Post#558 » by HarlemHeat37 » Wed Feb 6, 2008 6:03 pm
I feel like many people are ignoring some key factors here..
-Phoenix may have the best record in the West, but I've seen many Suns fans post this on their board..their record makes them look better than they actually are..
I don't believe Phoenix could have won a title with that roster..when they traded Kurt Thomas away and didn't replace him, that took away any fear I had of the Suns..last time I checked, they were dead last in the paint defensively..look at all the numbers that opposing bigs have posted on them this year..this will just increase in the playoffs..they needed to make a move..whether it was the correct move or not is impossible to judge at this point..
-Shaq is still a good player when he's healthy and committed..from what I've seen of him this year, his main problems seem to be conditioning and his health..he picks up bad fouls, and he is forced to take bad shots because he can't move..surely Shaq MUST have given a verbal commitment to the Suns management for them to make this trade..
-Shaq will find a way to fit..he's been one of the best players in NBA history, and he's always played with a high basketball IQ..obviously that will help the Suns, especially when you combine it with a guy that has one of the top basketball IQ's in the NBA in Steve Nash..
-Shawn Marion might be the most overrated player in the NBA..I'm not saying he's a bad player, because he isn't..he's a good 3rd option to have on your team..but I don't even notice him half the time when he's on the floor, probably because he's disappeared vs. my team in the playoffs, and that has been Phoenix most important series at times..I don't buy into the whole Marion hype..
all this is a huge gamble..they needed to make a move, and they did..Shaq doesn't have to dominate or lead them to a title..they have 2 other all-NBAers, a former COTY, and solid role players..this could fail miserably, or turn out to be a great trade..it's all up to Shaq's health and commitment IMO..