Shaquille O’Neal, the towering presence who guided the Lakers to three consecutive but rancorous championships, has come west again to an altogether improbable destination — the run and gunning Phoenix Suns.
On Wednesday Phoenix completed a trade with the Miami Heat to land an aging O’Neal, who turns 36 next month and is averaging a career-low 14.2 points. The Suns sent disgruntled four-time All-Star forward Shawn Marion, 29, and backup point guard Marcus Banks to the Heat for O’Neal.
It appears to be a direct counter move by the Suns to the Lakers’ trade last week for center-forward Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies.
A rivalry has developed between the Suns and Lakers — who were eliminated by Phoenix the past two seasons in the playoffs — and could be more intense with O’Neal now standing firmly in the path of the Lakers again becoming title challengers.
“I don’t know if (the Gasol trade) precipitated the move or … it’s just part of the plan of trying to help themselves out,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of the O’Neal deal. “The reality is, it changed the complexities of our division. This may be another one of those situations where people are going to have to scramble a little a bit (to keep up).”
O’Neal underwent a physical in Phoenix on Wednesday. He is scheduled to address the media this morning and talked with Suns stars Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire before the deal went through.
He has missed 15 games this season because of various injuries — the latest are hip and quad ailments — and is an unlikely match for the Suns. Their frenetic play, in which coach Mike D’Antoni advocates taking quick shots, directly contrasts with O’Neal’s often plodding and punishing style.
“It kind of surprised me, because I thought (Phoenix) liked their style of play. Now they can play a little more traditional style of basketball,” said Lakers forward Lamar Odom.
O’Neal will apparently have to accept a lesser role and be willing to rebound and play defense against the likes of the Lakers’ Gasol and Andrew Bynum, when he returns from injury, as well as the Spurs’ Tim Duncan.
Despite the Suns’ fast-paced and popular style of play since Nash rejoined the team in 2004-05, Phoenix has not reached the NBA Finals during D’Antoni’s tenure.
“We decided to make this move because we thought it gave us a better chance to win in the playoffs,” first-year Suns general manager Steve Kerr said. “We thought it was a great opportunity. As soon as it came our way, I went into Mike’s office and said ‘What do you think?’ and he smiled.”
The reaction around the league was a mix of shock and admiration.
“I think probably Kerr and D’Antoni have made one of the gutsiest trades in some time,” said former-NBA-coach-turned television analyst Jeff Van Gundy. “They had the best record in the West and they decided obviously it wasn’t good enough to win a championship.
“Some may see it as utter madness, but it may turn out to be utter genius and the results will tell.”
Said Jerry Reynolds, the Sacramento Kings’ director of player personnel and television analyst: “If Shaq would come in and be reasonably healthy and kind of become like Wilt Chamberlain when he was with the old Lakers, basically defend the post and take nothing but easy shots, rebound and throw it out, it could work.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
