Shaq headed to Phoenix; I don't get it

As long as he passes his physical, four-time champion center Shaquille O'Neal will be traded from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. The question to Phoenix is: why?

The Suns currently have the best record in the Western Conference. They have one of the NBA's most lethal trios in Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Marion, and now they want to break it up? First of all, I think Marion is a bit overrated and is really just a product of Phoenix's run-and-gun system, but that's exactly why the Suns should not be dealing him, especially for a 35-year old who is clearly past his prime.

No disrespect to O'Neal, but he is not even a top 50 player in the league anymore. The 14-time All-Star is averaging a career-low 14.2 points and a next-to-career-worst 7.8 rebounds per game and has missed 14 games this season. As a matter of fact, Shaq has sat out 79 games since the 2005-06 campaign. Even his great friend and now-former teammate Dwyane Wade publicly called out O'Neal for not being in playing shape. If the 325-pound behemoth couldn't get up and down the floor in Miami, how in the world is he going to do that with the fast-paced Suns?

Phoenix scores a good chunk of points in transition night in and night out. Yes, they can put up points in a halfcourt set, but let's face it; when you think of the Suns, you think of Nash throwing alley-oops to Stoudemire and Marion on fast breaks. You don't think of a team that can methodically wear other teams down by pounding the ball down low or having their guards slash into the paint. Getting O'Neal will definitely help their low-post game, but Shaq cannot be relied on to do that every time down the floor like has was in past years. Now he will have to worry about simply keeping up when Nash and company decide to run.

Unless the Suns are trying to tweak their philosophy, I don't see how this move makes any sense at all. I will say that the game Phoenix plays now will not win them any championships. In order to beat teams like San Antonio and Dallas out West, you need to be able to score points in ways other than getting out on the break. Maybe Mike D'Antoni realizes that and is attempting to have the halfcourt offense run through O'Neal? Either way, the Suns' defense took a hit with this move, as Shaq was never known for being a tenacious defender and they also lost Marion's cover skills out on the perimeter.

This trade could have also been a knee-jerk reaction to the Lakers acquiring Pau Gasol from Memphis. Phoenix felt the need to add a low-post threat of their own to counter Los Angeles, and if D'Antoni is willing to restructure the offense and Shaq stays motivated, then maybe things can work. However, I think the Suns would have still beaten the Lakers anyway. Gasol is a nice player, but he is a far cry from a superstar.

All in all, this was a very questionable move by Phoenix. For the Heat, they are in rebuilding mode, and they get a decent chip in Marion to play alongside Wade. I think the most important concept here for Miami is that they can deal Marion to a contender either by the trading deadline or in the off-season if they don't feel he is going to be part of their future plans. I'm sure many teams would vie for his services, and the Heat would probably get a decent haul in return should they decide to deal the 29-year old.

This trade is boom or bust for the Suns. If O'Neal can incorporate himself into the offense and re-establish himself as a consistent low-post threat, then this is a great move for a team that lacked a true inside go-to guy. Stoudemire can get the job done on occasion, but he is at his best on the run and was never able to dominate in the paint. However, if the O'Neal we've seen in the 32 games he's played in this season shows up, then that could throw Phoenix all out of whack. Their run-and-gun game will no longer be as potent, and they will be short a key perimeter defender who has been known to do a fine job against players such as Kobe Bryant in big games. On the other side again, though, the Suns may have needed a change considering they have been beaten by the Spurs, twice, and the Mavericks in the playoffs since this squad came together in the 2004-05 season.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens.