So the Lakers aren't winning in five, and if the series ends in six games it will end with KG crying holding up the trophy. LA is down 3-1 heading into Game 5, the last game at Staples Center and possibly the last game for LA. How the hell did this happen?
In case you live under a rock, the Lakers blew a 40 point lead (OK, they were up by as much as 24) before losing to the Celtics 97-91. After four games, I have to say that Doc Rivers has outcoached Phil Jackson. Not only has he made a mockery of my finals prediction, I ranked him last on my list of NBA coaches.
Here's what went wrong with the Lakers:
First, I think we all were expecting Kobe to have an amazing series. However, he's been far from dominant. Look at this list of the Top 50 Finals performances. Look at some of the stuff Jordan did, who Kobe is always compared to. Its not even close.
Second, Ray Allen seems far from being done. I guess it was his family problems, and not his age, that was holding him back early in the playoffs. (This had to rattle him too)
And of course, Doc Rivers > Phil Jackson to this point. What usually makes Doc bad has made him good in this series. Doc coaches basketball like one of those old-school baseball managers, he goes with his gut. He's not a big X's and O's guys, and doesn't go by the book, which drives some of the purists nuts. He also seems to ignore stats, which makes the guys like me mad.
It wasn't X's and O's or stats that led him to go with KG, Posey, Pierce, Ray Allen and Eddie House in the third quarter, a line-up that gave the Lakers fits. It was his gut. It was his guy that brought House off the bench the past couple of games after watching Sam Cassell stink it up in relief of Rajon Rondo.
And here we are, since LA will probably not take two games in Boston, the worst coach in the NBA will have earned a ring at the expense at one of the most decorated coaches in the history of the game. Down is up.
Showing posts with label LA Lakers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LA Lakers. Show all posts
Friday, June 13, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
NBA Fixing Games???? No Way.
Well Tim Donaghy tried to drop a bomb yesterday, accusing the NBA of fixing the Lakers/Kings series in the 2002 Western Conference Finals and another series in '05.
Here's the thing about those allegations. First, its Tim Donaghy talking. He's not exactly the most credible source. He's trying to do what he can to reduce his sentence.
Second, I think every NBA fan already has a level of suspicion about the NBA pulling strings regarding calls and things of that nature.
Can't we all imagine David Stern calling the officials before a game and telling them to do what they can to make sure the series goes to Game 7? Since Stern has been in the league, there has been conspiracies floating about him from fixing the draft so the Knicks can get Ewing to suspending Jordan for gambling for a few years (which led to his baseball stint.)
If this is true, I don't think true basketball fans are going to care much. We already aren't surprised. The key game around the allegations, Game 6 of that Lakers/Kings series, is already considered one of the most egregiously officiated games of all-time. It only makes since that the league wanted the series to go seven.
The thing about fixing games in a sport like basketball is the game is so unpredictable. For instance, lets say the league wanted Boston to sweep LA for some strange reason, which would of course call for the Celtics to win Game 3. The problem is Kobe wasn't losing that game last night, period. The refs could have cheated all they wanted; Mr. Bryant was unstoppable.
Besides, if somebody on the Kings would've just grabbed a rebound, Game 6 wouldn't have mattered anyway.
Here's the thing about those allegations. First, its Tim Donaghy talking. He's not exactly the most credible source. He's trying to do what he can to reduce his sentence.
Second, I think every NBA fan already has a level of suspicion about the NBA pulling strings regarding calls and things of that nature.
Can't we all imagine David Stern calling the officials before a game and telling them to do what they can to make sure the series goes to Game 7? Since Stern has been in the league, there has been conspiracies floating about him from fixing the draft so the Knicks can get Ewing to suspending Jordan for gambling for a few years (which led to his baseball stint.)
If this is true, I don't think true basketball fans are going to care much. We already aren't surprised. The key game around the allegations, Game 6 of that Lakers/Kings series, is already considered one of the most egregiously officiated games of all-time. It only makes since that the league wanted the series to go seven.
The thing about fixing games in a sport like basketball is the game is so unpredictable. For instance, lets say the league wanted Boston to sweep LA for some strange reason, which would of course call for the Celtics to win Game 3. The problem is Kobe wasn't losing that game last night, period. The refs could have cheated all they wanted; Mr. Bryant was unstoppable.
Besides, if somebody on the Kings would've just grabbed a rebound, Game 6 wouldn't have mattered anyway.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Finals Breakdown
As promised, here's the finals break down. And in case you're wondering, the Game 1 Lakers loss has not swayed me from my Lakers in 5 prediction. Here's why:
Point Guard
Derick Fisher vs. Rajon Rondo
Rondo is a lot better than what people give him credit for. Meanwhile, Fisher is still a solid veteran, but he can get torched from time to time. Rondo has the physical capabilities to do so, but the way he gets jerked around its no telling where his head is at.
Advantage: Push
Shooting Guard
Kobe Bryant vs. Ray Allen
Kobe is the MVP. Ray Allen has looked done for most of the playoffs. I expect Kobe to drop 50 at least once in the Finals, Allen will be lucky to top 30.
Advantage: Lakers
Small Forward
Vladamir Radmonovic vs. Paul Pierce
Pierce has proven me right in saying he's the true Celtics MVP. Meanwhile, Luke Walton should probably start here. Either way, its the Lakers weakest position
Advantage: Boston
Power Forward
Lamar Odom vs. Kevin Garnett
Of course this is going to KG. The end of the fourth quarter was the first time I've ever seen KG demand the ball and be aggressive at the end of a big game. However, the 20, 10 and 5 he gives u is his ceiling. Despite how good he is, Garnett just isn't a 40 point, 20 rebound type guy. With Odom, his head has always prevented his talent from being completely utilized. He looked pissed that he was on the bench to end game one. This can either motivate him or make him more annoyed and hurt his game.
Advantage: Boston
Center
Pau Gasol vs. Kendrick Perkins
Personally, Gasol hasn't been as good as people have been hyping him up to be. That said its better the Lakers have him instead of whoever they would be starting at center. On the other side, Kendrick Perkins is really playing like Andrew Bynum was, minus the hype. That said, I'll give this one to Gasol because of his experience.
Advantage: Lakers
Bench
Boston has all the talent in the world on their bench, but they are too deep for their coach to handle. Leon Powe should play every game, but he doesn't get any burn in a lot of games. Sam Cassell is done, but his "veteran" presence and surly demeanor when he doesn't play has earned him playing time.
Meanwhile, the Lakers bench is underrated. They all play well together and with the starters and everyone is used to their role. Phil Jackson usually doesn't surprise people with his rotations like Doc Rivers.
Advantage: Lakers
Coaching
Speaking of which, this is the Lakers' biggest advantage. Phil Jackson is one of the greatest coaches of all time and Doc Rivers is one of the worst coaches in the league.
Advantage: Lakers
Intangibles
The Lakers main intangible is the ability Kobe Bryant has to take over a game. He's the most dangerous player in the league and can go off for 50 at any moment. If he gets hot down the stretch in any close game, its over. While this didn't happen in Game 1, Kobe has been basically Mariano Rivera in the playoffs so far.
Boston's biggest intangible is their home court advantage, which is the best in the league. Also, the league wants this to go at least 6 if not 7 games. This could lead to some suspect officiating in any of the three LA games. Not that I'm a conspiracy theorist or something.
Advantage: Push
Verdict
If Boston had a halfway decent coach, I'd definitely consider them. But I can't take a team coached by Doc Rivers against Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant in any circumstances. Sorry Boston fans.
Lakers in 5.
Point Guard
Derick Fisher vs. Rajon Rondo
Rondo is a lot better than what people give him credit for. Meanwhile, Fisher is still a solid veteran, but he can get torched from time to time. Rondo has the physical capabilities to do so, but the way he gets jerked around its no telling where his head is at.
Advantage: Push
Shooting Guard
Kobe Bryant vs. Ray Allen
Kobe is the MVP. Ray Allen has looked done for most of the playoffs. I expect Kobe to drop 50 at least once in the Finals, Allen will be lucky to top 30.
Advantage: Lakers
Small Forward
Vladamir Radmonovic vs. Paul Pierce
Pierce has proven me right in saying he's the true Celtics MVP. Meanwhile, Luke Walton should probably start here. Either way, its the Lakers weakest position
Advantage: Boston
Power Forward
Lamar Odom vs. Kevin Garnett
Of course this is going to KG. The end of the fourth quarter was the first time I've ever seen KG demand the ball and be aggressive at the end of a big game. However, the 20, 10 and 5 he gives u is his ceiling. Despite how good he is, Garnett just isn't a 40 point, 20 rebound type guy. With Odom, his head has always prevented his talent from being completely utilized. He looked pissed that he was on the bench to end game one. This can either motivate him or make him more annoyed and hurt his game.
Advantage: Boston
Center
Pau Gasol vs. Kendrick Perkins
Personally, Gasol hasn't been as good as people have been hyping him up to be. That said its better the Lakers have him instead of whoever they would be starting at center. On the other side, Kendrick Perkins is really playing like Andrew Bynum was, minus the hype. That said, I'll give this one to Gasol because of his experience.
Advantage: Lakers
Bench
Boston has all the talent in the world on their bench, but they are too deep for their coach to handle. Leon Powe should play every game, but he doesn't get any burn in a lot of games. Sam Cassell is done, but his "veteran" presence and surly demeanor when he doesn't play has earned him playing time.
Meanwhile, the Lakers bench is underrated. They all play well together and with the starters and everyone is used to their role. Phil Jackson usually doesn't surprise people with his rotations like Doc Rivers.
Advantage: Lakers
Coaching
Speaking of which, this is the Lakers' biggest advantage. Phil Jackson is one of the greatest coaches of all time and Doc Rivers is one of the worst coaches in the league.
Advantage: Lakers
Intangibles
The Lakers main intangible is the ability Kobe Bryant has to take over a game. He's the most dangerous player in the league and can go off for 50 at any moment. If he gets hot down the stretch in any close game, its over. While this didn't happen in Game 1, Kobe has been basically Mariano Rivera in the playoffs so far.
Boston's biggest intangible is their home court advantage, which is the best in the league. Also, the league wants this to go at least 6 if not 7 games. This could lead to some suspect officiating in any of the three LA games. Not that I'm a conspiracy theorist or something.
Advantage: Push
Verdict
If Boston had a halfway decent coach, I'd definitely consider them. But I can't take a team coached by Doc Rivers against Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant in any circumstances. Sorry Boston fans.
Lakers in 5.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Latest NBA Conspiracy Theory!!!!
Well, Brent Barry was blatantly fouled last night at the end of their close game with the Lakers. Of course the foul wasn't called and the Spurs lost by 2 points. Peep the footage
The NBA isn't stupid, a Celtics/Lakers finals would have phenomenal ratings and boost the league's popularity heading into next year. After a thrilling playoffs, it would be the best case scenario for David Stern and Co. Now, I'm not going to accuse them of fixing the game, the Spurs definitely had their fair share of opportunities to win that game. However, the fact that a call that obvious wasn't made is going to have people speculating, especially with Tim Donaghy lingering.
I think its more indicative of a new trend in basketball in the past 4-5 years. This trend is to not call fouls during the waning seconds of a game, unless the player involved is a star. Even with a star involved, its not a guarantee that a foul will be called. I guess the logic behind that is let the players decide the game on the court.
I say that there really is no good reason to not call fouls down the stretch. Just because there's only 10 seconds left shouldn't give anyone licence to hack. I guess me and the league will agree to disagree.
The NBA isn't stupid, a Celtics/Lakers finals would have phenomenal ratings and boost the league's popularity heading into next year. After a thrilling playoffs, it would be the best case scenario for David Stern and Co. Now, I'm not going to accuse them of fixing the game, the Spurs definitely had their fair share of opportunities to win that game. However, the fact that a call that obvious wasn't made is going to have people speculating, especially with Tim Donaghy lingering.
I think its more indicative of a new trend in basketball in the past 4-5 years. This trend is to not call fouls during the waning seconds of a game, unless the player involved is a star. Even with a star involved, its not a guarantee that a foul will be called. I guess the logic behind that is let the players decide the game on the court.
I say that there really is no good reason to not call fouls down the stretch. Just because there's only 10 seconds left shouldn't give anyone licence to hack. I guess me and the league will agree to disagree.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
NBA Regular Season Wrap-Up
Tonight is the final night of perhaps the best NBA season of this decade. The season has been so good that I literally have no idea what's going on in Major League Baseball right now. I haven't even bothered to look at stats or standings. (Additionally, I spent most of last weekend drinking myself into a stupor in celebration of my 23rd birthday).
Here are some interesting facts from the season.
The Golden State Warriors could finish the season 49-33 and not make the playoffs. However, if the 76ers lose tonight, two of the Eastern Conferences teams will be under .500 heading into the postseason. However, the 76ers have shown tremendous grit in making it this far in their first full season without Allen Iverson.
The Hawks, the 8th place team in the East, have snapped the longest postseason drought in the NBA.
One of the biggest stories of the season was the resurgence of the Boston Celtics, who could finish with 66 wins this season. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to the number one seed in the West, which has many fans salivating over a possible Celtics-Lakers finals. In fact, that much would help bring the NBA back to prominence.
As stated by Bill Simmons, the MVP race has been one of the greatest ever. The league's future is in great shape as almost every superstar in the league is under 30 right now.
Perhaps there were only three lowlights of this season. The biggest one is how sleazy the situation has been regarding Seattle's ownership trying to move the team to Oklahoma City, and David Stern's backing of those sleazeballs.
The Knicks are tied with the Miami Heat for second place in this column. Their situation is deplorable, and it’s heightened by the fact that they are the New York Knicks.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat made a mockery of the NBA during their last month and a half of play. Pat Riley leaving his team to watch March Madness has to be unprecedented. Nothing says taking more than having a team full of guys who aren’t even D-League all-stars, let alone NBA players finish your season. I hope like hell they don’t get the first or second pick this year.
Moving on, this year’s playoffs should be fun to watch. Hopefully there won’t be a ridiculous amount of time between games this year, which has become a staple of the playoffs recently.
Anyway, here are my awards for this season.
MVP
Clearly I’m all for CP3 for MVP. However, I think this one might go to Kobe. This has been far from his greatest season, and he did try to get traded at the beginning of the year. He plays on perhaps the deepest team in the league, a team that would still be good without him. But since he hasn’t won the award yet people will feel inclined to vote for him. Kobe is the best overall player in basketball, but Chris Paul has compiled a season that’s arguably better than those from Nash’s two MVP campaigns.
Rookie of the Year
This award has been Kevin Durant’s from the start. He had an up and down rookie year, finishing on the upside. He’s a great talent. Hopefully he’ll put on some weight this offseason and come back more physically prepared for the NBA game.
6th Man of the Year
Manu Ginobli’s award by default. He comes off the bench as a formality, superstition, or both.
Most Improved Player
Hedu Turkoglu made the Magic a threat in the East this year. He also made their signing of Rashard Lewis look very foolish, as he’s the third best player on the team at best.
Defensive Player of the Year
I’ve seen Kevin Garnett up for this award on many sites, but I don’t see it. He’s changed the attitude of the Celtics and has energized their fan base. However, their true MVP and should be MVP candidate has been Paul Pierce.
If we have to give a Celtic an award, give this award to Paul Pierce. However, I don’t feel inclined to, so my would-be vote goes to Marcus Camby. He leads the league in blocks, is second in defensive rebounding, and is doing everything that Ben Wallace used to make all-star teams for (and is a far greater force on the offensive end).
Coach of the Year
This is a very difficult decision. Usually, it goes to the coach of the team that was the biggest surprise. Guys like Stan Van Gundy, Byron Scott, and Doc Rivers will probably get a lot of votes. However, I think Jerry Sloan should get the award. If we’re giving Kobe the MVP because he had a good season and hasn’t won it yet, why not do the same for Sloan.
While some of his players may loathe him, he’s been able to adapt to his roster and the play of the league and opened up the team’s offense. By doing that, he’s now the head coach of the Northwest Division Champs.
All NBA-Team
1st Team
C Dwight Howard
F LeBron James
F Paul Pierce
G Kobe Bryant
G Chris Paul
2nd Team
C Amare Stoudamire
F Kevin Garnett
F Tim Duncan
G Tracy McGrady
G Steve Nash
3rd Team
C Marcus Camby
F Carlos Boozer
F Carmelo Anthony
G Allen Iverson
G Deron Williams
Here are some interesting facts from the season.
The Golden State Warriors could finish the season 49-33 and not make the playoffs. However, if the 76ers lose tonight, two of the Eastern Conferences teams will be under .500 heading into the postseason. However, the 76ers have shown tremendous grit in making it this far in their first full season without Allen Iverson.
The Hawks, the 8th place team in the East, have snapped the longest postseason drought in the NBA.
One of the biggest stories of the season was the resurgence of the Boston Celtics, who could finish with 66 wins this season. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to the number one seed in the West, which has many fans salivating over a possible Celtics-Lakers finals. In fact, that much would help bring the NBA back to prominence.
As stated by Bill Simmons, the MVP race has been one of the greatest ever. The league's future is in great shape as almost every superstar in the league is under 30 right now.
Perhaps there were only three lowlights of this season. The biggest one is how sleazy the situation has been regarding Seattle's ownership trying to move the team to Oklahoma City, and David Stern's backing of those sleazeballs.
The Knicks are tied with the Miami Heat for second place in this column. Their situation is deplorable, and it’s heightened by the fact that they are the New York Knicks.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat made a mockery of the NBA during their last month and a half of play. Pat Riley leaving his team to watch March Madness has to be unprecedented. Nothing says taking more than having a team full of guys who aren’t even D-League all-stars, let alone NBA players finish your season. I hope like hell they don’t get the first or second pick this year.
Moving on, this year’s playoffs should be fun to watch. Hopefully there won’t be a ridiculous amount of time between games this year, which has become a staple of the playoffs recently.
Anyway, here are my awards for this season.
MVP
Clearly I’m all for CP3 for MVP. However, I think this one might go to Kobe. This has been far from his greatest season, and he did try to get traded at the beginning of the year. He plays on perhaps the deepest team in the league, a team that would still be good without him. But since he hasn’t won the award yet people will feel inclined to vote for him. Kobe is the best overall player in basketball, but Chris Paul has compiled a season that’s arguably better than those from Nash’s two MVP campaigns.
Rookie of the Year
This award has been Kevin Durant’s from the start. He had an up and down rookie year, finishing on the upside. He’s a great talent. Hopefully he’ll put on some weight this offseason and come back more physically prepared for the NBA game.
6th Man of the Year
Manu Ginobli’s award by default. He comes off the bench as a formality, superstition, or both.
Most Improved Player
Hedu Turkoglu made the Magic a threat in the East this year. He also made their signing of Rashard Lewis look very foolish, as he’s the third best player on the team at best.
Defensive Player of the Year
I’ve seen Kevin Garnett up for this award on many sites, but I don’t see it. He’s changed the attitude of the Celtics and has energized their fan base. However, their true MVP and should be MVP candidate has been Paul Pierce.
If we have to give a Celtic an award, give this award to Paul Pierce. However, I don’t feel inclined to, so my would-be vote goes to Marcus Camby. He leads the league in blocks, is second in defensive rebounding, and is doing everything that Ben Wallace used to make all-star teams for (and is a far greater force on the offensive end).
Coach of the Year
This is a very difficult decision. Usually, it goes to the coach of the team that was the biggest surprise. Guys like Stan Van Gundy, Byron Scott, and Doc Rivers will probably get a lot of votes. However, I think Jerry Sloan should get the award. If we’re giving Kobe the MVP because he had a good season and hasn’t won it yet, why not do the same for Sloan.
While some of his players may loathe him, he’s been able to adapt to his roster and the play of the league and opened up the team’s offense. By doing that, he’s now the head coach of the Northwest Division Champs.
All NBA-Team
1st Team
C Dwight Howard
F LeBron James
F Paul Pierce
G Kobe Bryant
G Chris Paul
2nd Team
C Amare Stoudamire
F Kevin Garnett
F Tim Duncan
G Tracy McGrady
G Steve Nash
3rd Team
C Marcus Camby
F Carlos Boozer
F Carmelo Anthony
G Allen Iverson
G Deron Williams
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Tale of Two Trades
For the Lakers, they got Pau Gasol for 1 cent on the dollar. Kwame Brown’s expiring contract, the draft rights to Pau’s little brother, Aaron McKie’s contract, two draft picks (likely to be late 1st rounders), and Javaris Crittenton.
So basically the Grizzlies gave up their franchise player, a 20 and 10 guy, for a rookie combo guard and two draft picks. No wonder Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was so mad.
There’s no question the Griz could’ve gotten a lot more for Gasol than they did. It appears as if they were looking for young players, draft picks and cap room, not current value (like the Bulls or Nets could’ve gave them).
For Memphis, it assumes that someone would want to sign there. I’d say that’s a bad assumption. For the Lakers, they will now have arguably the best starting lineup in the league when Andrew Bynum comes back.
Bynum at the 5, Gasol at the 4, Odom at the 3 (an all 6’10 frontcourt), with Kobe and Derek Fisher in the backcourt. They still have depth too, with Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar, Rony Turiaf, and Trevor Ariza coming off the bench.
In fact, I think they’ll be the favorites to win the west if Bynum and Ariza make it back this year.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns made one of the biggest head-scratching trades of all time. They shipped disgruntled forward Shawn Marion and bench riding backup point guard Marcus Banks to Miami for Shaq.
This is a trade that makes little sense, especially now. Their thinking is Shaq can defend guys like Tim Duncan, Andrew Bynum/Pau Gasol, and other big men in the west that usually torch Amare Stoudamire.
What Suns GM Steve Kerr didn’t realize is that Shaq is not only washed up, but he’s worst on defense than he is on offense.
One mistake people have made about criticizing this trade is saying he’ll mess up their fast break offense. You don’t need five players to run a fast break. He messes them up in the half court.
Now, the Suns half court revolves around Steve Nash running around making plays, pick and rolls, and everyone staying active around the perimeter. The lane is usually clear, giving Nash opportunities to penetrate and get lay-ups or get open shots for other players.
With Shaq, the lane will now be clogged up. Additionally, you can’t really run a pick and roll with Shaq at this point in his career. Also, he’s just as big of a crybaby as Shawn Marion is about not getting touches.
He still draws double teams on occasion, which could open up the perimeter, but they never had a problem opening it up before.
I definitely understand that somebody had to go between Amare and Marion, but that person really was Amare Stoudamire. They had one of their best seasons the year he was injured. Boris Diaw was allowed to start, where he’s best, and he flourished.
The perfect trade would have been Amare for Rasheed Wallace and another bench contributor. Rasheed can play defense and he can shoot the tree, making him the perfect fit for what Phoenix does.
If they were going to deal Marion, deal him for some one better than Shaq. Get multiple talented players, like Andres Nocioni and Tyrus Thomas from Chicago, get Jermaine O’Neal, get Richard Jefferson, get a Pau Gasol.
Instead, they panicked and traded for Shaq. Good luck with that for the next 2 ½ years.
So basically the Grizzlies gave up their franchise player, a 20 and 10 guy, for a rookie combo guard and two draft picks. No wonder Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was so mad.
There’s no question the Griz could’ve gotten a lot more for Gasol than they did. It appears as if they were looking for young players, draft picks and cap room, not current value (like the Bulls or Nets could’ve gave them).
For Memphis, it assumes that someone would want to sign there. I’d say that’s a bad assumption. For the Lakers, they will now have arguably the best starting lineup in the league when Andrew Bynum comes back.
Bynum at the 5, Gasol at the 4, Odom at the 3 (an all 6’10 frontcourt), with Kobe and Derek Fisher in the backcourt. They still have depth too, with Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar, Rony Turiaf, and Trevor Ariza coming off the bench.
In fact, I think they’ll be the favorites to win the west if Bynum and Ariza make it back this year.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns made one of the biggest head-scratching trades of all time. They shipped disgruntled forward Shawn Marion and bench riding backup point guard Marcus Banks to Miami for Shaq.
This is a trade that makes little sense, especially now. Their thinking is Shaq can defend guys like Tim Duncan, Andrew Bynum/Pau Gasol, and other big men in the west that usually torch Amare Stoudamire.
What Suns GM Steve Kerr didn’t realize is that Shaq is not only washed up, but he’s worst on defense than he is on offense.
One mistake people have made about criticizing this trade is saying he’ll mess up their fast break offense. You don’t need five players to run a fast break. He messes them up in the half court.
Now, the Suns half court revolves around Steve Nash running around making plays, pick and rolls, and everyone staying active around the perimeter. The lane is usually clear, giving Nash opportunities to penetrate and get lay-ups or get open shots for other players.
With Shaq, the lane will now be clogged up. Additionally, you can’t really run a pick and roll with Shaq at this point in his career. Also, he’s just as big of a crybaby as Shawn Marion is about not getting touches.
He still draws double teams on occasion, which could open up the perimeter, but they never had a problem opening it up before.
I definitely understand that somebody had to go between Amare and Marion, but that person really was Amare Stoudamire. They had one of their best seasons the year he was injured. Boris Diaw was allowed to start, where he’s best, and he flourished.
The perfect trade would have been Amare for Rasheed Wallace and another bench contributor. Rasheed can play defense and he can shoot the tree, making him the perfect fit for what Phoenix does.
If they were going to deal Marion, deal him for some one better than Shaq. Get multiple talented players, like Andres Nocioni and Tyrus Thomas from Chicago, get Jermaine O’Neal, get Richard Jefferson, get a Pau Gasol.
Instead, they panicked and traded for Shaq. Good luck with that for the next 2 ½ years.
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