Phoenix Suns land Shaquille O Neal for Shawn Marion!

[Horny Alf]

Does this make the Suns the new team to beat out in the west?

It would if Shaq could even walk these days. He's a year away from saying goodbye to the league.

[Kard63]

Are you named after the 1980's TV icon "ALF" from the planet Melmac who spends his time eating cats?

[spunkmister]

So if he is able to play this means the Suns have to slow down their tempo, cant see Shaq running with their current offense. Wonder how good a half court team they would be.

[spunkmister]

Originally Posted by Kard63

Are you named after the 1980's TV icon "ALF" from the planet Melmac who spends his time eating cats?

Considering the "Horny" in front of the ALF Im guessing he isnt just "eating" cats

[Phil]

3 years too late

[Rodent]

Suns must be on some good drugs if they want to do this. Guy has 2 years left at 20/m a pop and he is a fat old fuck now who cant even run with the kids in the playground let alone the Suns offense.....maybe they let him lag behind? if the fast break doesnt work.

[spunkmister]

Originally Posted by Rodent

Suns must be on some good drugs if they want to do this. Guy has 2 years left at 20/m a pop and he is a fat old fuck now who cant even run with the kids in the playground let alone the Suns offense.....maybe they let him lag behind? if the fast break doesnt work.

plus it will take him a while to get back in game shape and get used to the Suns offense.

[heymatty]

Fuck the lakers gasol trade was bad news, marion being traded for shaq is worse

Marion has to go but please lets get something back.

[Rodent]

Originally Posted by heymatty

Fuck the lakers gasol trade was bad news, marion being traded for shaq is worse

Marion has to go but please lets get something back.

They could trade with the Bulls for Ben Wallace - Marion straight up. Cant be any worse than the Shaq deal. And I am a Bulls fan.

[Profits of Doom]

This trade hasn't happened yet and is still contingent on Shaq passing a physical with Phoenix, which given the state of his injured hip is anything but a given. The proposed trade is Shaq for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.

I'm a Heat fan and will be sad to see Shaq go, but it is obvious his relationship with Pat Riley is severely damaged. As for him being fat, before this latest injury stint he was actually in the best shape he has been in since he came to Miami, including the year they won the championship...

[Mutt]

desperation move by the Suns, but it's understandable, they're running out of time with this group to win an NBA championship and realize that while their style is fun to watch and wins a lot of games when it comes to winning a championship it doesn't work - Nash is totally worn down by the time they get deep into the playoffs, they need to be able to play some half court offense. If Shaq can get into some kind of reasonable shape it will give them a better shot at winning a championship then going with what they have now.

[flashfire]

I could see shaq turning things around

[voa]

I think Sheq is not the same like before, sun doesn`t get anything with this.

[VeriSexy]

Suns gave up too much. Shaq is too injury prone now

[CyberAgeGary]

Shaq is still good for 15 points and 12 rebounds period. This will be a great addition to the suns, but still not enough fire power to take on the Lakers.

[axelcat]

They gave up an All-Star for a guy who is out of shape and hurt, bad move for the suns. They could of traded marion for kirelinko a few months ago, thats the trade they should of made. I think they panicked this week and made this silly deal because of the lakers blockbuster trade.

[tiger]

Terrible trade for the Suns and obvious they are doing it out of fear and desperation because of the Lakers trade. Why in the world would anyone want Shaq, given his payroll, injuries, attitude not to mention that he is in probably the worst shape of his career.

Lakers are the team to beat. Be afraid!

[Brother Bilo]

The Suns aren't adding anything to their team with this trade but a lot of baggage. This isn't new hotness Shaq, this is old busted Shaq, and they have to pay a lot of money for him.

Piss poor decision imo

[GTS Mark]

Shaq will put asses in seats... There is no doubt about that, however do they really need that?

[L-Pink]

So Shaq is going to Arizone to retire, not a good trade.

[V_RocKs]

Strange trade... But I am sure it looks that way for a reason.

[GuerillaTony]

Originally Posted by Mutt

desperation move by the Suns, but it's understandable, they're running out of time with this group to win an NBA championship and realize that while their style is fun to watch and wins a lot of games when it comes to winning a championship it doesn't work - Nash is totally worn down by the time they get deep into the playoffs, they need to be able to play some half court offense. If Shaq can get into some kind of reasonable shape it will give them a better shot at winning a championship then going with what they have now.

BINGO !!

a healthy Shaq and now a MOTIVATED Shaq with Nash is dangerous !
I'll take them over the Lakers any day !

[Forest]

I have a friend that works for the heat. He said this is the beginning of a few big moves for the heat

[aico]

Originally Posted by L-Pink

So Shaq is going to Arizone to retire, not a good trade.

[quicksand]

Originally Posted by Mutt

desperation move by the Suns, but it's understandable, they're running out of time with this group to win an NBA championship and realize that while their style is fun to watch and wins a lot of games when it comes to winning a championship it doesn't work - Nash is totally worn down by the time they get deep into the playoffs, they need to be able to play some half court offense. If Shaq can get into some kind of reasonable shape it will give them a better shot at winning a championship then going with what they have now.

My thoughts exactly

[Rodent]

And the suns wanted to clear cap space at the beginning of the year.....kinda went the opposite way lol.
Has anyone said this trade is good? Everything I have read/heard says its the dumbest shit ever givin the record the suns currently have amongst the obvious shaq is pretty busted down.

[Profits of Doom]

Wow, absolutely unbelievable that people are posting Shaq is in the worst shape of his career. He is 325 pounds and only 12% body fat according to his Phoenix Suns physical. He is banged up but when he was on the floor for the Heat he looked in better shape than he has ever been during his tenure in Miami. I still question whether Shaq will accept just being on the floor for defense and shot blocking, but he is far from done. An ill fit in Phoenix maybe, but far from done...

[SCtyger]

well... the only hope for Phoenix is Shaq's bitterness against the lakers. That is the only thing that would motivate shaq at this point of his career... anything to spite the Lakers.

Damn... Lakers vs. Suns games just got a whole 'lotta fun to watch.

Edit: oh yeah... Heats fans are rejoicing in getting rid of Shaq as much as Lakers fans did with Kwame a week ago LoL

[bushwacker]

Originally Posted by Profits of Doom

Wow, absolutely unbelievable that people are posting Shaq is in the worst shape of his career. He is 325 pounds and only 12% body fat according to his Phoenix Suns physical. He is banged up but when he was on the floor for the Heat he looked in better shape than he has ever been during his tenure in Miami. I still question whether Shaq will accept just being on the floor for defense and shot blocking, but he is far from done. An ill fit in Phoenix maybe, but far from done...

He can't play defense, he can't run with an up tempo offense, he is a year or another injury away from retirement.......Terrible trade for the suns, great for the heat. Marion will be gone next year freeing up about $17 mill. in cap space for the heat.

[Profits of Doom]

Originally Posted by bushwacker

He can't play defense, he can't run with an up tempo offense, he is a year or another injury away from retirement.......Terrible trade for the suns, great for the heat. Marion will be gone next year freeing up about $17 mill. in cap space for the heat.

He can still guard Western Conference centers more effectively than Amare Stoudemire and won't have to run the floor after he rebounds, which is another thing they want him for.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the Heat got him off the books, and I wouldn't be opposed to seeing Marion exercise his option for next year, as a core of Marion, Wade, and say Michael Beasley from Kansas St would be nothing to sneeze at. I just think Shaq has more in the tank than people give him credit for, and to say he is in the worst shape of his career is inaccurate...

[Spunky]

He has seen better days that's for sure ..still will help out a bit

[madfuck]

This is just too much, omg

[charlie g]

I like the trade for the Heat. But I bet the Suns go further in the PO's than lakers.

[tiger]

Originally Posted by Profits of Doom

Wow, absolutely unbelievable that people are posting Shaq is in the worst shape of his career. He is 325 pounds and only 12% body fat according to his Phoenix Suns physical. He is banged up but when he was on the floor for the Heat he looked in better shape than he has ever been during his tenure in Miami. I still question whether Shaq will accept just being on the floor for defense and shot blocking, but he is far from done. An ill fit in Phoenix maybe, but far from done...

If you believe those numbers you are not too bright. They lie about height and weight all the time. I have seen tons of these guys face to face and some of them are way bigger then they are listed or way smaller.

I remember when he was with the Lakers and they were trying to say he was 300lbs at one point in his career. He had to be at least 350-375. The numbers they put out are rarely accurate. Even the height numbers aren't reliable.

There is no fucking way shaq is 325 lbs right now. He is 350-360 minimum. And the number of injuries just this year can give you a clue as to what kind of shape he is actually in.

[Profits of Doom]

Originally Posted by tiger

If you believe those numbers you are not too bright. They lie about height and weight all the time. I have seen tons of these guys face to face and some of them are way bigger then they are listed or way smaller.

I remember when he was with the Lakers and they were trying to say he was 300lbs at one point in his career. He had to be at least 350-375. The numbers they put out are rarely accurate. Even the height numbers aren't reliable.

There is no fucking way shaq is 325 lbs right now. He is 350-360 minimum. And the number of injuries just this year can give you a clue as to what kind of shape he is actually in.

Yes, some teams do purposely mislabel height and weight, I am aware of that oh great Yoda of the NBA. That is not the case since Shaq has been in Miami. Pat Riley has always rode him about his weight and body fat percentage, and those aren't numbers that were pulled out of the outdated Miami Heat press guide. Those were the official numbers in the physical he took with the Phoenix Suns, and they coincide with the numbers Pat Riley often released to the Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel. If you think Shaq is 350-360 right now you obviously haven't taken a look at him lately, as he is the slimmest he has ever been with Miami...

[lazycash]

Originally Posted by Profits of Doom

He can still guard Western Conference centers more effectively than Amare Stoudemire and won't have to run the floor after he rebounds, which is another thing they want him for.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the Heat got him off the books, and I wouldn't be opposed to seeing Marion exercise his option for next year, as a core of Marion, Wade, and say Michael Beasley from Kansas St would be nothing to sneeze at. I just think Shaq has more in the tank than people give him credit for, and to say he is in the worst shape of his career is inaccurate...

As a huge Suns fan, season ticket holder and former scout for the organization I was 95% against this trade when I first heard about it a couple days ago. Now that I've had a day to reflect and the trade is official I'm now about 50/50. You are correct about Amare having trouble guarding centers, even though his blocks are way up this year, his lack of low post defense and rebounding hurt the team at times. However, Shaq's immobility also causes him to have trouble with the quicker centers, but he should be able to alter a bunch of shots.

I was also pleasantly surprised to hear that Shaq's weight was lower than in year's past and he has no nagging injuries. I think its silly to say that Shaq will somehow slow down the Suns, all he needs to do is get the rebound and throw the outlet, they usually only break with 3 guys. I think not having Marion does hurt their fast break attack though, as he was their main finisher and best all around defender. I guess only time will tell, I thought they had a shot this year with the team they had and it will take some convincing for me to believe they now have a better shot.

[Strickie]

Originally Posted by lazycash

As a huge Suns fan, season ticket holder and former scout for the organization I was 95% against this trade when I first heard about it a couple days ago. Now that I've had a day to reflect and the trade is official I'm now about 50/50. You are correct about Amare having trouble guarding centers, even though his blocks are way up this year, his lack of low post defense and rebounding hurt the team at times. However, Shaq's immobility also causes him to have trouble with the quicker centers, but he should be able to alter a bunch of shots.

I was also pleasantly surprised to hear that Shaq's weight was lower than in year's past and he has no nagging injuries. I think its silly to say that Shaq will somehow slow down the Suns, all he needs to do is get the rebound and throw the outlet, they usually only break with 3 guys. I think not having Marion does hurt their fast break attack though, as he was their main finisher and best all around defender. I guess only time will tell, I thought they had a shot this year with the team they had and it will take some convincing for me to believe they now have a better shot.

Nice post, was thinking the same things I'm also a huge Suns fan

[lazycash]

Originally Posted by tiger

If you believe those numbers you are not too bright. They lie about height and weight all the time. I have seen tons of these guys face to face and some of them are way bigger then they are listed or way smaller.

I remember when he was with the Lakers and they were trying to say he was 300lbs at one point in his career. He had to be at least 350-375. The numbers they put out are rarely accurate. Even the height numbers aren't reliable.

There is no fucking way shaq is 325 lbs right now. He is 350-360 minimum. And the number of injuries just this year can give you a clue as to what kind of shape he is actually in.

Well I was at the weigh in yesterday with Shaq, and I can assure you he weighed in at 324. The Suns have an incredible medical team and knowing Sarver (owner) there is no way he'd invest 40 million over the next two years on someone with debilitating injuries. Sure its a gamble, but if the Suns management felt there was no way they'd survive the playoffs this year with the lineup they have, then something had to change. What concerns me the most is 2009/2010 when Marion would have been off the book. Now they'll have Shaq's 20 mil salary and the Suns will be hard pressed not to go over the cap and won't be able to make any free agent moves, plus Shaq will most likely not be very productive at all. It was certainly a trade for "now" with little consideration for how things will be in a couple years.

I think what kills me the most was a couple months ago finding out that the reason the Marion +draft picks for Garnett trade never went through last summer was because Marion vetoed the trade. Can you imagine the Suns this year with Garnett and Amare in the middle.

[TDF]

typical knee jerk reaction to the lakers getting gasol

[NosMo]

All I can say is this is a strange move for the Suns, I really hope they know something the rest of us don't


NosMo

[D]

Good trade-up for Shaq... at least when you consider the statistics of both teams this season.

[lazycash]

Originally Posted by D

Good trade-up for Shaq... at least when you consider the statistics of both teams this season.

True, Shaq was taking some heat in Miami for their demise, now at least he's going to be in the playoffs. I was a bit surprised that Marion gave the ok for the trade since his contract specified he could veto any trade. He's going from the best record in the West to the worst record in the East.

[Profits of Doom]

Originally Posted by lazycash

True, Shaq was taking some heat in Miami for their demise, now at least he's going to be in the playoffs. I was a bit surprised that Marion gave the ok for the trade since his contract specified he could veto any trade. He's going from the best record in the West to the worst record in the East.

I was wondering that myself, since he vetoed the trade to Minnesota for Kevin Garnett if I'm not mistaken. The only thing I could come up with is he probably feels he will be able to showcase himself better in Miami, where he is no worse than the second scoring option now, and as often as D Wade has been hurt Marion will be the man during the games Wade is out. At worst he will be able to raise his scoring and rebounding averages significantly, and at the end of the season will be in better position if he decides to opt out and pursue a long term deal elsewhere...