Want to get an inside look to Shaquille O’Neal's effect on the Phoenix Suns organization? Our good friend, Dan Hilton from Suns.com. He's the Web and Multimedia Manager over there and the luckiest guy in the world because Dan is the biggest Suns fan I know and he gets to work with his favorite team. In any case, Dan gives us his opinion on the "Shaq Effect" as well as comments on the other trades that have happened in the NBA's Western Conference.
What is the general feeling of the organization with Shaquille O'Neal on-board? Obviously, it's going to be positive, but to what degree?
I think the general feeling of the organization is getting more and more positive as we see what Shaq is able to bring to the table. When my co-workers and I in the News Room first heard about the trade, there was discussion going on about whether it ultimately will be a good move for the team. We now seem to all agree that Phoenix has at least as good of a chance of winning the championship now as before the trade. And most of us believe that chance is much, much greater.
What do you think are realistic expectations for Shaq the rest of the season? For the playoffs?
I expect that Shaq will begin getting into what I call "Mike D'Antoni-shape." In my mind, an injured player can be in shape, but not in game shape. However, you can also have a player who is in game shape, but who isn't quite up to "Mike D'Antoni-shape." We all know that Coach D'Antoni likes to run the ball. And as Shaq plays with the team and Nash learns where to place the ball when Shaq is in the lane, things are going to get easier for the entire team. But the Suns were already a good regular season team before O'Neal got here! The playoffs are where he is going to shine and where he will help the team the most, not only with his presence on the court, but also with his experience.
Who benefits the most from the presence of Shaq in the box? How do the players around Shaq affect his game?
I think Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw both benefit from having O'Neal in the lane. When someone has to focus on Shaq, they can't quite focus all of their time on STAT and 3D. That should make it easier for both of them to slip into the lane on offense for easy buckets. And to help on the weak side for surprise blocks on the defensive end. On the other hand, all of the players the Suns have will also affect what Shaq is able to do. It's not like a coach can say, "Ignore Nash, Stoudemire, Diaw, Hill, and Bell and just focus on O'Neal." That should keep some double-teams away from Shaq and will allow him to flourish with the Suns.
How much will the Suns miss Shawn Marion and all that he could do, particularly on the defensive end guarding the perimeter?
There is no doubt that Shawn is a great player and that he will be missed not only on the court but also in the community. He was here for nearly nine years and fans have always loved him. Being able to have a guy that can guard any position and that can switch with any teammate was a huge advantage. I think you saw that in the Los Angeles Lakers game on Wednesday when Kobe Bryant shot 64% from the field for 41 points. Phoenix normally has Raja Bell guard Kobe, but when he needs a break, we could always fall back to Shawn. Last night, when Raja needed a break, Coach D'Antoni was using DJ Strawberry on Bryant. Strawberry is an outstanding defensive player, but he doesn't yet have the experience that Shawn had and in some instances Kobe took advantage of that.
On a scale from 1-5, compare how the trades for Shaq, Pau Gasol, Jason Kidd, and Kurt Thomas will affect who comes out of the West and into the NBA Finals.
Shaq = 4
Gasol = 4
Kidd = 3
Thomas = 2
The Shaq and Gasol trades are the biggest two in my mind because they helped the Suns and the Lakers, respectively, to become significantly better playoff contenders. We've discussed why I think the Shaq trade was good and I think the Lakers game against the Suns was a good indicator of why the Gasol trade was perfect for them. I am still waiting to see whether the Kidd trade will work out. Obviously, Jason Kidd is an amazing player, but will he be enough to push the Mavericks above all of the rest of the great teams in the West? And the Kurt Thomas trade, while great for the San Antonio Spurs, it's not anywhere near the scale of the other three in regards to how it will affect the team in the playoffs. He'll be a great spot defender and will add another six fouls that the Spurs can use against Shaq, Andrew Bynum, and the rest of the centers in the West, but San Antonio is already a really strong team.
