NBA Profile

Today, the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat have completed a trade that may have serious repercussions, not just in the second half of this season, but for next season as well.

Shaquille O’Neal has been traded from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Marion and per annual scrub Marcus Banks. Does breaking up the core of a successful Phoenix Suns team put Kerr on the waiting list for the nearest mental institution? I don’t think so, and here’s why.

In the last three years, Phoenix hasn’t been able to solve Tim Duncan’s Spurs or Josh Howard’s Mavericks. Yes, I know Dirk is on the team and, as a former Dirk fan, I’ve disowned him for that colossal meltdown last year. I’ll rant more about that later - for now, Kerr has added the key piece that every championship team, not named the Pistons of 2003-2004, must have: A HUGE DEFENSIVE FORCE IN THE MIDDLE.

After lengthy discussions today, I don’t think the Kerr did the wrong thing by trying to make the Suns a winner now. Lets face it, they’re an underachieving team. All this talk about run-and-gun, Nash winning multiple MVP’s, Stoudemire coming back from microfracture surgery and playing incredible are just after thoughts to what they’ve accomplished. All of that potential and what do they have to show for it:

A 4-1 loss to the Spurs in the conference finals in 2004-2005.

A 4-2 loss to the Mavericks in the conference finals in 2005-2006.

A 4-2 loss to the Spursin the conference semi-finals in 2006-2007.

It’s just the same old song and dance. Marion, Stoudemire and Nash can’t seem to climb the hump. The run-and-gun just doesn’t work in the playoffs. By adding a seven-footer who weighs close to 350lbs, you effectively kill the tempo but open up the passing lanes. This might work in favor for the Suns as Shaq isn’t too bad a passer himself.

Kerr’s big off-season transition - the signing of Grant Hill - has also worked out nicely. Hill adjusted quite nicely to the Suns style of play and is just another dangerous weapon to an already loaded Suns offense.

As it stands, losing Marion isn’t as big a deal as everyone is making it seem. Phoenix got rid of a player who is going to demand Rashard Lewis type money in two years for a player who can change the complexion of a game by tearing the rim down. If, and this is a larger than life if, Shaq can stay healthy - contribute offensively, hold his own on defense and, ultimately, clog the lane, the Suns will live with losing Marion.

If Shaq has to shut it down after a few games in a Suns uniform, Kerr can always read my blog and point out that his reasons for trading Marion are listed here.

If you really think about it, the Suns don’t have much time left on the clock. Nash and Shaq are getting older and their contracts expire in 2009-2010. Stoudemire has an option for 2010-2011, which he will likely take if and when Nash and O’Neal retire. They need to win now and the Diesel is the only one who can drive them over the hump.

On the flip side of things, next year’s version of the Miami Heat could be very interesting.  

By far one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Heat effectively got rid of an aging big man, eating up a ton of cap space, for a younger-more athletic swingman, eating up a ton of cap space. The duo of Marion and Wade should be making teams quiver, if not now, then for all of next season. Couple those two with a lottery pick and Miami could quickly forget this dismal season ever existed.

The Heat are also going to have a lot of cap-space to work with this off-season in which they MUST find a pure point guard and someone to take up space down low.

Miami ultimately has nothing to lose in this deal. They could have paid O’Neal the rest of his $20 million dollar contract this year and paid him another $20 million next to have him ride the pine or pay Marion the rest of his $16 million dollar contract this year and his $17 million next year. They save some money and inject some youth in the front court.

A rarity - both general managers fail to lose in this scenario. When was the last time we saw something like that?

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