*yawn

I intentionally made the picture smaller than any other pictures because that is what I think of him right now. Always enjoyed watching him play basketball and hearing Bill Walton's "Throw it down big man" comment but his off-court crap is starting to actually bother me. Usually, I leave that crap on the internet and just scroll over it without opening his latest battle, TV show, or any of his boring "shower me with attention" shit.

Shaq's latest thing got me a little peeved. After starting the pre-season with his new teammates he comes out and says that this is the best team he has ever played for. Okay, he has to say that because if he said it was a good team people would think he's retarded. Well, I think you are retarded Shaq. I'll give him his "on paper" part after the best team comment but still, are you drunk? Check out his teammates in LA when Malone and Payton showed up for a year.

In my eyes, he's just another aging NBA player who is trying to stretch the great life and stay in the bright spotlight the NBA has to offer. Guy needs to just shut his mouth and play ball.

Next Shaq

Throw it down big man, throw it down.

Remember when Shaq took down the entire backboard or shattered the glass with his monster dunks? The days of Shaw dominating down low and just being a nasty centre to guard, we have a new big superman, his name Dwight Howard.

Around the league and through the world of basketball people know him as the big dude who won the slam dunk competition two years ago. I am starting to think he is much more than just that. He is the new Shaq.

The way Shaq dominated down low when he was a member of the Magic is almost parallel to what Howard is doing right now. What changed everything for Shaq was the moment he found a guy to run with him, Kobe. If the Magic can find a way to throw a second legitimate running mate, preferably a guard, the NBA will see another duo dominate the league.

Everyday the news is about LeBron and how he is the next king of the NBA and how he is going to take ring after ring but no one has really mentioned Howard. This centre is legit and if a team, any team, is willing to sign a big time running mate for Dwight, fans around the world will be witness to a dynasty. Okay, I shouldn't use the word dynasty but just thinking about bringing in a Kobe type of player (yes, this is easier said than done) you could see the Magic start hanging banner after banner.

Having a big man down low that will scare opponents when they approach the lane and basically impose his will on the offensive end is half of a successful formula. The other half is, well, playing in the 2009 Western Conference final and had 20 cameras follow him around by a guy from Brooklyn.

Just wondering if the Magic's front office is thinking like me.

Kobe and Shaq

If the two stayed together in LA, Magic Johnson's prediction of 10 NBA titles didn't seem so far fetched.

Only if Happiness Prevailed

As the 2009 NBA All-star came and went, we had a chance to see how two great players could co-exist and bring each other to a level that could never have been reached individually.

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal brought the house down and garnered a co-MVP award. As they hoisted the trophy I had a glimpse of what could have been. Having the two share multiple NBA Championships and most likely Finals MVP awards, only if things didn't turn out the way it did.

This shows you how greed for money, power, and, for the ultimate prize of all, NBA Superstardom that only a few have ever achieved. Both egos were two big and it seemed that one could only prevail. It turned out that Kobe was the one that was left standing in LA and the Big Diesel was the odd man out. The move to Miami allowed Shaq to grab another ring for his finger and pad his bank account with even more zeros. Bryant was left in Laker land to bask in the sun and of course the great spotlight that only comes with big market NBA cities. Bryant has not tasted a victory in the NBA Finals but has come close.

Just imagine if Bryant and Shaq stayed together. I know, this is a topic that is over blown, over written, and basically over everything. But please, just take a second to reflect on what could have been. Shaq and Kobe, still Lakers, grabbing boards, throwin down dunks, and making fadeaways only Jordan could have made. As a Lake Show fan and supporter, I wonder what could have been.

Only if both Kobe and Shaq thought about the light at the end of the tunnel instead of their own personal endeavors maybe, just maybe, that All-Star MVP award could have been the Larry O'Brien Trohpy.

Is that something that would make you happy?

Free Throw≠Free

How is it possible that a professional basketball player can't make 60-70% of their shots from the charity stripe. You stand on a line that is only 4.5metres away from the backboard. If you feel too close you can take a step back. You stand alone with no defender in front of you. You can take your time. Position yourself as you feel fit. Plus you can shoot when you want to.

In the gym, I have nailed around 80-90% of my free throws. I tested my free throws out by going to the court for 7 straight days and took 100 shots everyday. I ended up with an 87 FT%.

Shaq deals with the crowd, exhaustion, and other factors I will never encounter like having a hand the size of a tennis racquet. But still, all he has to do everyday is practice basketball but he still finds it impossible to make more than 55% of his free throws (his career FT% is 52.5). I even went as far as testing my big hand small ball theory. I used a smaller basketball that I could easily palm and used a smaller rim size to compensate for the smaller ball and I still made 85% of my free throws. The inability to make free throws boggles my mind.

In my eyes, there is no excuse for shooting lower than 65% at the line.

Just imagine if Shaq had the ability to make FT's. In his prime, he would be unstoppable. Even going from his career avg of 52.5% to 65% would be a huge increase in wins for his team and points for his career. Factoring the changing defences and how they try to defend Shaq and his teammates, we might have seen Shaq produce championship rings year in and year out.

Shaq, only if you just figured a way to hit free throws.


Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com.

Lakers

The Lakers walked into the US Airways Center and beat the Suns by 13 points, 105-92. It seemed like another game and just another win for the potential NBA Champions but on this night they were playing against their old teammate and at times friend, Mr. Shaquille O'Neal.

After Shaq threw Kobe under the bus with his apparently funny free-style at a New York club during the summer, this was a contest that most highlighted on their calendars. Note, I found the rap to be a sad reminder of how far Shaq has fallen into his post dominating years in the NBA while seeing how far Kobe has come after losing a big man, overcoming the Colorado rape thing, and of course a Gold Medal draped around his neck.

As the Lakers just walked into the home of the Suns and walked out with yet another victory the story of former teammates, friends, and the face of a dynasty just seemed to bore me. Shaq is maturing, a little, by accepting his new role as a second scoring option behind Amare and realizing that his skills are not what they use to be. While Kobe seems to finally realize that his teammates are the ones that he needs to rely on to bring him a championship post Shaq. Kobe seems content with just leaving his selfish ways by taking fewer shots, passing out of double teams, and even taking the 30-35 minutes of court time with a smile.

The times have changed. Kobe, Shaq, and if you really want to add in the Zen Master himself, Phil Jackson, are finally on diverging paths with what I am completely happy with. The stories about the feuding trio was interesting but with all story lines they get old and worn out.

Looking back on the departure of Shaq to the Heat and how Shaq brought the Heat a championship, a partner in crime for Dywane Wade, and don't forget a last place finish I have always wondered what if. What if Shaq stayed in LA and found a way to mend the fences between the trio. What if Shaq stayed and dominated the paint in the Staples Center. Would the Lakers have one, two, or maybe even three more banners in the rafters. Well, we will never know but there is one thing I am 100% sure about now. There is only one person who has the chance to bring in one, two, three, four, and maybe even five banners.

Look no further than the cornerstone of the Lakers, Mr. Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers have the core of players that can potentially bring another dynasty to LA. Bryant has the opportunity to be apart of two different dynasty's in his NBA career. Bynum, Gasol, Odom, Ariza, Fisher, and of course Kobe (as a team) are the future of the NBA. With their tools and skills to absolutely dominate the West and the entire NBA for years to come other teams should be rightfully scared.

Kobe is only 30 and we all know that with health and medical advances Kobe could easily be raising the Larry O'Brien Trophy five times before he walks away from the NBA.

I am looking forward to watching the Lake Show in the near future.


Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com

Shaq Daddy

Here is another video from the NBA.




Come on, after watching this do you think Shaq deserved a flagrant foul? I sure don't think he deserved one. Rodney Stuckey is a small dude. Shaq is a big dude.

In the video it clearly shows Shaq jumping and trying to block the shot. He went for the ball and he ended up getting some arm which then resulted in Stuckey landing on the floor pretty heavily. From my perspective, Shaq even moved his body so he would avoid body contact and the only reason for the big collision or should I say pain to Stuckey is the fact that Shaq is a big dude.

Yes this is a foul but not a flagrant foul.

Nash Say Hello to The Floor

I guess screens aren't too welcome in the NBA anymore. That was a pretty cheap shot Barnes took on Alston though. A forearm to the chest or an elbow but a body-check? That was a little overboard.

But the funniest thing about this video was the fact little Canadian Steve Nash wandered into the shoving match and was introduced to the floor. Had a short laugh when I saw that.

Nash you know I have man love for you but it was pretty funny when you hit the deck.

Just another night in the NBA.


UPDATE: Suspensions to Barnes and Alston for 2 games while Nash received 1 game. Shaq and T-Mac both received fines.

Slowing Steve Nash and The Suns

Last year the Phoenix Suns made a trade for the Big Diesel after watching the Lakers grab Gasol for basically nothing and I still stand on the fact that it was a good deal. It wasn't a great deal but the Suns had to do something to respond plus the Suns needed an inside presence to compete against Duncan and of course the newly acquired Gasol.

The problem that is at hand now is the Suns have a new coach, Terry Porter who replaced Mike D'Antoni, who doesn't preach the "Shoot in 7 seconds" philosophy that D'Antoni imposed. (**Side note: I love the run and gun offense.**) Terry Porter is forcing the Suns to slow down and this makes no sense to me because this is ripping the skill right out of 2-time League MVP Steve Nash. Nash won those two MVP awards because he was running and dishing off to his teammates. Without the running and assists Nash is just another mediocre PG that is sort of replaceable.

Porter is trying to get the Suns to "get the best shot available" through moving the ball and not shooting recklessly. The more I hear and watch the Suns the more I see a group of guys who are just lost on the court. Let the Suns run!

Terry should bring down the tempo just a little but should not let the Steve Nash and his court vision go to waste. I propose the following.

1 - Let 2-time MVP run and use his vision
2 - Allow Shaq to throw his weight down low in the post on a few "off plays".
3 - Make sure Shaq realizes that he needs to be a defensive force and to take plays off when the Suns are running. Just chill big man!
4 - With Amare there in the mix the Suns should run and use his athletic ability.

Terry Porter, don't let Steve Nash and his vision go to waste. We all know that the Suns aren't true contenders for the Larry O'Brien Trophy but don't waste the talent that you have.


Picture Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports.