Shaq’s in Phoenix, pairing with Steve Nash, to give Laker fans one more dose of Shaqilicious melodrama. Right now, the deal looks like a disaster, but don’t fool yourself. Shaq has 20 dominant games left in his diesel-sized body. Phoenix is going to be dangerous in the playoffs (assuming they don’t totally self-destruct first and miss the playoffs). Wouldn’t it be ironic if Shaq, playing the role of spoiler in this chapter of the eternal Shaq/Kobe soap opera, led Phoenix past the Lakers in the playoffs and derailed Kobe’s MVP season? Shaq has immense pride. He’s going to be super-motivated to a) prove Pat Riley wrong; and b) prove Jerry Buss wrong; and c) prove everybody else in the world wrong. Shaq said it himself. Don’t get him angry. When he gets angry, he’s been known to win championships. I wouldn’t be totally surprised if he gelled with his new teammates in time to make a deep run for the trophy this spring.
Of course, even in the best-case scenario (the Suns win the championship this spring), this version of the Suns is about to go supernova. After Shaq’s one last run, his age is going to catch up with him. He’ll limp out the rest of his contract, consuming a huge chunk of Phoenix’s cap, sowing discontent, forcing Robert Sarver to pay an enormous luxury tax, and wasting Steve Nash’s last years. He’ll leave a Phoenix franchise in his wake that looks more like a train wreck than an NBA team. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the Miami Heat (and the Lakers circa 2004 and the Orlando Magic in 1996)!
When the Big Prickly hangs up his superhuman sized sneakers and calls it a career (and the moment is coming soon), I personally will shed a tear of frustration. I’ll be forever grateful to Shaq for that fantastic three-peat at the start of the millennium. It was good to live in LA when Shaq was in his prime. Shaq was amazing, awesome, entertaining and so much larger than life that you couldn’t imagine a light shining any brighter. “Can you dig it?” Sure, Shaq. If you say so, I can dig it.
But how good could Shaq have been? Imagine a Shaq who hit 75% of his free throws or who showed up for training camp in shape. Imagine a Shaq with a sweet jump shot from 10 to 15 feet or who could defend the pick and roll. Look, I know I’m just a fan, not a basketball expert. And I know I may be wrong about this. But if Shaq had worked harder during his career, couldn’t he have become a better free throw shooter? Couldn’t he have improved his pick and roll defense? Certainly, he could have been more devoted to staying in shape.
Shaq should have been the Most Dominating Ever by a wide, huge, colossal margin. There shouldn’t have been any debate. And yet, Shaq, arguably, isn’t even the most dominating big man of his generation. Many would say that honor goes to Tim Duncan. Off the court, Shaq is unsurpassed in this generation and probably in any generation. On the court, for all his mighty achievement, I’ll always wonder about what might have been…
