Running Diary: Shaq's Debut with the Suns

By Zach Napolitano

I’m back! Zach is back.

I apologize for my unannounced and inexcusable post Super Bowl sabbatical. My NFL hangover was worse than I could have ever expected. And I’m just now emerging from the state of shock that was the result of what took place that faithful Sunday in Glendale, Arizona.

The good news is that I’ve been rejuvenated. The NBA is in full-swing and the storylines from an already wide-open western conference are now that much more riveting - Shaq to Phoenix, Kidd to Dallas, Gasol to LA, Artest to TBA, Randolph to TBA. I have not been this legitimately giddy about the NBA playoff push and playoffs themselves, possibly ever. I will try to provide as much NBA insight on a day to day, week to week basis, as the second half of the NBA season gets rolling.

In short, I think Gasol to LA will prove to be an incredible move, Kidd to Dallas will be an uneventful move, and Shaq to Phoenix will be a good to potentially very good move.

Beginning with the Spaniard, he has already made a seamless transition into the Los Angeles triangle offense. His incredible skill set and high basketball IQ make him an impossible match up for most NBA bigs (I’ll touch on this several times in my running diary of LA vs. Phx), and he’ll be an ever bigger factor once Andrew Bynum returns from injury. This acquisition makes the Lakers the prohibitive favorite to emerge from the western conference.

I’m not sold on Kidd to Dallas making the Mavericks significantly better. Firstly, the Mavs got smaller by dealing for him, which make it that much more difficult to deal with Duncans, Yaos, Gasols, and Shaqs of the world. Second, Kidd’s forte is transition basketball. He’s at his very best running up and down the court. Dallas operates offensively almost exclusively from a half-court set. Kidd can certainly run a walk-the-ball up court offense effectively but his lack of anything resembling a jump-shot minimizes his potential impact in this style of play. Plus, Kidd is no longer the defender he was 5 years ago. As a member of the Western Conference he will be going against the likes of Chris Paul (who thrashed him to shreds last night), Derron Williams, Steve Nash, Baron Davis, Allen Iverson, and Tony Parker on a nightly basis. Not an easy task for a point guard that turns 35 years old in March. So for me, Jason Kidd’s move to the Mavericks seems to be purely cosmetic.

Now for The Diesel to Phoenix. He was the focal point of my running diary of last night’s Lakers vs. Suns game. I kept close tabs on the big guy, really taking his temperature every step of the way. Here are the major questions I aimed to have answered about the Shaq move:

How does Shaq fit into the Phoenix lineup? Will he make them better? Does he force Phoenix to greatly alter their offensive approach? Can he get up and down the court? How does his presence impact Amare Stoudemire? Defensive rebounding? Interior presence? Shot blocking? One-on-One defense? Intangible lift?

ESPN NBA Wednesday - Presented by Hanes
February 20th 2008
US Airways Center Phoenix, Arizona
Lakers @ Suns

*All times Eastern Standard Time (EST)

9:06 - The Suns pull out all the stops in the pre-game introductions. The Phoenix Gorilla is in attendance and he looks marvelous.

9:07 - O’Neal has the death stare in the pre-game introductions, and he’s already in a full lather. Right off the bat we know this game means a lot to him.

9:08 - Close-up on the Diesel - Looking svelte for a guy that‘s been sidelined for a month! I can’t say the same about the 200+ pound female holding up the “I love Shaq” sign, though.

9:10 - Tip Off - Shaq wins it. The Suns control the ball.

9:11- Play by Play man Mike Tirico says Shaq will be Suns’ fourth option on offense… Phoenix feeds Shaq in the post, Gasol instantly fouls him. This is just the impact the Suns wanted, the ability to get into the bonus early on and let their superior team free throw shooting get them easy points.

9:12 - Shaq draws a double team in the post, Stoudemire drains a 20 footer. Shaq's helping Stat’s game out already. O’Neal is no stranger to double teams, both on and off the court. A possible reason for his recent divorce??

9:14 - Shaq stuffs a Lamar Odom shot attempt then misses a point blank shot on next trip down.
9:15 - Shaq is subbed out after 3 minutes of play. (9-8 LA)

9:18 -Cut to Shaq on the bench, he looks like this game is actually being played in a Phoenix desert.

9:19 - Kobe comes from nowhere to stuff Raja Bell on a wide-open dunk, with his left hand nonetheless.

9:20-9:21 - Nash nails a running 3-pointer in transition. I think he is easily the best all-around shooter in the NBA if you factor in 3’s, 2’s, and free throws. Down on the other end of the floor, Amare is already being worked by Gasol/Odom in the post…I don‘t know what Phoenix would do if Andrew Bynum was healthy and in the lineup….Nash hits a fade away from the free throw line - He’s 4 for 4 from the field now.

9:23 - Commercial Break. I quickly change the channel to check in on the Knicks. They just lost to the 76ers by 40 points. Rough spot.

9:25 - Shaq returns to the game.

9:25 - Shaq is still yet to record a rebound or point - 4:13 left in 1st quarter.

9:27 -Shaq looks awkward as he gets the ball in post, misses. Offensive foul by Shaq on the very next possession. He looks a little out of sorts with both his positioning on the court and with the ball in his hands.

9:28 - O’neal and Hill combine to make a nice defensive stop on Kobe in the lane. Just what the doctor ordered for the Suns defensively. 9:29 - Shaq and Nash have been running a high pick and roll which has commanded extra defensive attention and has opened up 3-pointers from the corner.

9:31 - Just flipped over to American Idol for 5 seconds. That female Asian contestant has me sweating like Shaq on the free throw line. Not only does she look similarlly, but she’s got a set of pipes like Cassandra from Wayne’s World. Note to self: Text my vote a few dozen times at halftime to keep her around.

9:32 - Nash is now 5 for 5 from the field and making my earlier comment about him being the NBA’s best all-around shooter look pretty, pretty, good.

9:33-9:36 - Hubie Brown makes a good point, O’Neal seems uncomfortable finding a scoring spot on the court, probably because the Phoenix offense isn‘t used to dumping the ball into the post…We’re still in the first quarter and Brown has already said “in our league” 81 times. O’Neal then throws down a dunk (and the foul) on the LA interior, which begins a bizarre sequence… He misses the free throw, produces a lane violation, misses, produces a double lane violation that forces a jump ball…Shaq is fouled and has LA in the penalty with 1:55 left in the 1st quarter…misses a free throw, makes the 2nd. As Hubie Brown would say: “O’Neal is the best we have” at getting the opposing team in foul trouble and then missing nearly every one of his free throw attempts.

9:36 - Bryant is 4 for 4 and putting on a shooting exhibition in the faces of Hill and Bell…Shaq is doubled and finds The Brazilian Blur for an open lay-up.

9:38 - Shaq tries the long outlet pass off the rebound, but its intercepted by Bryant. I would normally make an Eli Manning joke here but the NY State Legislature has recently prohibited such actions.

9:39 - Kobe (5 for 5) split’s the entire defense for a dunk. Wonderful Job.

END 1st Quarter - 32-29 Lakers lead.
O‘Neal: 8 minutes, 1 for 3 FG, 1 for 2 FT, 3 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds1st

Quarter Recap: Though Shaq looked awkward offensively, you can’t say the Suns offense skipped a beat because they’re on pace for 116 points. The problem for the Sun is on the defensive end. Bryant is torching them on the perimeter and Stoudemire is getting murdered by both Gasol and Odom. The score could be a lot worse if Gasol and Odom hadn’t missed multiple point blank shot. We saw some good signs from Shaq though - he moved well, passed well, and drew double teams. The Suns just hope he can prove to be more of a rim protector/help defender, especially to give Stoudemire some help down low.

9:44 - Shaq begins the 2nd half on bench, Gasol dunk on lob pass with Stoudemire guarding him. Kobe’s presence alone is opening the floor greatly for his teammates.

9:45 - Farmar over the top pass to Gasol for a dunk on Stoudemire again. At this point, I wouldn’t let Amare guard the base in a neighborhood game of Man Hunt.

9:46 - Farmar nails a 3 pointer, LA now up 42-31, Phoenix’s perimeter defense has gone to hell…Marion would normally help here. LA maybe have the best bench in the western conference: Farmar, Walton, Vujacic, Turiaf.

9:49 - ESPN show s a clip of Kobe interview. He’s normally very well dressed but his yellow dress shirt/pastel pin stripe suit combination just cracked my 37” LCD Sharp Aquos.

9:51 - Vujacic hits another wide open 3 pointer, he’s killing phoenix right now.

9:51: Vujacic and Gasol are virtually indistinguishable from a non zoomed camera angle. But then again, Kobe’s suit just damaged my television so I’m looking at the game with a huge crack in screen.

9:52 - I’ve gotta be fair, Stoudemire has been taking Gasol to the rim at will. Unfortunately, he’s inexcusably missed several lay-ups in a row.

9:53- Hill (6 for 6) keeping team alive…Kobe finally misses.

9:54 - Suns on a 10-0 run. No lead is safe with these guys. The run is sparked by Barbosas’s freakish speed, Hills mid range efficiency, and Stoudemire’s impressive jump shooting in the face of his recent failure to make shots around the basket. Nash and Shaq to check in after LA timeout.

9:58 - Hubie Brown tells us that PHX is dominating the boards because Shaq must be boxed out, leaving Amare open for the rebound. Shaq’s outlet pass picked off again. He’s no Kevin Love from UCLA.

10:03 - Shaq draws a foul on Turiaf.

10:04 - Stoudemire is beginning to impose his will athletically on the boards and around the rim. I’m thoroughly impressed by his array of skills on the offensive end.

10:04 - Shaq alters an Odom shot, grabs the rebound, and gets fouled.

10:12 - Interesting Observation: The Suns’ perimeter/transition defense has been impacted negatively for the 2nd time when Shaq is on the bench. I would assume that his inside presence allows the Phoenix perimeter defenders to guard their men tighter in the half-court set AND that his help on the boards stifles the Lakers’ ability to get out into transition. Again, just what the doctor ordered. He’s just got to stay on the floor.

10:18 - END 1st Half (LA 65, PXH 57)

O’Neal clearly struggled offensively in the 1st half which is understandable considering he hasn’t played in a month and he’s on a new team. He appeared awkward with the ball and found himself in uncomfortable positions on the floor. Offensively, 57 points for the Suns at halftime is very good, so again you cant say Shaq held them back offensively. And he did make his presence felt - he was fouled several times, freed up Amare for rebounds, often commanded a double team, and his presence alone automatically fortified the Phoenix transition and perimeter defense. As his conditioning improves and he can potentially play 30 minutes each night, he should have an increased impact.

Shaq played 12 first half minutes and committed 3 fouls.

The Suns major problem in this game is that they have NO answer for Kobe. And that’s a huge issue if these teams meet again in post-season play. Its been well-documented that Raja Bell has had success against guard Bryant in the past, but when Kobe’s jump shot is on he can literally toy with anybody that tries to defend him. He didn‘t dominate the ball OR tempo in the 1st half, but was still able to impose his will on jump shots and running the floor alone - Just scary. The other problem is that Stoudemire was torched by Gasol/Odom. It’s not so much that he’s terrible guarding them one on one, it just seems like he’s lost finding these guys before the post-entry pass. He just looks confused or ambivalent on that end of the floor, maybe a combination of both.

Start 2nd Half

10:38 - The Lakers run a pick and roll to start the half, Gasol gets an un-contested dunk…Then Gasol hits a jumper over Shaq: Nice half-time adjustment by Phil Jackson to pull Shaq away from the basket. This should also allow for Kobe and Odom to attack the rim.

10:43 - Shaq is forced to switch onto Odom on defense and he is promptly taken to rack for a lay-up.

10:45 - Amare’s offensive repertoire is on full display, he drives left on Odom and finishes with a rigthy floater plus the foul... But of course, he gives Odom a wide open jumper for a basket the very next possession.

10:47 - O’Neal stuffs a lay-up attempt (2nd block of quarter) then goes to bench at about the halfway mark in the quarter.

10:53 - If Odom could make a lay-up, the Lakers are up by 10 right now instead of 1 and maybe Stoudemire would be forced to get some kind of defensive awareness. Odom gets T’d up in disgust.

10:56: Kobe’s been dominant, but his turnovers in this contest have been a problem. The latest one (off a Diaw strip) led to Barbosa lay-up plus the foul…

10:59 - Shaq checks back in with 2:56 left in 3rd quarter.

11:00 - Shaq instantly forces Gasol into a turnover, then hit’s a jump hook over him on the next possession. The former is more significant than the basket because Gasol hadn’t been mitigated the least bit for quite some time now. (87-87)

11:02-03 - Barbosa and Odom fight for a loose ball rebound, resulting in a jump ball. I thought this one was going to result in fisticuffs but the two players help each other off the floor. The intensity level is off the charts for a regular season game…. Now Shaq dives out of bounds for a loose ball! Great hustle, but Hubie Brown reminds us that last time Shaq made such an effort he landed on the injured list.

11:04 - Gasol hits another jumper over O’Neal….But Shaq assists on a Diaw basket next possession… 2 point game….Gasol hit’s a running hook on Diaw with 0.4 left in the 3rd quarter…He’s creating all kinds of match up problems for the Suns. He can shoot over Shaq or bring Stoudemire/Diaw down into the post.

11:09 - Start of the 4th quarter 95-91 LA

11:10 - Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani played in the arena, one of my all time favorites, a possible omen? Will it be a sweet escape from Miami to Phoenix for O’Neal? Vujacic’s 3-pointer forces a PHX timeout, so maybe not. Suns down by 6

11:20 - Interesting development. PHX has battled back to take a 1-point lead with Nash on the bench the first 5 minutes of the 1st quarter - I‘m shocked by the amount of rest coach Mike D‘Antoni has given him in a game of this magnitude...Amare Stoudemire capped the rally with a tomahawk dunk in the face of Turiaf (and 1) that gives him 33 points. His offensive game is just stellar blend of power, finesse, and athleticism.

11:22 - PHX gets Nash back in game after Barbosa commits a backcourt violation.

11:23 - NASH DRIVES, ALLEY-OOP DUNK TO SHAQ. Exactly what we’ve been waiting for. Surprised it took nearly 2 and half hours for this play to finally happen.

11:23 - Kobe hit’s a 3 to silence the crowd. He’s taken this game over down the stretch. Kobe’s basically brought DJ Strawberry behind the wood shed for most of the fourth quarter. Can't they get Raja Bell on this guy? I’ve omitted most of Bryant’s dominance. I mean, how many times can I type “Bryant his 20 footer in so and so’s face”??? Just as I’ve omitted a lot of defensive mishaps by Stoudemire.

11:24 - Gasol runs the floor and dunks, assist Kobe

11:28 - Shaq gets the dunk off an offensive rebound!!!

11:29 - Shaq gets a bucket on Gasol, no double team!!!

11:30 - Shaq gets 2 points of a Kobe goal tend, SPRINTS DOWN THE COURT onto defense like a college player. He’s pumped! Bryant returns the favor with an sweet move around Shaq that scores 2 points and some how knocks Raja Bell out cold. Talk about killing two birds with one stone....Or getting your Bell Rung.

11:33 - Coming back from commercial, Bell leaves the game with a bump the size of a garlic knot on the back of his head. We now learn the bump is a result of an inadvertent O’Neal elbow.

11:34 - Shaq offensive rebound, gets fouled by Gasol… He has really asserted himself late in this game.

11:35 - Shaq grabs big defensive rebound, 9th reb of game.

11:40 - Hill plays great defense on Bryant but he drills a jumper in his face for his 41st point.

11:42 - O’Neal alters a Fischer shot in the lane.

11:44 - LA just making more plays down the stretch.

*Shaq finishes game with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks.

11:49 - A moot basket, but Amare threw down a tomahawk dunk from the dotted line that rivaled Dwight Howard on All-Star Saturday.

11:50 Game ends - Lakers win 130-124

Conclusion

It would be irresponsible to make any definitive statement’s about Shaq’s future impact on the Phoenix Suns based on just one game. And the argument works both ways. If you think O’Neal looked great then you have to keep in mind that he’s been resting for a month and that if he’s not going to have an extra adrenaline rush in a nationally televised game against friend turned foe Kobe Bryant, then you’re kidding yourself. If you think he looked awkward or if you thought his impact was minimal then you should remember that he just spent a month on the shelf and that he’s had virtually no opportunity to get used to his new team. Give the guy a chance to settle in and get used to his surroundings.

I liked what I saw from Shaq Wednesday night so I’ll remain cautiously optimistic on what the future holds for both he and the Suns. I feel my Running Diary and the game’s box score provide adequate documentation of his effectiveness. He’s not here to be the MVP, the 2nd option, or even the 3rd option. Hell, he can be the 5th option behind Nash, Stat, Hill, and Barbosa. Phoenix is loaded on offense. Shaq’s responsibility on the floor is to rebound, clog up the middle, take the pressure of Stoudemire on both ends of the floor, draw double teams, and get the opponent’s big’s in foul trouble. Off the floor, Shaq’s charisma and experience should help to uplift and lead a stale locker room, and he clearly did last night.

Shaq wasn’t brilliant nor was he dominant last night. He looked unorthodox at times. But look how much his 29 minutes impacted Stoudmire’s stat line - 37 points, 15 rebounds. Look at the double teams he drew, the block shots and rebounds he had, and the fouls the Lakers used on him. Make note of how well he played late in the 4th quarter. And look at the electric atmosphere in US Airway Center and the way his teammates were giving up their bodies to win a regular season game. And that was only his first appearance in a Phoenix uniform. The Lakers are still the favorite in the West. Maybe you’d even pencil the Spurs in as the second best contender. But a healthy Shaq gives the Suns a puncher’s chance, something Shawn Marion no longer gave them. All I know is, these last 30 games of the regular season PLUS the playoffs are going to be a blast.

znapolitano@gmail.com