I KNOW I GOT SKILLZ
WHAT'S UP DOC?
BIOLOGICAL DIDN'T BOTHER
TWisM FOR LIFE
YOU CAN'T STOP THE REIGN!
Why do I need a Shaq medley? Because the FORMER Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal has been traded to the Phoenix Suns. WHAT THE HELL, RIGHT!?! I said the same thing! In return Miami got PF Shawn Marion and G Marcus Banks. The deal became official yesterday after Shaq, almost surprisingly, passed a required team physical. This is the most shocking news since KG got traded from Minnesota to Boston last summer. The only difference is that I don't know if the addition will have the same effect in the West that it had in the East. Kevin Garnett took the Boston Celtics, one of leagues worst, into a power house. We'll just have to wait and see what this mix will be.
I'm a fan of the Diesel, but Shaq has been having one of his worst years on record. He's averaging a career low 14.9 points per game. Keep in mind, folks, that except for last season, Shaq averaged at least 20 points per year. His numbers have declined steadily since the 99-00 season, but that downward slope coincides with the increase in age. If this was baseball, Shaq would be getting stronger, leaner, faster AND he would make all his free throws. And yes, I am implying that he would be using steroids/HGH. But this is the NBA, and I'm not saying that guys don't use, but it's clear Superman isn't one of them. No offense to my man The Big Aristotle, but he's almost as old as Aristotle. He'll be 36 next month, and while that's not old as hell in basketball years, for a man his size, he's almost ancient. And not to mention the beating he takes on a daily basis. We all know Shaq is strong so when he hits a guy the impact is pretty clear. But what most people are blind to is the pressure put on him by the double and triple teams. AND the Hack-A-Shaq! Shaq is always getting bodied but a lot of calls don't go in his favor because he is so large so we rarely see him go flying across the court. He's gigantic; not just in height, but in weight. A body that large should be lazing around, not running up and down the court chasing after men half his size. But it's what he loves to do, so I support him.
The real question surrounding this trade seems to be, WHY!? I mean, Shaq is one of my all-time favorite players so my intention is not to trash him. When I was a kid watching basketball, Shaq-Fu was my idol in Orlando. Then in L.A. Sorta in Miami. And now Phoenix!?! What the bloodclaat!? I've always sided with Shaq, my homie-stromie, so I don't think he would have allowed a trade to a team that wasn't a contender and where he wouldn't fit in. The big issue now is that the Suns are a fast-paced team that loves to run the floor and score ad nauseum. 'How will Shaq adjust?' The same way he always does people!
At this point in his career, he knows that he can't go 48 minutes of all 82 games, but he can be a role player and contribute. He's still a force in the paint, he draws defenders off their men to cover him which inevitably leaves a shooter open. And there's no shortage of shooters in Phoenix. So I think he'll be fine. He's not as washed up as people would like to believe, and he'll start for the Suns. Shaq'll play a good chunk, and knowing he's going to have some quality minutes, he'll be more of a force on both sides of the ball. Shaq is a veteran who can also help the younger guys on the team, especially the other big men who need a massive hand to help guide them along. Plus I saw some info that said he's not the 325 pounds he was at the start of the season, but that when he weighed-in in Phoenix during the physical he was 312 pounds. A healthy, "light" Shaq is definitely more productive. I see him losing a bit more weight, running a lot more in the desert than in Miami, and being stronger. What more can you ask for?
I was a bit sad by the trade at first. I thought Shaq was going to finish up his career in Miami, but apparently 4.5 seasons was all he needed. Plus, in this day and age, where trades seem to happen daily, it's rare that a player plays for only one team his entire career. Shaq is in his 16th season in the NBA and his fourth, and hopefully final, team. Sure it would be really really REALLY interesting if he went full circle and finished up in Orlando. Not that the Magic need any help at this point with Dwight Howard being so dominant, but still... I mean, Penny Hardaway came back this season, for a few games at least, and he and Shaq were teammates once more! NOW imagine him reuniting with Kobe Bryant! That would be crazy! And I would love it!! Then we could argue over whose team it was, we'd hear rumors about fight during practice and in the locker rooms, then maybe some (ex)wife swapping...OOHH!! And then they can do a rap song together!! People give athletes a hard time when they rap, but I would venture to say that Shaq was one of the more successful ones. He had a few albums, and some hit songs. Kobe, on the other hand, could take some notes. Have you heard him rap? **Shudder**
---> Miami played their first game with Shaq officially off the roster last night, and lost 100-95 to the Detroit Pistons. There's no way to say whether or not the loss came as a result of Shaq's absence. He's already missed 14 games this season since injuring his hip diving for a loose ball. (Why big ass Shaq was DIVING for ANYTHING is a mystery to me; but I love the hustle!) Miami's playing the Philadelphia 76ers tonight, a game they'll probably lose. And I'm not saying that because Shaq-Fu is no longer MIA, but because Miami is 9-38 this season, and that's just the way their season is headed. From 2006 NBA Champions to the league's worst teams; worse than the Timberwolves, the Grizzlies AND the KNICKS!! Oh, how the might have fallen.
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