So the Big Cactus becomes what? The Big Cuyahoga? The Big Lakeside Attraction? Or does this trade guarantee that he'll be the Biggest Quintuple-Ringed Behemoth?
As always, there are upsides and downsides for every team involved in every trade ever made. Here are the positives that Shaq brings to the Cavs:
The muscle, motivation, and experience to nullify Dwight Howard. The sheer bulk to clog the middle on defense. An early game go-to scorer in the low post who can inflict pain and foul trouble on his defenders. The most massive screens since the heyday of Wayne Embry. The ability to make alert passes when he's double-teamed. Someone to divert attention from, and take a Big Load of pressure off, LeBron.However, the negatives are likewise considerable:
Shaq will be 38 before next season's playoffs. He's been injury prone throughout his career. He credits the Suns training staff for judiciously analyzing certain muscle weaknesses, and then designing (and supervising) an exercise program to address them -- thereby enabling last season to be Shaq's healthiest since 2004-05. But who would oversee these procedures in Cleveland? Except when he's dealing with large-sized centers who have no quick spin moves and/or no face-up game, Shaq's extremely limited lateral movement makes him a poor defender. Slower than ever off his feet, Shaq is likewise a subpar rebounder and shot-blocker. Because of his miserable career-long performances at the stripe, the ball will have to be kept away from Shaq in clutch situations. He is all but useless in defending high screen/rolls. As he gets slower afoot and more floor-bound, he'll be in ever-increasing foul trouble.And here's the most significant bad news for the Cavs: With Shaq stationed in the paint, there'll be precious little room for LeBron's powerhouse drives. In fact, the presence of Shaq will mostly limit LBJ's offense to the least efficient aspect of his game -- his jump-shooting.
Also, if Shaq is such a desirable player, why did Miami trade him 16 months ago, and why is Phoenix so willing to deal him now?
In sum, since it's virtually inconceivable that even with Shaq the Cavs can total more than the 66 wins they posted last season, this trade is exclusively geared to enable Cleveland to beat Orlando in the playoffs.
It's also tempting to picture what might occur should the Cavs face the Lakers in the Finals. How about this scenario?
Pau Gasol turns, faces, and routinely beats Shaq with jumpers, drives, and spins.
Because Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum are much quicker off the floor, they will beat Shaq to the top of numerous rebounds at both ends of the court.
And Shaq winds up shooting two dozen free throws per game.
In other words, adding Shaq to the mix is no guarantee that the Cavs will win the very last game of the 2009-10 season.
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| Now the Suns have to decide what to do with Amare Stoudemire.
(Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images) |
On the other side of the trade-equation, here's what Phoenix faces:
The embarrassing confession that by obtaining Shaq, Steve Kerr's initial grind-it-out game plan to bring a title to the desert was a dismal failure. It seems that Kerr has more five-year plans than Stalin. The tricky decision to either trade Amare Stoudemire, or keep him and suffer through more of his adolescent laziness, passive-aggressive poutings, and outright temper tantrums. Perhaps Phoenix can change whatever cash they received in the deal to silver dollars -- and then pile them up in the lane in lieu of a high-profile big. Since Ben Wallace has been glue-factory material for the last two or three seasons, there's a dire need to sign free agent big men, draft a few, and/or trade for several. The absolute necessity to either waive or buy-out Big Ben. Or else convince him to retire. Also to play Sasha Pavlovic, the only live veteran body they've received. He's the guy, remember, who once said that his offense is so good that he doesn't have to play defense. Do whatever it takes to convince Steve Nash that the future holds sufficient promise to warrant his re-upping with the Suns. Or else trade him too.Whatever else will ultimately happen at either end of this exchange, Shaq's presence in Cleveland will cause some consternation in Orlando -- and also guarantee that the Laff-O-Meter numbers will be much higher in Cleveland than in Phoenix.
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