Archive for February 5th, 2008

Burns: Shaq Trade Is Tempting

Published on February 5, 2008 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

If Shaq were healthy. If he didn’t cost $40 million dollars for the next two years after this one. If he wasn’t 35 years old playing on bad knees and an old hip. If he even remotely fit into Mike D’Antoni’s system - I would love the deal.

But he’s not, he does, he is and he doesn’t.

And I don’t like it at all.

I will admit acquiring O’Neal has its temptations. A postseason match up with the Spurs. What it would do for Amare. The fountain of youth that Shaq might discover playing for a team that actually has a chance. All of that makes this story somewhat interesting.

And just the fact the Suns are even engaged in these talks make me wonder if they recognize their system can’t win in the postseason. And if that’s the case you can’t help but to wonder about D’Antoni.

But do you want to gum up the Suns up tempo game? Do you think he can even make it, health-wise, to the postseason, let alone play next year or the year after?

It seems to me, it’s a poker game. And if Robert Sarver and Steve Kerr make this deal, it’s like going “all in” sliding $40 million dollars into the middle of the table and banking that they can make it work this year and then figure it all out after that.

Talk To The Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Published on February 5, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

* Sports 620 KTAR speaks with Phoenix Suns coach Mike D’Antoni regarding trade rumors involving Shaquille O’Neal and Phoenix.

* Not much to discuss with Suns Coach Mike D’Antoni, but I’ll start with the question that’s on everyone’s’ minds:  Coach said he still hasn’t decided one way or another on the Boris Diaw-Grant Hill question, saying “both guys are willing participants, and we’ll figure it out.”

* Hard to figure how a Shaquille O’Neal to the Suns deal has gained validity, but the Miami Herald is reporting that a Shaq to Phoenix deal for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks could go down.  D’Antoni said he knows nothing of the deal, and when Burns asked if a deal was close, D’Antoni emphatically said “no” (three times). 

* The bigger question is how Shaq could fit into coach’s system.  D’Antoni didn’t want to address that, saying “I like my guys.”  Coach also liked the Paul Gasol trade from the Lakers perspective, but he didn’t buy into the argument that the trade puts pressure on the Suns to make any “crazy” deals.  (Read into that whatever you want.)

* Coach is also happy that the Super Bowl craziness is over, saying “it was not home court advantage, that’s for sure.”

* And the staff should also be happy to know that D’Antoni is happy for us.  He said the Shaq rumor “makes for great stuff for (the media); you can talk and have fun with it.”   

* We will.