Suns officially get Shaq, Heat get Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks

[KWALI]

he and the entire team (not just magic, he was just the one who took the teams complaints to buss)
Paul Westhead was the head coach (for 14 games), he took over the very end of the season for Jack McKinney who had had an bike accident that resulted in a severe head injury..
that season using Mckinneys showtime style of play the lakers won the championship the following season Westhead wanted to insert a slow tempo, defense first system that the players hated and was completly the opposite of what they had just used... magic went to management told them he thought it wass wrong and they agreed and brought pat riley in...
as a side note chick hearn had gone to managment before magic had during the summer and told them that he felt his color comentator (riles) should be considered for the job if westhead was replaced... riley has always credited chick with pushing him out of broadcasting and into coaching

Thanks I just learned something

[Real Men Wear Green]

Getting O'Neal may help sell some jerseys but this was already a team that sold out games and moved a lot of merchandise. If they don't win a Championship this trade didn't do them any good.

[ukballer]

I'm sure he agrees with Shaq. Shaq was Amares childhood idol and they have a great relationship. Amare knows that moving back to the pf spot and having Shaq at C makes him better. He's not stupid.

I know I was just making a joke of it. Sounded funny at the time you know, when he said it.

Anyway as much as Shaq has declined, he still commands double teams and Amare is going to benefit one heck of a lot from it.

[SRZ66]

garbage > JO

[glidedrxlr22]

Good luck to your team statman32. Everybody will be watching on Feb 20th when the Suns face the Lakers. Hopefully, Phoenix will mop the floor with them.

[Optimus Prime]

Because JO is more busted up and useless than 36 year old Shaq.

36 year old Shaq > JO

Simple equation, really.

[SRZ66]

"when i get mad, im know to do things like win championships"
shaq:1
kobe: 0

[ChrisConley]

when asked about shaq, nash said "we've got an incredible, huge, talented, charismatic player in our locker room now. ... This sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun", later saying "I think the Big Aristotle is going to be fun for us".

wtf? fun? kerr made this trade for fun? nash should be talking championship like shaq is.

[e20dyl4n]

gotta love shaq. its gonna be weird seein him in a suns uniform ive always been a fan of him but its gonna be weird this season!!!

spurs and shaq always have great games. poppovich was dissapointed he left the west

[KWALI]

True, that Heat team had some players they could have run with but Riley probably decided they were better off with a half-court game based on Mourning, and they won enough to justify that thinking.

Actually it was a mistake Zo's game isn't even as good as Ewing offensively in the half court. He tried to beef up scoring with Mash but had him mired in the half court after he was running in Dallas...Classic case of round hole square plug.

However becuz he got most of his guards as vets it kinda ended bring the way it had to be..Timmy couldn't go up and down as much....Riles killed him in practice.

In New York your right though he had no choice. He built such a lopsided team all oversized defenders no scoring and a combo guard firecracker...I am surpised it worked.

[FireMcFailPlease]

anyone who sees this trade as a bad move by phx probably cant tell the difference between a football and a basketball

[statman32]

Good luck to your team statman32. Everybody will be watching on Feb 20th when the Suns face the Lakers. Hopefully, Phoenix will mop the floor with them.

I know I was just making a joke of it. Sounded funny at the time you know, when he said it.

Anyway as much as Shaq has declined, he still commands double teams and Amare is going to benefit one heck of a lot from it.

[ChrisConley]

anyone who sees this trade as a bad move by phx probably cant tell the difference between a football and a basketball

like almost every nba journalist?

[Real Men Wear Green]

Actually it was a mistake Zo's game isn't even as good as Ewing offensively in the half court. He tried to beef up scoring with Mash but had him mired in the half court after he was running in Dallas...Classic case of round hole square plug.

However becuz he got most of his guards as vets it kinda ended bring the way it had to be..Timmy couldn't go up and down as much....Riles killed him in practice.

In New York your right though he had no choice. He built such a lopsided team all oversized defenders no scoring and a combo guard firecracker...I am surpised it worked.

Mash would have benefited from an open style but it's not about whether Zo is as good as Ewing so much as it is what way best suited his personnel. I'm guessing that Riley figured if he turned the team lose the team would lose it's defensive principles. Regardless, he won enough to justify his style. They had some fifty-win teames, I think even one sixty-win team.

[Moose]

anyone who sees this trade as a bad move by phx probably cant tell the difference between a football and a basketball

Agreed