Photo. Estevan OriolYahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski talked to multiple NBA GMs about the pending Shaq/Matrix trade. Let’s just say that it hasn’t gone over well:
“What are they (expletive) thinking?” one Western Conference executive blurted late Tuesday night.
“I have no clue what they are thinking,” one Eastern Conference scout said. “Shaq retired two years ago.”
“It seems like a classic clash of styles,” one Western Conference GM said.
Still, there was one Eastern Conference GM who said, “I give Phoenix credit for rolling the dice and trying to make this happen.”
This is beyond a roll of the dice. Shaq has to pass a physical in Phoenix on Wednesday, a source told Yahoo! Sports, and you wonder if the Suns elders might come to their senses and make sure that O’Neal “fails” the examination.
For reasons that are clear, Shaq doesn’t fit offensively with the Suns. He can’t run anymore. He can’t shoot. He still was groaning about his touches in Miami, and you think he’s going to accept life as the fourth, maybe fifth, option at times? There’s little evidence to suggest Shaq simply will embrace the role of defensive stopper that the Suns so desperately want of him.Do you think Shaq will be content with rebounding and throwing outlets to start fast breaks, never to be rewarded on the offensive end? Alonzo Mourning did it late in his Miami career, but Shaq never has come to terms with his basketball mortality. He still thinks he’s the Diesel, and God bless him for it. It makes him bigger than life. Yet it doesn’t make him right for the Suns.
Most of all, Shaq can’t stay on the floor. He is broken down. He will be 36 next month. He always is hurt now. He has been meeting constantly with doctors this season, MRI after MRI on his hip. His knees still struggle to carry those 340 pounds on his bones. Shaq’s spirit was built to endure forever, but his body is a different story.
Wojnarowski goes on to describe trading for Shaq as “settling” (apparently a trade for Samuel Dalembert would have been better!) and says the Suns are “surrendering.”
“Shaq doesn’t fit anything they do,” one Eastern Conference assistant coach said Tuesday night. “What makes the Suns great in the half-court is that they pick and roll everybody, all of those guys can shoot it. They have everyone playing a position bigger than they are, like Amare at the five, and Matrix at the four. … And now, you put Shaq out there, and I just don’t see how it works.
“I guess he clogs the middle for them on defense, but you are stripping the identity of this team with him. Plus, what does he have left right now?”
Since Kerr took the Suns job in June, he has considered so many different trade scenarios for Marion. He talked with Minnesota and Boston about a three-way deal that would’ve brought the Suns Kevin Garnett. He talked with Utah about Andrei Kirilenko and Philadelphia about Samuel Dalembert. To settle on Shaq seems just that – settling.
All along, the Suns believed they had a system that made teams change for them, that ultimately lived and died with the genius of Steve Nash and the go-go teammates. Suddenly, the Suns look so desperate, so unsure of themselves. Maybe this is Kerr and D’Antoni together; maybe this is the president going it alone.
Nevertheless, the message is unmistakable: When it comes to believing they could win a championship with the coach’s style, this was a complete cut-and-run on Super Tuesday.
Somehow, this doesn’t feel like the Suns are going for it.
It feels like unconditional surrender.
To read the full article, go HERE.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:22 am
fallinup says:
“What are they (expletive) thinking?”….thats about right.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:29 am
chrisGO says:
it goes against Suns basketball….but Steve Nash isn’t getting any younger. “settling” sounds about right. their current squad wont be able to deal with the Mavs, Spurs, and now the Lakers come playoff time without addressing their interior defensive needs. Phoenix really shot themselves in the foot by letting Kurt Thomas leave.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Bobby stew says:
I don’t know what to think of the possible Shaq trade, but I know the Suns won’t win with their current roster.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Bust Jlaze says:
“Shaq retired 2 years ago…” Classic.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Shep says:
The fallout from the Pau Gasol trade continues….
February 6th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Kobeef says:
Duncan, Chandler, Bynum and Gasol will eat old-Shaq for lunch.
Heck…they won’t even need to deal with him because most of the time he will still be running across half-court when the play is done.
Clearly this was a desperate move to deal with a disgruntled Matrix and does not make sense in the future of the Suns.
Despite what the rest of the league has seen during the past 2 years, the Suns somehow must think that Shaq still has some Diesel left in the tank
February 6th, 2008 at 11:20 am
YOUNGFED says:
I got a feeling you guys are gonna see a different Shaq if this goes down. “Return of the Diesel Part Deux”.
Also Kobeef none of those guys can handle Shaq either.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:22 am
chrisGO says:
…as limited as Shaq is nowadays, dont forget how great of a passer he is for a big man.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Claw says:
Kobeef needs to get off the Laker’s stick, don’t be hating.
San Antonio played the Heat twice this year once without Shaq with TD getting 30 and 11, the next game against Shaq going for 12 and 8.
Gasol vs Shaq, are you kidding me? Gasol has game but his thin ass won’t be boxing out Shaq anytime soon.
February 6th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
rangerjohn says:
ok here is the thing, the suns dont think shaq will have to run much (no 5 man fast breaks) while this is true, shaq has hip problems, that doesnt get better EVER which means he dont run at all.
second, with the exception of bynam and chandler, shaq doesnt play man to man with any of those others. he still has to contend with the boozer/okur tandem, and then yao too, the lakers and spurs are not the only terams contending. this trade will make the suns better then the mavs though.
February 6th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Myrie says:
It is not necessary to ask any conference GMs nor executives for their thoughts on trades. They all too shook to make their own. All of they p*ssyfoot around all year and live for rumors just so they can show the owners they are working the phones. Team executives and GMs are useless when it comes to thoughts on a trade. No need to ever really consult them on trade transactions. Shaq is old….but they all thought Brett Favre was finished 2yrs ago too.
I still do not like this trade for Phoenix. It slows them down on offense (which is their greatest strength) and it doesn’t really help their defense (which is their weakness) in any way.
When has Shaquille O’Neal ever been a good defender? Last time he blocked a shot, he had them ugly sideburns in Magic pinstripe uni.
Poor Shawn Marion. He went from the best team in the league (record wise) to the worse team in the league (record wise) in 24hrs. Serves you right when you constantly bitched like you did in Phoenix.
Your making the most money, playing the most minutes, taking the most shots, playing on national tv every week, the team is in contention for the chip and you play in a warm weather city—–what the hell more do/did you want?!!?
And no one blames you when the team fails in the playoffs. Seemed like the ideal situation for a ball player to me.
February 7th, 2008 at 12:54 am
AO says:
As a Spurs fan, I love this trade!
February 7th, 2008 at 3:48 am
Chaey says:
Why are you talking all night about the Phoenix, the Sun’s, O’Neal ? How about Matrix in Miami, does it means another ring in ‘09..Surely D-wade and Matrix will work just like nash and Amare does. Get a legitimate center in Samuel Dalembert add that to Wade , Matrix , Dalembeast , Wright and Haslem . WOW ! underrated but effective…Miami for life !