Good Prediction...NOT

I predicted Shaq would go to New York and be the latest embarrassment for the Knicks.  You can't blame me.  Admit it, you thought that it made great sense.  It would have been the latest overture in the Isiah symphony.

I have long believed that NBA GMs have a secret contest where they decide who can make the worst decisions.  The Spurs GM is never invited so he gets back at the rest of the league by having the Spurs in title contention every year.  Steve Kerr was on the outside looking in.  He was mad.  Steve wanted to be in that conversation of 'hey, did you see that terrible trade?'  Congrats broseph.  Welcome to the jungle.

Shaq isn't healthy.  While he was in Miami, he talked about shutting it down for the rest of the year.  Now, he's supposed to come back with a team that wants to get a shot off in under 7 seconds?  I have a great recipe for mustard covered chocalate cake.  Oh what's that?  They don't go together?  Shaq labors up and down the court for 26 minutes a night, has to have the ball in his hands to be effective and grinds any offense that thrives on anything besides '4 guys stand around and wait for the double team' to a screeching halt.  Square peg, this is my boy round hole; I'll leave you two to chat.

Here's why this deal was made: The Phoenix Suns were concerned about 2 things.

1) They watch big man after big man have career nights against them.  The West has big guys that you have to contend with.

2) Shawn Marion was killing their chemistry.  Since his 'trade demand' before the season, he's been sulking.  His production was down and it sounds like privately, he was grumbling about his diminished role to teammates and to management.  He was becoming a distraction.  It was getting worse so they had to ship him out of town.  Plus, he has pretty much already said that he'd rather be a great player on a bad team than a good player on a great team (ask Joe Johnson about how much fun that change is.  Tyron Lue, Anthony Johnson, Zaza Pachulia...Ladies and gentlemen, your ATLANTA HAWKS!).

Here's my problem with this.  You already had a guy that can guard bigs, Kurt Thomas.  Not a glamorous player but a guy that can guard the post as well as anyone.  The notoriously cheap Suns sent him packing because they didn't want to pony up the dough and pay him...so now they have Shaq and his 2 more years at $20 million per....ummmm....WHAT!?!?!?

2nd, I get that you are not going to be able to pay Marion and he's a chemistry buzz saw.  Fine.  Make a move.  Why this move?  Get someone that helps you.  Trade him to the Bulls for Joe Smith and Ty Thomas.  Trade him for some cap space; whatever.  But this?  This makes no sense.

I've blogged before about how brutal Shaq is now.  He kills whatever team he's on.  He still thinks of himself like he was the Shaq of 8 years ago.  The same juggernaut who couldn't be guarded, who didn't have to do anything in the off-season, who could sleep walk to 22 and 12 without make a foul shot for games at a time.  That guy is gone.  I just don't see this trade helping the Suns get over the hump.  I do see it as a stroke of genius for the Miami Heat.  If they like Marion with Wade, great, if not, you got rid of the Shanchor (Shaq Anchor) and now have tons of cap space to start over.  Bravo Pat Riley, bravo indeed sir.