mugging for the cameras on seven of those eight occasions. In their one absence, the post-presence leading a team to the title was the offence-defence combination of Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace in Detroit.
So, I know this puts me in the minority, but this is a good trade for the Suns. Yes, they lose a terrific athlete, a great defender and rebounder and a player that created mismatches in Shawn Marion but if you asked me who I'd rather have Marion or O'Neal with the Suns on the drive to a title, it's not a question. Give me the big man.
I can hear people screaming that I've lost my mind, that The Diesel will be spinning his wheels in the sand of the Arizona desert as the team goes up the floor without him and then passes him going the wrong way as they retreat on defence after a quick score but hold on a second. But in defence, I will cite some history.
The "Showtime" Lakers of the 1980s are the best comparison. Back in the day, Los Angeles went from "Showtime" to "Slowtime" when they there was no quick score available. If Magic Johnson could not find James Worthy, Byron Scott or Michael Cooper on the "Coop-a-loop" they stopped on the other side of center and waved in the "Captain", a.k.a. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and had one of the most potent half court games of the decade. I see Phoenix playing the same way offensively with O'Neal.
The Suns are great in the half-court game without a true big man. Steve Nash will be able to get O'Neal the ball, as Phoenix is the best passing team in the NBA. Can you imagine a play where you run a side screen and roll involving Amare Stoudemire and Nash with Raja Bell, or Leandro Barbosa spotted up behind the arc and O'Neal ducking in on a post up on the weak side? How do you stop that one? Not sure, maybe you call the New York Giants. Hey, get me John Spagnuolo on Line 1.
Phoenix can still play fast-break basketball since you don't need five players to run. A rebound and quick outlet that leads to a three-on-two, four-on-two or heck a three-on-three with open space will still be an easy conversion at the offensive end for the Suns. There may not be the spectacular lobs to Marion for highlight reel finishes but they'll still get their two-points.
Nash's comments had been hinting at some "issues" in the Suns locker room. Marion was always unhappy feeling that he never received the credit he was due. After asking for a trade at the start of the season, Marion now falls into the category of "be careful what you wish for." Right now according to a source in Phoenix, every player feels there are no more excuses. No more, "the Suns are too this, or Phoenix is too that and their style can't win a title," this team unquestionably believes they can win it all.
O'Neal has been great in every locker room he's been in over his career. He is healthier than most observers think and is not nearly as finished as even I thought he was after speaking with folks in Miami earlier this week. He promised to deliver a title to Miami and he did. He has already assured new teammates that he "won't let them down." I can hardly wait for his news conference because if it was anything like the one man stand up routine in Miami, people will be roaring with laughter and if he gives the Suns what they think they are getting, the joke will be on opposing teams.
The relationship between Miami president and head hoach Pat Riley had supposedly deteriorated and O'Neal had to be upset that he was being disrespected by being shopped on the trade market without his knowledge. At one point, O'Neal allegedly spoke to management about the deal as he initially may not have wanted to leave South Florida.
It was the Los Angeles Lakers who triggered all this with the trade that saw them acquire Pau Gasol and apparently Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks were also hot on the trail in trying to obtain O'Neal's services. In the high stakes poker game that is the Western Conference, Phoenix just raised the Lakers after their initial wager. You can bet the Mavericks will not fold and will do something soon to re-establish themselves in this race to the conference title.
As he approaches his 36th birthday next month, no question, he's not the same O'Neal he was in the past. His skills are definitely declining but he may still be able to give Phoenix enough to help get them over the top. Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Tim Duncan, Yao Ming and all the big men in the west will have just a little tougher time around the basket against Phoenix with O'Neal in the paint.
Phoenix management is taking a calculated gamble trading a major piece on a team that has the best record in the conference and as General Manager Steve Kerr said last night, that's the nature of the business.
"If it works, I'm a genius, if not, I'm a moron, I guess," laughed Kerr.
So far every general manager that has attained O'Neal's services has been granted a temporary genius card. Kerr just gave the money that Marion wanted on a contract extension to O'Neal and with it obtained a genius card that will expire in two years if the Suns don't win the title.
