Posted by GKFv2:

Posted by kam77:

Why aren't they looking into Malik Rose who is a career winner instead of Shaq?

Shaq at 35 years old is better than Eddy Curry now.

Shaq's sweat or fecal matter is better than Curry now.

Marion is the thrid best player on that team and he is top ten? They have 3 of the top ten players in the league? Marion will get a GM fired next year when he averges about 15 and 9 and gets about 12 million a year.

Whats the difference between Marion and Andre Igoudala

VDesai is 100% on point here. Even though Marion has historically underperformed in the playoffs, the Suns get worse with this trade. You replace Marion with who? - Hill or Diaw - and both present new liabilities. But the biggest issue really is that - whatever Shaq adds to their offense, he removes somehat more by taking away an extra 3 point shooter from their offense. Their offense was predicated on having 4 3pt shooters on the floor and exploiting power forwards who can't keep up with perimeter rotations - the inherent advantage of "small ball." When you have Nash or Barbosa, Raja Bell, Grant Hill, and Shawn Marion on the floor at the same time, you have 4 guys who are shooting 34% or better from behind the arc as well as 2 top defenders league wide in Bell and Marion. Then you have Amare who can hit from 18 feet out, exploit basket-roaming centers, and explode on a pick and roll.

Now you have Shaq, Amare, Hill, Bell and Nash. Automatically, the offense is more congested with Shaq in the paint and Amare guarded by a quicker 4. There are obiously fewer turnovers created. Fewer fastbreaks on opponent makes - something on which you could count on Marion for 4-6 pts a game. You're playing 4 on 5 on certain positions until Shaq gets up the court. You're facing more end of shot clock situations because you're running plays that require more setup time - this may end up being a major side effect of Marion's replacement with Shaq. You're relying more on 1 on 1 ability without Marion's cutting, shooting and fast-break opportunities. You have a diminshed 3 pt threat which means more succesful occasional trapping of Steve Nash. Your pick and roll defense will descend into oblivion with Shaq planted in the middle. You have to worry about Shaq getting fouled at the end of the game and blowing a close one.

And finally, Shaq could never guard Duncan even in his prime. Will Shaq get the opposing front line into foul trouble? Maybe but how often will he get fed the ball while the likes of Nash and Amare watch and wait? He might have a vintage performace for a game or 2 in the playoffs but, even then, I think the offense takes a hit with fewer possessions and fewer 3pt makes. And the defense suffers as well if Shaq is anything like he's been in Miami.

If it was any team but Pheonix I would agree bad trade. I think it's a trade that could benefit both clubs. Obviously this is a coup de grate for Miami gift from the heavens--sometime sit does take scking REAL bad to do a complete overhaul. When they did get Shaq--I think that this scenario this year was a plausible probability at some point[where either injury or slow skills hurt the team badly] I think Riley did a poor job in terms of picking up the rest of the core the last two years since they won it and it snowballed on them. But Riley has done it again and I would have to think that Miami fans are very happy despite 9 wins. Pheonix is a team where I think Shaq can prosper. He's still an enormous figure who can still go 20-10 and block up the middle on D. All of those guys in the front court are still scared of the Shaq. Shaq will get great looks with Amare in there the best PG and a spread offense. There will be no double teams and his target down low will be twice the size it was this year in Miami. This is a calculated gamble and I would've pulled the trigger too if I was Phoenix--Shaq is a championship player who still has something left for THIS particular team. He will only need to play 24-26 minutes and in this system he's going to be open. I think that they have a real shot at winning everything and I think that with the lakers getting Gasol and eventually Bynum back--that s to much to deal with--and that is not counting 6 other great West teams.

What has Phoenix won with the high octane offense only?
This is why the trade was made, they want to win now their window is closing with Nash the golden boy.

When has the playoffs been about high octane offense ?

The reg season means nothing. The best defensive teams are the ones that play in the conf finals and win.

Boris Diaw and Grant Hill can take the place of Marion easily.

What has been Phoenix's problem?


Most fans who like exciting ball love phoenix's style of play, but remember that prevails only in the reg season and early rds of the playoffs.

Why do you think G-State can knock off Dallas but then get beatdown ?

You need a half court game with a low post threat at crunch time, hack a shaq will be in full effect but the Suns have enough 3 pt shooters to win it all.

Who's gonna try and drive on shaq and Amare in meaningful games in the paint without risking getting their heads torn off.

Great move Kerr, it's all about getting a chip , not about having a dynasty.

Phoenix always came up empty with no low post defense .

Shaq doesn't have to run up and down.

Did Kareem run up and down with Magic Johnson in his latter yrs?

They either fastbreaked or pulled the ball back out and waited for the big fella.

Cmon fellas know ya history of the game!

I think the change for the sake of change portion of the argument is dumb. The Suns have been close every year and I think its both easy and wrong to dismiss what their chances would have been this year. To me, this move was very inappropriate both long and short-term. Shaq for 25 minutes does little for them except reduce the no. of possessions and, in my opinion, their points per possession as well. If I'm either the Lakers or the Spurs, I feel very confident letting Shaq go 1 on 1 or baiting Hill to beat me from 3 point range.

And, as an opponent on offense, I'd isolate Shaq and Nash on one side of the court, run pick and roll and just abuse them everytime. With pick and roll tandems like Parker/Duncan, Paul/Chandler, Deron/Boozer or Okur, and Terry/Nowitzki in the West, its going to be hard to play Nash and Shaq together and expect to be even mildly respectable defensively.

Just with Kerr's moves to this point, I'd fire him instantly.

just saw shaq's press conference.

mentally, they're already in sync. now they have to go out and play.

shaq's presser:

http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/nbacom/press_conf/shaq_suns_presser_080207.asx