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MeirToTheWise · 02-23-2008, 09:45 PM

Too Early To See A Shaq Effect In Phoenix?

The following is the firs part of it by Tim Legler. To see the other nine parts of the Sunday Dime just click on the link above.

Enjoy ^_^

Quote:

Shaq's Impact Deeper Than Personal Numbers

When the Phoenix Suns host the visiting Detroit Pistons (ABC, 2:30 p.m. ET) it will be the Suns' third game with their big addition from the trade deadline.

The ultimate success or failure of the Shaquille O'Neal experiment in Phoenix will not be determined until the postseason plays itself out. The Suns came to the conclusion that they needed to dramatically address the physical prowess of their front line in order to contend with the size of the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers in order win a championship. The dice have been rolled and now the NBA has to wait to see what number comes up. It is too early to tell if it's a lucky seven or snake eyes, but Shaq's first two games have given an indication that he will have a significant impact.

The biggest beneficiary of Shaq's arrival has undoubtedly been Amare Stoudemire. The irony of it is that the paint has gotten significantly more crowded with Shaq on the floor, but Stoudemire has more freedom than ever to use his athleticism without being hampered with having to bang with the big boys on the block and the glass. Shaq is a gravitational force that occupies extra bodies and leaves some unfortunate power forward with the unenviable task of being locked in a one-on-one battle with Stoudemire, the game's most athletic front court player not named Dwight Howard. The key to Amare's success as the Suns move forward is whether he will be able to maintain the effort and motivation that he needs to be dominant every night. The opportunity will be there with Shaq absorbing the physical pounding that limited Stoudemire's ability to control the paint. He must take advantage of it and put up MVP type numbers the rest of the way.

Shaq has also directly affected the Suns' ability to control their defensive backboard. His 14 rebounds against the Celtics enabled Phoenix to dominate the glass and limit Boston to one shot down the stretch of a tight game. One of the reasons the Suns have failed in the postseason in prior years has been their inability to get critical defensive rebounds on key possessions. Granted, it is a valid point that the Suns lost 11 boards a night by losing Shawn Marion, but a lot of his boards were gathered on long rebounds where he used his quickness and athleticism. Shaq will get the tough boards in traffic against bigger front lines. His addition means the Suns know they can match up physically with any team when the game slows down. The importance of the confidence they gain from having the sheer power of Shaq on their side cannot be overstated.

Shaq has also shown that he can still be a legitimate low-post offensive option if he gets single coverage. His late game offensive burst versus the Lakers gave the Suns a crunch time option they have lacked in the past. Shaq is not a 20-point scorer at this stage of his career but he can still effectively draw fouls and double teams if he gets deep position. Remember, the foul he draws have more of an impact than sending a 40 percent foul shooter to the line. It also gets the Suns in the penalty sooner and that makes it a lot tougher to defend Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa, and Grant Hill on the perimeter and Stoudemire in the paint.

Another early benefit to the Suns has been Shaq's supreme confidence that this team can win a title. It's one thing to have your team leaders say that you can win when they have never even been to the Finals. It's quite another to have a guy with 4 rings go out in front of the world and say he expects to win one this year. The Suns needed that kind of optimism, strength and downright arrogance. Everything Shaq has said about Amare, Nash, and the Suns title hopes has been exactly what a finesse team needs as they head toward the playoffs. It's called leadership and it carries a lot more weight when it comes from one of the most dominant forces the game has ever seen.

Finally, the Phoenix Suns have proven that they will not be slowed down to an extent that changes their identity. Yes, they will wait for the big fella when the early offense isn't there but they will continue to play the same style that has been a proven regular season winner for three and a half years. The difference is that now they can be more effective when the game ultimately dictates that a slower tempo will be played for stretches. That's what Steve Kerr is counting on. That's why you roll the dice.

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