http://www.nba.com/suns/news/diesel_press_080207.html?rss=true
What do you all think of this article? If it is accurate, it gives pretty good insight into the motivations of all those involved in the Shaq-Marion-Banks trade, and the events that led up to it.
Apologize if this is already posted elsewhere on this board.
The article covers a lot things I had been wondering about such as the Shaq physical exam, the coach and player reactions, etc.
By Stefan Swiat, Suns.com
Updated: Feb. 7, 2008 It’s official. The Phoenix Suns' high-octane attack will have a diesel component. Today the Suns introduced one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, center Shaquille O'Neal, at a press conference at the US Airways Center in Phoenix this morning.
After sending Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat for the "The Diesel," the 7-1, 325-lb. big man was presented before a jam-packed Al McCoy Media Center after passing his physical yesterday.
The message from the press conference from O'Neal was clear, he is here to help Phoenix claim its first-ever NBA championship.
"I just want to come fit in with these guys and just do my part," O'Neal said. "I think with my experience and my on-the-court and off-the-court leadership I can help them get over the hump."
In hopes of improving their interior defense and battling against the bevy of Western Conference big men, Suns GM Steve Kerr made the move for O'Neal. The former MVP, who is in the midst of his 15th season, returns to the Western Conference after capturing three NBA Championships with the arch-rival Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat.
“It makes us more rounded and gives us a better opportunity to succeed in the playoffs,” Kerr said. “We were unanimous upstairs over this being the right thing to do.”
As recent as two weeks ago, Kerr told the press that he was planning on keeping the core of the team together, but when Miami approached him with the deal, he had to reconsider.
“If you would have asked me two weeks ago if we would have done anything, I would have said, ‘No,’" the Suns GM said. "But, I didn’t see this opportunity coming.”
O'Neal was caught unaware by trade as well. He claims that he was walking out of the doctor’s office when he received the call that he had been shipped to Phoenix. Although he didn't expect it, he was ecstatic that it transpired.
"I wanted it to happen because I was going to be coming to a fabulous team with a lot of unselfish and great players," he said. "I need number five (championships), I need number six and my prayers were answered."
O’Neal has tallied 14.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks this season, despite being plagued by an array of nagging injuries. The 14-time All-Star has been sidelined the past two weeks with an acute left hip and quadricep inflammation.
“I wasn’t going to do this deal unless I felt really good about it from a medical point of view,” Kerr said. “The reports that I got from (Head Trainer) Aaron Nelson and (Team Physician) Dr. Carter were really, really good.”
Known as one of the top medical staffs in the league, they felt that he was going to make a dramatic improvement with better care and enhanced flexibility. The training staff has already worked wonders with Steve Nash, Grant Hill and Antonio McDyess.
When O'Neal met with the training staff, he came away believing his career would be extended by their expertise. In addition, going from two-hour practices with Heat Head Coach Pat Riley to just over an hour with Suns Head Coach Mike D'Antoni will also allow his body to recover quicker.
“I’ve given a full commitment to this medical staff that I will be there every day early, before and after practice doing whatever it takes to keep me going for the next 10 years," he said. "And I look forward to getting my next $200 million for two years."
Currently, O'Neal doesn't feel any pain in his hip, and the training staff expects him to practice a few times before placing him into game action. But he could make his Suns debut as early as before the All-Star break.
"I think for my age I have a fabulous body," O’Neal said. "I have had some hip trouble but the medical staff assured me that if I stick with them they’ll have me feeling like Grant."
But while Kerr sought out counsel from a medical point of view, he also wanted assurance from the coaching staff and players that they were on board as well. There wasn’t any doubt in D’Antoni’s mind that this was the correct move.
“I thought we were going to win the title and I think we've done well by becoming first in the West,” D’Antoni said. “But when the Shaq name came up, I think we just got better.
“A lot of you guys (media) don’t think he has enough gas in the tank. But I think you’re wrong.”You must be registered for see images
Shaq lets the fans know why he came to Phoenix.
Domenic Centofanti/Getty Images
Two-time MVP Steve Nash echoed his sentiments.
“I know there are a lot of varying opinions and a lot of people’s perception of Shaq may not be where it should,” he said. “But if you look at all of the areas we are not good in, he adds a lot to those areas.
“He’s an experienced champion, he’s got the size we always lacked, he can defend the post, he can rebound and he can block some shots. He fills those holes for us and it's a great opportunity for us to have a type of player we’ve never had.”
When asked if there were any doubts about the trade, Nash responded, “There’s predominantly excitement and optimism on our team and I’d like to think the guys in our locker room know something about basketball.”
Having to part ways with four-time All-Star and beloved Sun Shawn Marion was difficult for Kerr and D'Antoni, but ultimately they agreed it was necessary for the franchise's goal of securing a championship.
“I want to thank Shawn and Marcus for what they’ve done,” D’Antoni said. “The whole time I have been here Shawn has been here and he has meant a lot to this city and me personally.”
“The Matrix” averaged 15.8 point, 9.9 rebounds and 1.49 blocks this season, while Banks averaged 5.2 points and one assist a game. With O’Neal inserted into the lineup, it appears as if Amaré Stoudemire will slide to power forward and Hill will man the wing. Kerr and D’Antoni both believe the addition of O’Neal keeps the Suns from having to double-team opposing Western Conference centers like Tim Duncan and Andrew Bynum in the post. That will allow the Suns to stay home on the other teams’ outside shooters on defense.
"I've always matched up well with Tim and Yao (Ming) and all the big guys," O'Neal said. "With the addition of a big man we match up well with whoever we are going to face down the road."
There was speculation in the media that Kerr nabbed O'Neal in direct response to the Lakers' trade for center Pau Gasol. While Kerr doesn't dismiss that the acquisition of O'Neal was done so he could keep pace in the hotly-contested Western Conference, he stated there was no direct correlation to that specific deal.
With both the Lakers and Suns seemingly making upgrades to their lineups and O’Neal being imported back into the Pacific Division to face his former club, it would seem that the teams’ brewing rivalry might have escalated a notch. When asked if that might be true, the big fella replied, "We don’t want to come and make silly rivalries that don’t make sense. We are on a mission now and we just want to get over the hump.
"I’m not concerned with any other teams. I’m the Assistant Vice-General Manager of this team."
But with so many teams in a logjam near the top of an immensely talented conference, one can understand why Kerr and D'Antoni altered their team's makeup a bit.
And while one would think that the addition of O’Neal might slow the Suns' breakneck tempo, D’Antoni disagrees.
“Didn’t the Showtime Lakers have a 40-year old center running behind those other guys?” the Suns Head Coach questioned. “Shaq was telling me upstairs that he’s going to be ready to run the floor if he doesn’t get the defensive rebound.”
O'Neal concurs. With the tandem of him and Stoudemire on the glass, he believes that if he ignites the break with a rebound, Stoudemire will beat his man down court on the break. If Stoudemire should grab the board, O'Neal will sprint down the floor for the easy bucket.
"The crazy thing about this society is that if you don’t see somebody do something you automatically think they don’t do it," he said. "Over the last couple of years I was in a system that really didn’t run, so you guys automatically think I can’t run.
"I look forward to making people eat their words. I really do."
Both Kerr and D’Antoni are in agreement that their style may alter a little, but feel that overall the change will make them more versatile.
“I find it funny that people say we can’t win without a big man and then once we get a big man they say we can’t win with a big man,” D’Antoni quipped.
Besides being a force on the blocks that almost always commands a double-team, O’Neal has been a constant matchup problem since he entered the league. D’Antoni knows firsthand what it is like to prepare against a team with him on it.
“The players know that when we went over a Miami scouting report we would spend 80 percent of the time going over one guy,” the former Coach of the Year said. “They understand how dominating he can be.”
O'Neal believes that the only piece that the Suns lacked in a championship puzzle was someone to anchor the middle. Now armed with one of the most formidable post players in the league, he believes this will make all of the players around him better. He spoke of a conversation he once had with John Wooden and how the legendary UCLA coach told him something that always stuck with him, "The true definition of a great player is how you make the players around you play."
"It’s kind of hard to make Nash better because he’s already one of the greatest point-guards to ever play the game,” O'Neal said. "But I guarantee you I’m going to make Raja Bell better, Amaré Stoudemire better and all of these other guys better."
You must be registered for see images
Shaq was told that he looks good in white and purple.
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images
One of the underlying themes of the press conference was O'Neal's appreciation for Stoudemire. When O'Neal played in Orlando, he recalled watching Stoudemire as a youngster and proclaiming that he was "the next."
"To be able to be his big brother right here with him, play with him, watch him, tell him about certain guys and help him get to that next level, it’s going to be exciting," O’Neal said. "I have the ability to take certain players and help them get to that next level.
"I’ve done that, I’ve shown that, I’ve proved that. And you know, this is the Amaré Stoudemire project."
Despite not racking up the kind of statistics he once did, O'Neal has proven that he can still be a dangerous force close to the basket without being the focal point of the offense. He claims that he doesn't need 30-40 touches a game to feel comfortable. In fact, he was only receiving about 10 shots a game in Miami.
He attributes his selfless nature to some motherly advice. When the new Suns center called his mom for some insight, she told her son, "You know what? It’s not about you. The greatest potential of me is we."
That is the sort of mental approach that he plans on conveying to his teammates. His ability to be unselfish and find shooters out of the post could be instrumental in aiding the Suns' long-range shooters.
O'Neal is already giddy with enthusiasm about the possibilities.
"I was telling Steve (Kerr), thanks for bringing me to the ‘Land of Shooters,’" the two-time All-Star MVP said. "It’s nice to kick it out to guys that shoot the 3-point ball at a high percentage.
"Every championship team I have been on I’ve always had one or two dangerous shooters. I’m looking forward to making Raja Bell one of the highest percentage shooters in the Western Conference and give him some extra room to shoot that beautiful shot that he has."
Kerr hopes that O'Neal can impart his wisdom and experience to the other players and serve as a mentor to younger players such as Stoudemire. The presence of O'Neal also allows the Suns to have a defined pecking order in the locker room, which Kerr identified as a vital characteristic of his championship teams. He also believes O'Neal has a bit of chip on his shoulder.
After seeing a TV poll that showed that 71 percent of the country thought that the Suns were mistaken in acquiring him, O'Neal told the Suns front office he was angered by the criticism. Then he followed it up by saying, “I’m very upset, you just don’t really want to get me upset. When I’m upset I’m known to do certain things; like win championships."
O'Neal continued to address the non-believers.
“Start selling t-shirts now, all the marketing people I’m giving you this one for free: 'The Suns will rise in Phoenix'. Sell them now, $9.99, you better start soon."
The Suns braintrust really stressed the type of intangibles that O’Neal could provide off of the court. Not only is he a proven leader and winner that has raised the games of everyone around him, he possesses an infectious personality that can truly electrify a locker room.
Nash is certain that the three-time Finals MVP will bolster team chemistry, “I think ‘The Big Aristotle’ is going to be fun for us.”
When reflecting on what it takes to capture a title, O'Neal stressed belief as being the main ingredient for it to occur.
"If there’s ever a doubt that any of you can’t do it, you will never win," he said. "And I really, really believe that we have a shot.”
As O’Neal pointed to his ring finger when he was introduced to the crowd during Wednesday's game, it appeared as if he was already trying to win over the Phoenix faithful. While the Suns may believe that "The Diesel" might just be the engine they need to propel them down the road to glory, he is utterly convinced that he has enough fuel in his tank to lead them there.
What do you all think of this article? If it is accurate, it gives pretty good insight into the motivations of all those involved in the Shaq-Marion-Banks trade, and the events that led up to it.
Apologize if this is already posted elsewhere on this board.
The article covers a lot things I had been wondering about such as the Shaq physical exam, the coach and player reactions, etc.
Last edited:
