We've already seen this current formula the Phoenix Suns have prior to the Shaq Trade. It's an exciting tempo style with sexy scoring averages, and quite frankly the funnest track meet the regular season has to offer (p.s. if 'funnest' can't be a real word, then I don't want to ever use real words… ever). But when it matters, it's not enough. The other elite Western teams know how to ratchet it up to play 'Suns' ball when they are in must win, Playoff games, or more accurately they can make the Suns slow down, but can the Suns play slow it down ball?
Looking at the pre-Shaq roster, one has to wonder how many versatile swingmen does one team need? If you ask John Paxson or Isaiah Thomas, they think you need somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 or 7 dynamic wings. But if Steve Kerr wants to field a Championship Western Conference team, then he is probably going to need to use one of his starter potential wings to go get someone aside from Brian Skinner to join Amare in the front court. Otherwise, Amare will be very lonely in the Post-Season efforts to defend teams that can throw: Bynum and Gasol, Chandler and West, Boozer and Okur, Yao and Scola, Camby and Martin and Nene, Duncan and Bonner/Elson, or even Harrington/Biedrins and Webber. And Nash will be very obligated to use transition ALL the time as the equalizer. So if Phoenix offers Grant Hill or Boris Diaw in a trade, what could that fetch? Oh, nothing remotely relevant? Okay, what if they offer the SF that they're losing at the end of the year anyway?
Look, Shaq might not be an MVP anymore, he definitely won't be able to average the Mike D'Antoni mandated 52 minutes per game from his current starters, he won't run the floor with Marion-like speed after every defensive stop, and he won't be able to replicate the NBA's worst shooting form that the Matrix so proudly boasts (Now that Juwan Howard no longer carries the torch that Reggie Miller held for so long), but he what he will do in his pivot dominating style is get them over the hump.
Nash doesn't need all 4 guys on the court to finish a fast break and maintain the pace of play advantage over Dallas, Utah, New Orleans, Golden State, San Antonio, Portland, Houston, Los Angeles or Denver. But now they have the option of dumping the ball to Shaq for a 2-man game in the post with Amare. Grind it out is a splendid option when you have the games most prolific foul drawer (Free Throw deficiencies be damned). Matter of fact, having ANYTHING as a second option is better than using Really Fast as your change of pace from Really Fast.
Looking at the pre-Shaq roster, one has to wonder how many versatile swingmen does one team need? If you ask John Paxson or Isaiah Thomas, they think you need somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 or 7 dynamic wings. But if Steve Kerr wants to field a Championship Western Conference team, then he is probably going to need to use one of his starter potential wings to go get someone aside from Brian Skinner to join Amare in the front court. Otherwise, Amare will be very lonely in the Post-Season efforts to defend teams that can throw: Bynum and Gasol, Chandler and West, Boozer and Okur, Yao and Scola, Camby and Martin and Nene, Duncan and Bonner/Elson, or even Harrington/Biedrins and Webber. And Nash will be very obligated to use transition ALL the time as the equalizer. So if Phoenix offers Grant Hill or Boris Diaw in a trade, what could that fetch? Oh, nothing remotely relevant? Okay, what if they offer the SF that they're losing at the end of the year anyway?
Look, Shaq might not be an MVP anymore, he definitely won't be able to average the Mike D'Antoni mandated 52 minutes per game from his current starters, he won't run the floor with Marion-like speed after every defensive stop, and he won't be able to replicate the NBA's worst shooting form that the Matrix so proudly boasts (Now that Juwan Howard no longer carries the torch that Reggie Miller held for so long), but he what he will do in his pivot dominating style is get them over the hump.
Nash doesn't need all 4 guys on the court to finish a fast break and maintain the pace of play advantage over Dallas, Utah, New Orleans, Golden State, San Antonio, Portland, Houston, Los Angeles or Denver. But now they have the option of dumping the ball to Shaq for a 2-man game in the post with Amare. Grind it out is a splendid option when you have the games most prolific foul drawer (Free Throw deficiencies be damned). Matter of fact, having ANYTHING as a second option is better than using Really Fast as your change of pace from Really Fast.
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