Shaquille O'Neal is now a Sun,
and Pao Gasol is now a Laker. As
we all know, this year's Western
Conference Playoffs are merely
an audition to square off against
a (presumably healthy) Celtics
team in the NBA Finals. The odds
makers, many pundits, and most
importantly, Alex Hodes, all favor
the Lakers to rise to the occasion.
I'm gonna go with the Suns -- I
really do believe that Shaq is the
answer for an ultra-talented and
experienced, yet still title-less
Suns team.
At first glance, the Lakers are
the more alluring choice--a fact
that could explain why the many in
the sports community views them
as best in the West right now. With
the addition of Gasol -- an athletic,
high-percentage player and
one of the league's more feared
presences in the front court, the
Lakers are fully equipped to make
a title run.
The remainder of the Suns new
and improved nucleus is a formidable
unit, including a budding
Andrew Byum, veteran Lamar
Odom, the much respected sage
Derek Fisher, and lastly, a man
who needs no adjective to describe
him--
Kobe.
Gasol's stat line through six
games (he's been averaging 20
points and eight rebounds per game
while knocking down shots at an
impressive .645 clip) gives Lakers
enthusiasts plenty of reason to be
optimistic.
It's certainly safe to say, after
watching how seamlessly he's
been integrated, both technically
and chemistry-wise, that opposing
teams are going to have their
hands full with Phil Jackson's new
toy set.
Though we've yet to see Shaq
on the court with his new team,
there's one safe assumption we can
still make about his transition to the
Suns--that it will provide him with an
inestimably better environment --
both individually and team-wise--to
succeed. The Heat are currently in
the throws of a rebuilding stage.
Shaq is a storied player -- a precious
gem in NBA lore.
Simply put, at this stage in his
career, he doesn't deserve to be
shackled in his quest for another
NBA title. He does already have
four, of course, but a player of Shaq's
caliber deserves as many shots as
he wants.
His chances look good, too.
He's got the best pure point
guard of his generation to run the
offense, and a remainder of a supporting
cast that, despite losing
Amare Stoudamire, is still loaded
with weapons. Most fully expect
Shaq's modest stat line (14 points
and seven rebounds per game)
to improve, and I would tend to
agree.
The most important thing Shaq
brings to the Suns, however, is
experience and veteran leadership.
The savvy he's gained throughout
his career, which has included six finals
appearances, looks like it could
be the missing piece in the Suns
clubhouse. This savvy, combined
with the inevitable improvement
in Shaq's game that will ensue after
he gets a few games under his belt,
should catapult the Suns into the
finals.
If I haven't convinced you yet,
consider what Steve Nash had to say
upon hearing Shaq would be joining
the Suns: "There's doubts and a risk
to everything. I know that's going to
be a favorite talking point for all the
media, but for us the talking point
is 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."
That's quite a ringing endorsement.
To this writer, it smacks of
"title appearance". Then again, I was
the one who immortalized the Pats
before the Super Bowl, so what do
I know about sports? See you next
week.
just under 20-10 in points and rebounds,
which will prove critical in taking some
pressure off Kobe. More importantly,
Gasol represents a second big body
along with Bynum, causing impossible
mismatches around the league.
The Lakers have no discernible flaws,
which bodes well for their championship
prospects.
Phoenix is banking on Shaq's experience
in the postseason and all-around
locker room karma to keep them
playing deep into June. But it's going
to be the on-court production of Gasol,
coupled with the ferocity of Kobe, that
will have the Lakers revising their summer
plans. And for those who think
Gasol lacks the experience to keep
up his level of play in the postseason,
remember, he was the leader of Spain's
World Championship-winning team.
More importantly, if both teams
fail to achieve glory this season, the
Lakers have set themselves up much,
much better for the foreseeable future.
The Suns are aging. Shaq isn't getting
any healthier, or less expensive. The
Lakers, on the other hand, with Gasol,
Kobe and Odom in their primes, not to
mention a rapidly improving Bynum,
have a core that could very well contend
for years to come. No matter what
Schmidley argues, the facts speak for
themselves: Gasol makes the Lakers
more dangerous title contenders than
the Suns. Sorry, Shaq.
Associaed Press
Pau Gasol is averaging nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Associaed Press
Shaquille O'Neal has four NBA championships under his belt and is looking to win a fifth ring in Phoenix.
