2007-2008 NBA Season

[Bodhi]

Phoenix just blew their shot at a championship! 

I love Steve Kerr, but that was a dumb move.  Shaq is going to slow down their high octane offense, miss crucial free throws, and spend more time on the injured list.

Shaq and Amare are the Twin Towers?

The real Twin Towers are Gasol and Bynum. 

true it will slow down their high octane offense...and their high octane offense is great for winning regular season games and selling tickets...but you need a half court game to win the championship...no high octane offense has ever won the NBA title without a half court game....Nash isnt getting any younger...it is a move they had to make...Marion did not offer anything to them that they dont have with their other players at that position

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Phoenix just blew their shot at a championship! 

I love Steve Kerr, but that was a dumb move.  Shaq is going to slow down their high octane offense, miss crucial free throws, and spend more time on the injured list.

Shaq and Amare are the Twin Towers?

The real Twin Towers are Gasol and Bynum. 

true it will slow down their high octane offense...and their high octane offense is great for winning regular season games and selling tickets...but you need a half court game to win the championship...no high octane offense has ever won the NBA title without a half court game....Nash isnt getting any younger...it is a move they had to make...Marion did not offer anything to them that they dont have with their other players at that position

Getting that old potato sack certainly won't help them!

[pilferk]

Phoenix just blew their shot at a championship! 

I love Steve Kerr, but that was a dumb move.  Shaq is going to slow down their high octane offense, miss crucial free throws, and spend more time on the injured list.

Shaq and Amare are the Twin Towers?

The real Twin Towers are Gasol and Bynum. 

Phoenix has to beat the Spurs.

They weren't going to do it with their current line up....not in the playoffs.

Shaq provides just the presence they need down low to shut down Duncan.....if Shaq decides to play defense, that is.

Offensively, anything he adds is gravy.  They have 4 other players who can run the floor....one of them being the guy who's played center for them most of the year.  Shaq will run trailer....but when the game slows down to a grindfest (something the Spurs excel at doing in the playoffs), it gives them a go to option down low when speed isn't nearly the advantage it is in the open floor.

I'm not saying it was the greatest move ever, but I can see their reasoning behind it.  Much of "how good" it turns out to be is going to depend on Shaq, obviously.  How injured he is and how willing he is to play ball (if you'll excuse the pun) by taking a reduced roll on offense for most of the regular season and stepping up when the grind outs happen.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Phoenix just blew their shot at a championship! 

I love Steve Kerr, but that was a dumb move.  Shaq is going to slow down their high octane offense, miss crucial free throws, and spend more time on the injured list.

Shaq and Amare are the Twin Towers?

The real Twin Towers are Gasol and Bynum. 

Phoenix has to beat the Spurs.

They weren't going to do it with their current line up....not in the playoffs.

Shaq provides just the presence they need down low to shut down Duncan.....if Shaq decides to play defense, that is.

Offensively, anything he adds is gravy.  They have 4 other players who can run the floor....one of them being the guy who's played center for them most of the year.  Shaq will run trailer....but when the game slows down to a grindfest (something the Spurs excel at doing in the playoffs), it gives them a go to option down low when speed isn't nearly the advantage it is in the open floor.

I'm not saying it was the greatest move ever, but I can see their reasoning behind it.  Much of "how good" it turns out to be is going to depend on Shaq, obviously.  How injured he is and how willing he is to play ball (if you'll excuse the pun) by taking a reduced roll on offense for most of the regular season and stepping up when the grind outs happen.

That's wishful thinking at best.  He can't do anything in the post anymore.  He is way too slow.

[D]

Being a Phoenix fan, I was appalled when I first heard this.


Not now


Marion is a malcontent, Hurting team chemistry, he is only averaging 16ppg and they need an inside presence.


What this essentially does is allow Phoenix to play two styles.

They have their running lineup:

Nash
Barbosa
Bell
Diaw/Hill
Stoudemire


And when the game slows down they can go with a great half Court team now

PG Nash
SG Bell
SF Hill
PF Stoudemire
C Shaq


Shaq will protect Nash against Cheap Shots, He is a presence against Parker and Ginobli driving in uncontested. He can bang and tire out Duncan also allowing Stoudemire who is a great weakside help defender/shotblocker to come over and help.

Shaq also makes the same cash as Marion and Banks. Shaq brings in way more money with ratings, Merchandise and ticket sales.

they were losing Marion anyway so they got rid of a bad contract in Banks.


So really, this was a great trade for both teams.

Shaq will also be motivated and ready to prove people wrong.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

By the time he gets back up the court, the Suns will have shot the ball. 

And it's going to hinder their FG percentage with only 4 guys on offense.

[Eazy E]

The All-Star game won't be the same without Shaq there to entertain... but at least the Big Aristotle is headed back to the playoffs!

I am going to miss the run-and-gun style of the Suns and the outside chance that style of play could win a championship, but it just wasn't going to happen.  Their record this year against the contenders (and the TWolves for some reason?) have shown something was just slightly "off" about their chemistry.  I'm conviced Shaq can still bring it, especially when the playoffs roll around.  The injury has prevented him from playing the minutes he usually logs, but he can still draw a double team and shoot almost 60% from the field.

... and who wanted to see one of the greatest players of all time go out on a team that has lost 19 of 20 games?

I thought the Lakers/Suns series the past two playoffs were the most entertaining, imagine what it would be like now with Gasol, Grant Hill and a decent Andrew Bynum thrown into the mix... Not to mention facing Kobe off against Shaq.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

The All-Star game won't be the same without Shaq there to entertain... but at least the Big Aristotle is headed back to the playoffs!

I am going to miss the run-and-gun style of the Suns and the outside chance that style of play could win a championship, but it just wasn't going to happen.  Their record this year against the contenders (and the TWolves for some reason?) have shown something was just slightly "off" about their chemistry.  I'm conviced Shaq can still bring it, especially when the playoffs roll around.  The injury has prevented him from playing the minutes he usually logs, but he can still draw a double team and shoot almost 60% from the field.

... and who wanted to see one of the greatest players of all time go out on a team that has lost 19 of 20 games?

I thought the Lakers/Suns series the past two playoffs were the most entertaining, imagine what it would be like now with Gasol, Grant Hill and a decent Andrew Bynum thrown into the mix... Not to mention facing Kobe off against Shaq.

Hopefully the third time will be the charm for Los Angeles. 

[D]

Its just a total misconception that Shaq cant get up and down the court.

they had Kurt Thomas last year and he did very good.


Playoffs are about executing in the half court. That has been Phoenix' achilles heel. Now they have a guy that allows them to be better in a half court setting.

He also gives them a huge presence in the middle that will help clog up the driving lanes.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Its just a total misconception that Shaq cant get up and down the court.

they had Kurt Thomas last year and he did very good.


Playoffs are about executing in the half court. That has been Phoenix' achilles heel. Now they have a guy that allows them to be better in a half court setting.

He also gives them a huge presence in the middle that will help clog up the driving lanes.

Not really.  When he was with the Lakers, Parker and Ginobili always had their way with him.  And that was four years ago.

[D]

He wont help stop them completely but he is a huge upgrade in the middle. Now with Amare back at PF, he can help defend from the weak side, block more shots and get more rebounds.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

He wont help stop them completely but he is a huge upgrade in the middle. Now with Amare back at PF, he can help defend from the weak side, block more shots and get more rebounds.

That's really the only upside to this deal, having Amare at his natural position.

Thanks CheapJules, for bringing back this thread! 

[CheapJon]

after a couple of days reading/thinking..

maybe phx will come out better after all.. (if shaq can play..) and when shaq is finished with his career, get emeka or dwight howard 

[D]

Also, many of u need to realize that the last couple years Shawn Marion has came up VERY VERY Small in the playoffs. His production has really dropped off in the playoffs.

[russkwtx]

I think the Lakers won big. The Suns will find out that Shaq does not have much left. And the stupidest trade of all was the Mavs trading half the team, plus 2 first rounders (2008 and 2010), plus cash, for a fucking 35 year guard who whines more than GNR fans ( ) The Mavs are the big losers, followed  by the Suns. Lakers and Spurs are winners: Lakers for a steal, Spurs for not panicking and doing something stupid.

Comments?

[CheapJon]

comments?

well u coulda used the nba thread

[faldor]

That Mavs trade didn't go through.  Devean George blocked it to retain his "Larry Bird" rights.

[CheapJon]

kidd is still an allstar but not for many more years, devin harris can become a big point guard of his generation IMO..

but there's still a week until the trading deadline or something right?

[G2N2R]

That Mavs trade didn't go through.  Devean George blocked it to retain his "Larry Bird" rights.

I have a feeling he will "unblock" this trade because he's pretty much going to be run out of town. Did you see the game he had after the news of him blocking the trade came out? He got boo'd so much, was 0-11, I seriously doubt that team is happy at him blocking that trade and those fans are going to give him a really really hard time each home game they have. Obviously they got to him because he missed every shot of that game, all in all expect the trade to go through

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

It's because Devean George secretly works for the Lakers.