RealGM

His value is low and he's likely done after this year. Would we be able to think about making a move for him to try making a move into the top 6 of the East?

HAH. HAH HAH. HAH HAH HAH HAH.

Hell no!

Well...huhhh huhh huh...hey there...could you repeat the question?

Ohhh yeah..Shaq's pretty cool - even though he's sixty.

Nah I think we can get Moses Malone for cheaper.

Or better yet, lets go for Shawn Bradley.

Well since we like to play half court slow down offense so much, I figured what the hell?

Rich, it's a nice thought for a second but with his cap value it's just not worth it. If we're willing to put that much money down for a big man, then we just need to go with a different, younger, and more qualified option.

Here is a link that basically says the Suns tried to move Marion for Okafor last week before agreeing with the Heat on a deal. What do you guys think about this?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AlUCW6xUDU1cVszkV6WSTAq8vLYF?slug=jy-shaqdeal020508&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I think the Suns are (Please Use More Appropriate Word), pretty much.

Marion's a great player, but he's just like Crash, and he'd be bolting us for sure after this season. I doubt that deal was close at all, unless they at least entertained the idea of trading us Stoudamire.

I agree but I think the point is that you can not win it all with guys like Matrix or Crash. You need the big guys

I just don't think that's true Sam. They almost beat the Spurs last year if not for the suspensions. It's not like they ran into the Spurs and got blown out every game or swept. If they had gotten past them, the trophy was pretty much guranteed. What they should have done was kept Kurt Thomas or found some way to bring in another post defender w/o sacrificing their main core.

That's pretty much what I think too paydro. I mean I can see some positives for Shaq playing beside Amare but overall I just don't get it. It takes them out of their whole game and they lose their best defensive player, rebounder and energy guy.

As for Marion and us I wonder if we could have worked something out. Not necessarily to keep Marion for the reasons you mentioned but to use him in a trade that the Suns couldn't get done. Say we could have sent Mek and whatever to them and picked up the Hawks draft pick. Then traded Marion to the Lakers for Odom & Turiaf or Farmar etc..
Something like that would be good return on what was essentially Okafor and filler. However it would be hard to get done because that's not a deal you could put together in a 3 way and I doubt the Suns would trade Marion knowing he'd end up in LA.

chabber wrote:Here is a link that basically says the Suns tried to move Marion for Okafor last week before agreeing with the Heat on a deal. What do you guys think about this?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AlUCW6xUDU1cVszkV6WSTAq8vLYF?slug=jy-shaqdeal020508&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Whew!!!!

That would have been disastrous. They wouldn't have parted with Amare and that's the only way I'd even think about this trade; Barbosa would have been nice but not at that expense. I also wouldn't really consider any deal unless 1) we have serious doubts about retaining him or 2) it's ridiculously in our favor.

I'd be all over a deal for Shaq if Flash is the filler...otherwise no.

I see why the Suns wanted Shaq. Big men win championships...Even if you have a great pass first PG...

However, I still think is was pretty dumb..Shaq is not Shaq of old, and even if Nash can get him the ball seems like they will have to change the way they play...

Also I think Marion is one of those glue guys that does a lot and does not get the credit...the Suns might miss him more than they think.

Chabber, once we acquired Marion we would only be able to trade him straight up.

I really can't believe the Suns are doing this. I guess their strat will be to break immediately, if no advantage type situations lead to easy buckets wait for Shaq to join the squad in the offensive half of the court and run a play that gets him the ball in the post. He's been playing well this year and so maybe he'll play well for the Suns in the playoffs. They can definitely get away with running a triangle offense around Nash/Shaq/Amare.

Patrick Ewing, the Sonic. Patrick Ewing, the Magic. Hakeem Olajuwon, the Raptor. Shaq, the Sun.

Just watch.

He'll still be good....ish. But you'd be paying way too much for a guy who is shell of his former self.

I was kind of hoping that Shaq would wind up a Knick, because it would've forced that franchise to start helping it self out of the 2 mile deep ditch they've dug for themselves.

If Marion opts out this gives Mek a team that might be willing to offer him some big bucks next year. Even if he doesn't Miami still loses a year of Shaq's salary allowing them to be a BIG player in '09 FA.

this is a shocking trade by the suns. i am no longer a quasi suns fan. i will root for kobe and pao over the suns w/ shaq.

i guess they plan on becoming an ordinary grind it out team once the playoffs start.

and okafor for marion would have been an awful deal for us.

That sounds about right Walt. I'm sure they'll still push it but it won't be the same. When they go to half court Nash will get Shaq the ball in spots where he can score and now instead of teams cheating off of Haslem, Wright, Davis, etc to cover a 35 year old Shaq they will instead be cheating off of a 35 year old Shaq to cover the likes of Amare, Nash, Hill, Barbosa, etc which will make Shaq's life much easier.

However on defense is where they're going to suffer the most. They just lost their best defender for a semi decent post defender to match up with the Spurs and now Lakers. Well that's all fine and dandy until Kobe, Deron, Paul, Parker etc start calling out Shaqs man to run a pick and roll. Those guys are going to eat them alive because Shaq couldn't do this 5 years ago. He's definitely not going to be able to handle it now. Plus at this point since Shaq can hardly jump I'd almost bet that Sean is a better rebounder than Shaq right now.

Anyway as a long time Lakers supporter this last week has been interesting. The Lakers put themselves back into contention and at least from my point of view the Suns take a step back.

Agreed too fats. I would always root for the Suns based solely on the fact that they are fun to watch but I probably won't anymore.

The Suns just released Shaq's official uniform.



I just found this on another site. I don't know if this is circulating on the gen board or not but I found it quite funny.

chabber wrote:The Suns just released Shaq's official uniform.

(picture)

I just found this on another site. I don't know if this is circulating on the gen board or not but I found it quite funny.

That is past funny.....
BTW I have never liked this Suns team... Don't like the coach (he never seems to give other teams credit for playing well against them)...I enjoy watching them play but have never thought they could win it...

I also have always (since Magic) been a Lakers fan (Lakers/Bulls/Hornets/Bobcats)...and think the Suns had to do something. They were really behind the 8 ball with the Lakers grabbing Pau...