Great USA Today Article About Shaq and the Suns

[The Diesel]

Hey guys,

Jon Saraceno of USA Today wrote a GREAT column about Shaq and the Suns today and I think all of you should read it.

Here is part of the article followed by the link.

The arena fans call "Planet Orange" is heating up again.

After a dreadful start, one that included the sinking of a quicksilver offense into quicksand, the Suns show signs of assimilation.

With a 15-10 record entering tonight's game at Portland, the Suns have won four of their last five, mostly because Porter gave Nash more freedom to run the offense in a more up-tempo fashion. The result: Phoenix is ranked sixth in scoring (102.5) and No. 1 in field goal percentage (.498).

"We've turned the corner and found our blueprint," Porter says.

The road map was filled with potholes as Porter tried to blend divergent player styles and egos. He was met with resistance during a turbulent first month. Players griped. Play deteriorated. Turnovers came in torrents.

"I don't think anyone in a Suns jersey 'bought in' from Day 1," ABC analyst Mark Jackson says.

Three significant players from the D'Antoni era are gone, including Shawn Marion, traded for O'Neal. Last week, guard Raja Bell and forward-center Boris Diaw were swapped for Charlotte Bobcats guard Jason Richardson, forward Jared Dudley and a second-round draft pick in 2010.

Richardson, a dynamic scorer, gives the Suns more versatility on a veteran roster that includes four former All-Stars (O'Neal, Nash, Stoudemire and Grant Hill), two league MVPs (O'Neal and Nash), plus several capable scorers (O'Neal, Nash, Stoudemire, Barbosa and Matt Barnes).

The "old" Suns had been constructed for the regular season — small, fast and prolific, leading the NBA in points the last four seasons, averaging nearly 110 a game and 58 victories a season.

"I think Terry knew coming in that it would be a tough sell," says Suns radio-TV analyst Eddie Johnson. "It's almost like telling someone to study differently after they've gotten all A's in the past."

Here is the link to the rest of the article.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/suns/2008-12-17-cover-shaq_N.htm

Your thoughts on the article?

I'm really getting annoyed with Shaq wanting so many touches; so many of the team's losses this year have come when he got the ball too much while everybody else just stood around and watched.

Why is he constantly wanting more touches when it hurts the team when he gets the ball so much?

This should be Amare and Nash's team, not Shaq's. Even Kerr says in the article that the Suns can't become Shaq's team.

Yet Porter seems to be the only one who doesn't realize that.

Shaq needs to just shut his mouth and stop complaining about his lack of touches when the team plays MUCH better when they run instead of passing him the ball all the time.

Kerr should trade him, in my opinion.

He's playing well this year, so I'm sure there are some teams that would like to have him.

[The Diesel]

And who else thinks that Kerr - based on those comments and the way Porter was running the offense - probably regrets hiring him?

He hired Porter thinking Porter's system would be a good fit for the team. It turned out to be a disaster.

It took a bunch of blowouts and many unhappy players for Porter to realize that the team should run more instead of passing it to Shaq EVERY SINGLE time like they were doing earlier in the season.

And where's the improvement on defense that we were supposed to see under Porter?

His Milwaukee teams were AWFUL defensively, and Kerr hires him thinking he would turn us in a good defensive team? Look at the results. We are no better than we were under D'Antoni.

Again, Kerr hired the wrong guy.

It NEVER should have taken Porter THIS long to realize the team should run more and he hasn't improved the defense at all.

Also, remember how Kerr kept saying Porter would command respect? Already several key players have complained about him.

He has been a terrible coach for the team and I wonder whether Kerr regrets hiring him...

Do you think he does?

[Mr. Sun]

Again, Kerr hired the wrong guy.

Maybe not. Was D'Antoni willing to make needed changes? NO because he has a ego complex. Does Porter have a ego complex?

[visions]

I remember when Shaq was traded to Phoenix he said something along the lines of "I will just try and fit in" or "I know this is Nash/Amare's/etc's team and I will do my best to compliment their lineup" etc etc etc.

Now this year he is suddenly talking like it's his team and he is the man.

I wonder if he had a lot of respect of Mike D and so didn't want to step out of line but this year with Porter he figures he can call the shots and has no problem disrespecting anyone.

[tsherkin]

Shaq's posting 16/8 in 29 mpg... he IS the Man on this team, he's the only player who's consistently played WELL throughout the entire season to date. He's showed the ability and the willingness to pass whenever the team decides it's going to move off-ball when he has a possession and that he's hustling here, there and everywhere.

Shaq isn't the problem... this is getting to be a tired refrain, Diesel.

The epic-fail defense of this squad, as well as the stodgy, rigid and slow-to-react coaching are the problems.

You can't tell me that the Suns should be worried about Shaq when the team has the kind of defensive performances it's been trotting out all season.