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Feb 6, 2008 09:15 AM
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New York, 9:58 AM
Wed Feb 10
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It's pretty rare, in this sports world we all love, fear and hold dear, to find something that everyone agrees on. Unanimity of opinion is non-existent; we sometimes wonder if you held a poll saying, "Would you like to be punched in the face right now?" the margin would still have at least 0.001 percent who would say, "Hey, yeah, sure, hit me." People think differently. But it's pretty difficult, to say the least, who understands what the heck the Suns are thinking trading for Shaq.
It's probably not a good sign when your local paper labels the potential trade, "Shaq To Suns? Is This A Joke?" Ignoring the fact that Shaq would seem the exactly wrong fit for the running Suns; Shaq is expensive and, more to the point. old. Suns blog The Bright Side Of The Sun says, "I can't imagine why the Suns wouldn't either take their best shot with the guys they have, or else try to find a better fit for the system. Change is good, but unless I'm seriously missing something, this change seems just plain nuts!." It's almost sad seeing a gregarious legend like Shaq considered such an albatross, but such are NBA contracts.
ESPN's Chris Broussard got on the phone and tried to dig up some justification for the deal. He gave it his all.
Basketball-wise, the Suns believe the positives are this:
1. Shaq will give them the big, physical presence they sorely lack on both ends of the floor.
2. Shaq will enable Amare Stoudemire to play his true and preferred position of power forward, which will make Amare more effective, possibly increasing his scoring and rebounding numbers.
3. Steve Nash will make Shaq a bigger scorer than he currently is in Miami because of his ability to create easy baskets for the big fella. Plus, the Suns' 3-point shooting ability will open things up for Shaq inside.
4. The Suns can still run with Shaq because you don't need all five players sprinting upcourt to run a fastbreak.
Hmm. This deal still hasn't officially gone through, though supposedly Shaq's in Phoenix for a physical. We still won't quite believe it until we see it.
The Shaq Deal: Some Reasons Why [ESPN]
Change Is Good....Except When It Isn't [The Bright Side Of The Sun]
Why Shaq To Suns Makes Sense [Hell Yes, Guy]
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