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sniperdog614
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Posts: 1046
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 Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 4:46 pm Post subject: Impact of the Suns Trade? |
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Impact of the Suns Trade?
With the Shaq trade to Phoenix virtually complete, what does this mean for the Lakers?
What it means is that the future of Phoenix no longer looks as bright, which in turn is good for the Lakers. To acquire O’Neal the Suns had to send not only Shawn Marion but also a seldom used Marcus Banks. With an injury prone O’Neal averaging 14.2 boards and 7.8 rebounds with a PER (Player Efficiency Rating) of just over 18, the Suns took a big risk, which may prove dividends in the immediate future but maybe not so much for the next few years.
By acquiring O’Neal the suns may have just left a road block in front of the high octane Suns team. O’Neal at 36 years of age has considerable millage. At this age I might prove difficult for O’Neal to keep up with the patented 7 second offense that the suns utilize. Furthermore, O’Neal has been injury plagued all season long. What makes the suns believe that he will miraculously become healthy and play in form? As one NBA executive said, “What are they (expletive) thinking?” In all honesty, from the facts that are in front of us, there seems to be inadequate reasons why the Suns pulled the trigger on this trade.
In the immediate to long term future, the trade may have helped the Lakers. This year Shaquille O’Neal has had difficulty guarding centers that are mobile and with the Lakers having two of those types of players in Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, it seems that regardless of O’Neal’s reputation in the playoffs, he may have difficulty matching up with the Lakers if they meet in the post season. Overall true hoop blog gives a good summary, “he’s blowing layups, [and] the man cannot jump anymore”. Unless O’Neal miraculously becomes healthy, there seems little chance that the Suns will be able to dominate any of their closest rivals, including the Lakers.
My only explanation as to why the Suns might do this trade is because they have possibly realized that this current team and system will be unable to compete with the west. And with Steve Nash’s and O’Neals contract expiring in 2010, the Suns may be setting themselves up to land superstars that also have expiring contracts that year in Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.
It seems that the Suns have sacrificed elements of their run and gun system that has been successful for them for the last three seasons. From the outside the suns look in disarray, making trades for players they don’t need but with the kind of month the Lakers are having nothing should come as a surprise. Good luck seems to be raining on Lakerland like the rain that has been falling in SoCal lately. Overall it can’t be better summed up than how Adrian Wojnarowski from Yahoo sports has done it,
“It feels like unconditional surrender.”
Sniperdog614 |
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MC
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 2550
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| Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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Well,
The trade is definitely about philosophy of play. Besides the Lakers, this move also has just as much to do with the the last 3 years of failure in getting past SA or Dallas who used tough interior play to slow down the Suns transition game. The Suns felt even more vulnerable once the Lakers beefed up their FC with the addition of Gasol and the recent play of a dark horse such as the N.O. Hornets.
From a Laker fan's point of view a Sun's swing for the fences could look very desperate in nature but we are also use to dynasty type of domination. Most teams would be happy just for that first championship, the Lakers transcend that type of mentality, the Suns still haven't tasted their first championship as a city. Perhaps a short mortgage of the future is worth one more kick at the can with a Nash led core perhaps the risk isn't as bad considering the reward of getting that first championship chip of their shoulder. Like you said, rebuilding around Amare, Barabossa and 33 million in freed up cash come the vaunted 2010 FA class might have softened the risk they now have taken in their view. If it pans out they get 1 championship, perhaps 2 with tones of $ to rebuild around the young players in 2010 which is/was always the rebuilding plan in the first place. They continue to just float under a million in luxury tax threshold with Shaq in the cards and they continue to stay competitive while waiting for Shaq to debut. Considering all this perhaps they haven't taken all that much of a risk, after all win 1 championship and you can milk that success for at least a decade before the fans become restless once again. It isn't like they're in LA right?. |
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alex58
Joined: 13 May 2005
Posts: 344
Location: LA, CA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:16 am Post subject: |
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With this trade Pho had to change the way they play the game (which made them very dangerous to a team like the Lakers). Now they cann't run as it used to be , they have to wait till 320+ moves his old legs and share the ball.
They are not as dangerous as it used to be .
IMHO it was a bad trade for the franchise.
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