FEB

09

As there have already a few articles written about this, I realize this may be overdoing it. But reading the other articles, I realized that one fact was largely ignored and not explained in detail: that of money. MannyStiles touched on it but to me, that is the single most baffling part of this trade. The article bybehigben is kind of skimpy, but he's even a few years younger than me so he gets a pass. I am not a Heat or a Suns fan, though I do root against the Heat and for the Suns (or rather, root against the Heat's style of play and for Phoenix, Golden State, etc..). I am a die-hard Raptors fan so I am unbiased. Here are some of the aspects of the deal and my take on them. Obviously, I won't be right about everything, and Jalen Rose has an article on ESPN.com that is pretty neutral but seems to force the fact that it is a good deal for Phoenix. Either he is not a good writer or he has a good relationship with his last team, the Suns, or Shaq, and didn't want to step on any toes. Reasons for Miami to make the deal: Shaq's contract was killing them. He makes $20 million this year and the following two years, and the team is in shambles. it would have been nearly impossible for them to rebuild while paying O'Neal. Injuries to O'Neal: This year, Shaq has only played 28.5 MPG. The Big Aristotle has only played in 32 of the team's games, starting all 32. Phoenix plays at a pace of 99.5 possessions per game, where Miami plays at 93.8 per game. The Suns play the 4th fastest game in the NBA, where Miami plays the 14th. Since they only have 9 wins, alot of the possessions probably come when Shaq has been injured or at the end of a blowout when it turns into a circus. These stats come from ESPN's Hollinger stats, a very good base for numbers. In conclusion, Shaq would have to run more in Phoenix's style, whether they say they'd slow it down or not. He would be pressed even harder to stay on the floor, since he is already fragile in their slow-down attack. O'Neal and Pa...

Read the full post at ArmchairGM

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