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Do YOU want Shaq?


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sure I want Shaq, what Heat fan wouldn't?

 

gotta admit though, it's tough to give up on the Wade-Odom-Butler team of the future... there's a great feeling when you build up a team of your own & they all become stars together.

 

that being said, a healthy Shaq makes them a Finals contender from day 1. what it means in the long run, we'll have to wait & see.

 

things could've been different if the Heat had known this was coming... could've gotten a player more NBA-ready from the draft for one thing.

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Here's a good article that might convince you if you don't

 

HYDE: Trade house for Shaq? Great idea!

Published July 13, 2004

 

 

Many of the world's best ideas -- trains, the organization of the solar system, cookies dipped in milk -- met initial resistance. Perhaps that's the only way to understand why every South Florida sports fan isn't throwing confetti over the Shaquille O'Neal trade. But the sometimes-tepid manner in which it's being discussed is almost as mystifying as the Lakers' decision to trade him in the first place.

 

O'Neal averaged 22 points, 13 rebounds and 59 percent shooting in the NBA playoffs last month. But now you keep hearing how, at 32, he's clearly "on the downside?"

 

O'Neal also fought double- and triple-teams from defenses to average among the league's best last season in shooting percentage (first), free throws taken (first), rebounds (ninth), blocks (seventh) and the cumulative efficiency ranking (fourth).

 

But now he's significantly "aging and overweight?"

 

He was the NBA Finals' Most Valuable Player three times in the past four years, remains a full-poster personality, never has been in a spot of public trouble, puts the fear of embarrassment into opponents, guarantees every Heat game will be a show and probably a sellout, offers the inside presence to free Dwyane Wade's star outside and has a been-there-won-that pedigree unlike any player in South Florida history.

 

But two days after the trade announcement, with the dust all settled and the names all taken, nearly half of people evidently are against this trade, according to the Sun-Sentinel's on-line poll.

 

People, what are you smoking?

 

This is a hands-down, clear-cut, no-doubt, close-your-mouth-and-open-your-mind, no-brainer of a trade. The Heat was uniquely blessed by everything from the Lakers' missteps to being in the Eastern Conference to getting loads of sunshine. So let's dismiss the concerns one by one.

 

"The Heat broke up something good."

 

It's true -- last year's team was good. It was fun good. It was fresh good. It was 42-40 good, seven-playoff-games-to-beat-New-Orleans good, still-no-center good and looking-up-at-better-and-nearly-as-young Indiana-and-Detroit good. That's the key word: Good. This trade is a shot to be great.

 

"The Heat gave up too much."

 

You know how many All-Star years Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and Caron Butler have, combined? Zero. Odom should become one. But getting out from the $43 million owed Grant is a godsend. So the only reason for questioning this deal is ... Butler? A guy who took a big step back last year? Who is between positions (small forward, shooting guard) and projects to be a role player on a contending team? You question the deal over that?

 

"The Heat can't put enough talent around Shaq."

 

This is the gamble. But role players can be found easier than once-an-era players. It will be interesting to see whom Riley signs with the $5 million exemption (Toni Kukoc? Bob Sura? Derek Fisher?) Also, watch to see if the Heat doesn't sign top draft pick Dorell Wright and explores trading the high-school hope for someone to contribute immediately.

 

"Yeah, but Shaq won all those titles with Kobe Bryant."

 

Reverse that thought. Kobe won those titles with Shaq. Without Shaq, the Kobe-led Lakers were 55-45 in recent years. Without Kobe, the Shaq-led Lakers were 36-9. You don't need to do the math to see who was the engine. Plus, the Heat still has Wade, who is the next great player in the league.

 

"This doesn't guarantee the Heat will win the big one."

 

Excuse me, but the Heat has won one playoff series in four years. It has never been past the conference finals -- and got dusted in five games by Chicago that time. What kind of silly arrogance allows Heat fans to put the bar at "the big one" on this trade? You can dream big, but don't label anything that falls short a failure.

 

"Shaq is getting older, more injured, less fit ..."

 

And he looms over the league like no other player. Plus, he now gets to steamroll an Eastern Conference with none of the inside presence of Tim Duncan, Yao Ming or Kevin Garnett. The list of East centers is a Who's Who of Who's That? Eddy Curry, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jeff Foster, Brian Skinner, Mark Blount, Jason Collins, Nazr Mohammed, Samuel Dalembert, Rafael Araujo, Joel Pryzbilla, Emeka Okafor, Kelvin Cato, Kwame Brown and Ben Wallace. Detroit's Wallace (technically a power forward) is the best of the lot. Shaq dominated him in the Finals.

 

"Pat Riley will have to coach for this to succeed."

 

Such talk compelled Riley to announce coach Stan Van Gundy's contract extension on Monday. Van Gundy showed his talent with a team of no expectations last season. He deserves every chance to win with a team of big expectations.

 

"Yeah, but the Heat still gave up too much."

 

Milwaukee's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was traded in 1975 to the Lakers for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Dave Myers and Junior Bridgeman. San Francisco's Wilt Chamberlain was traded to Philadelphia in 1965 for Paul Neumann, Connie Dierking and Lee Shaffer. In 1968, Chamberlain was sent to the Lakers for Jerry Chambers, Archie Clark and Darrall Imhoff.

 

In each case, the team trading the superstar didn't get close to equal value. You never do for a mega-star in the NBA. It took a while for the world to accept Hemingway's writings and Picasso paintings. Maybe, soon, everyone will understand just what a steal this trade is.

 

Dave Hyde can be reached at [email protected]

Copyright ? 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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uh, yeah. Shaq is the man, he's back in florida and whats better, in miami. I'll be going to the games in orlando.

 

 

i just hope i dont get mobbed...last year when i went to some games wearing my odom jersey....(which now is a throwback...damnit) i almost got into a fight with tmacs posse...which now are apparently sending death threats to the magic GM...

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YES I want shaq

 

and i dont care that were losing some players who we needed to do good last year

 

you could make changes with a team even if u do good

 

i said this before: you can always improve-i said that when we were thinking about gettig tracy m.

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YES I want shaq

 

and i dont care that were losing some players who we needed to do good last year

 

you could make changes with a team even if u do good

 

i said this before: you can always improve-i said that when we were thinking about gettig tracy m.

456381[/snapback]

y!!! y must he come back with his no making sense remarks why!!!! go back to isreal!!

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YES I want shaq

 

and i dont care that were losing some players who we needed to do good last year

 

you could make changes with a team even if u do good

 

i said this before: you can always improve-i said that when we were thinking about gettig tracy m.

456381[/snapback]

did not understand a word.plz go back to isreal

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