Blog Posted February 7, 2008

Steve Kerr: Genius or Desperate? (Definitely not Genius)
Isaac Newton said for every action, there is an opposite, but equal reaction. Sure, he was talking about the laws of motion, but the quote couldn’t be more applicable than in the recent moves made by the top two teams in the Pacific Division.

Not even a week after Mitch Kupchak pulled the trigger on the kind of trade that only seemed possible on NBA Live, the Phoenix Suns made an equally mind boggling move to acquire Miami’s aging center Shaquille O’ Neal for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.  The trade has left pundits wondering how desperate the Western Division leaders are and what this move could mean for both teams. In fact, Talkhoops.net editor, Zach Harper, initially responded to the deal saying “It’s such a desperate move and you don’t make personnel moves based on desperation. Ask Isaiah Thomas about that.” 

Phoenix has been near the top of the Western Conference since Steve Nash joined the team winning 62, 54, and 61 respectively in the previous three years losing in the Western Conference Finals two of the years (and were maybe a Robert Horry foul away from a third trip). Their success in the past three years have been playing small ball, running the floor and hitting from outside. Steve Nash has definitely been the face of the organization, but Shawn Marion has definitely been the catalyst to the success of the team.

In Mike D’Antoni’s offense, Shawn Marion has been has been the perfect complement to Steve Nash. He runs the floor well, he rebounds, he can hit open shots and can create shots for himself off of the dribble. In an offense that’s use to being small, a player like Marion should be indispensible (yes, even more so than the young Amare Stoudamire), especially when you throw in his ability to guard four positions. In fact, when Stoudamire went down, it was Marion that helped lead the Suns to the Conference Finals while posting career highs in points (21.8), rebounds (11.9), blocks (1.7), and shooting percentage (52.5%).

Knowing how much Marion has meant to the organization (and the success of two time MVP Steve Nash), experts have come down hard on the Suns decision making. With new General Manager Steve Kerr making moves to improve the defense, this move only makes less sense since they’re shipping off their best defensive player, especially to bring in O’neal, who’s having his least productive season of his illustrious 16 year career.

O’neal is averaging 14.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, both marks being far under his career average. Just two years after winning his fourth championship, O’neal is finally showing signs that he is definitely at the tail end of his career and is just not the physical force that he once was, however, his presence can still change the way a game is played and the way teams prepare for an opponent with the Diesel in the middle.

With that said, was this a good move for the Suns? The short answer is no. The 35 year old does not fit in with the Suns style. Shaq is old and flabby like Larry Holmes, he’s out of shape, and he’s still hurt. He was obviously brought in to improve the Suns’ post defense, but he’s been getting baptized all season. The Suns lose a lot of athleticism with the departure of Marion and potentially bring in a whole new set of problems.

Phoenix has had to deal with the growing tension between Shawn Marion and the organization. He’s wanted his contract extended, he’s wanted more money and he’s wanted respect from his teammates. Shaq brings in an ego just as large as he is (as much as he’s struggled this season, Shaq has still felt that the offense should run through him more often), weight problems, and a contract worth much more than Marion’s expiring contract. 

So, who gains and loses what?

Shaq:
Who gained the most from this trade? It has to be Shaq. Celia Kelly, writer for the Southwest Voice in Bakersfield, CA, simply stated “The person who got the most out of the deal is Shaq. He went from the worst team in the league to the best in the West... and he's injured.” She couldn’t have been more dead on. If O’neal somehow makes a difference it will definitely be because of the change in scenery. Both times Shaq has changed teams his production has risen in several statistical categories. When he moved to Los Angeles from Orlando Shaq raised his rebounds per game, assists per game, steals, blocks and had fewer turnovers. When he moved from Los Angeles to Miami he played in more games, raised his points per game, field goal percentage, assists, and blocks—and playing alongside Steve Nash there is a definite possibility that this trend can continue.

The Matrix:
Marion finally gets the opportunity to showcase his talents without being overshadowed by Amare Stoudamire. Of course, he’s still going to be the second option, but two has to be much higher than three for a guy that probably wrote all of Rodney Dangerfield’s materiel about not getting any respect. This is his opportunity to prove to the basketball world if he’s really worth that contract extension that’s he’s been begging for. This is his opportunity to shoot that funky jump shot in his first new uniform since he was a Running Rebel in the 90s.

Miami Heat:
Miami just made it’s first step in rebuilding a team around superstar Dwyane Wade. If there is one thing the Heat don’t want happening anytime in the near future is an unhappy Wade when his contract is up. Acquiring Marion means acquiring a player that can opt out of 17 million dollars at the end of this season, freeing up much needed cap space to continue building around Wade. And if he stays, he’s a great compliment to the rising star.

Phoenix Suns:
They get one of the most accomplished centers in NBA history. If he comes back from his hip injury with any kind of pep in his step he’ll still draw double teams from every team in the league. The Suns still have a team full of shooters and double teams are going to lead to lots of wide open shots. They also pick up a 35 year old center looking for one last hoorah, who seems more motivated than he’s been since, well, since he’s left the Lakers and we all know how that ended.

Dwyane Wade:
If you saw Wade’s reaction to the move, you saw a very, very sad man. He had the face that elementary kids have when they learn that their best friend is moving away forever. He obviously loved having the Big Fella around, they had that big brother- little brother relationship bond that very few professional athletes share. In fact, the only other one even remotely similar that I can think of was the Moses Malone-Charles Barkley relationship… and that was over 20 years ago! Wade lost the most because lost a teammate that he loved and got Shawn Marion in return.


Phillip Barnett can be emailed at pbarnett@talkhoops.net

Phillip Barnett's Bio

I’m Phillip Barnett and I’m a junior at Cal State Bakersfield majoring in journalism. Sports have been a life long passion and writing has always been a hobby of mine, so I decided to throw them together and try to earn a living doing it. I mean, what can be better than getting paid to watch a game then write about it?

I was raised to love the Lakers, Giants (baseball, not football), and the Raiders. I’m a devout sports fan and a fan of the previously mentioned teams. I’m also a die-hard USC and North Carolina fan. Bandwagon means nothing to me and loyalty means everything. There is nothing that will change my love for those teams.

I grew up in the Great Western Forum and I still get goose bumps thinking about 17,000 fans chanting Eddie Jones’ name. There are a few NBA moments past and recent history that remain the reason I love this game:

Game four of the 1984 NBA Finals (Larry Bird put up 29 and 21 and he “struggled from the field,” Magic had a triple-double, and Kareem had 31 points in an overtime game that featured Kurt Rambis getting clothes lined and Larry Bird posting up Magic for the game winner. I hate that the Lakers lost this one, but can watch this game repeatedly). Dr. J’s behind the back board lay-up, Oscar Robinson averaging a triple double for a season, Charles Barkley’s MVP season and everything he’s ever said, game 6 of the 1980 NBA finals when Magic jumped for the opening tip and did everything else, Vince Carter’s dunk on Alonzo Morning, Vince Carter’s performance in the 2000 dunk contest, Baron Davis’ dunk on AK47, Kobe putting up 81 on Toronto and 62 through three quarters against Dallas, Iverson’s crossover on Jordan and Antonio Daniels and the Lakers championship run from 2000-2002.

Much love to all those that have shown support in my writing from the beginning (Mom, Dad, Ashlyn, Davion, Eliana, and Carole), I can’t develop without you. Thanks to Zach Harper and the staff at talkhoops.net for giving me a place to write.