Monday, February 11, 2008

The Shaq Era

The history of the NBA can be divided into distinct eras. There was the Celtic’s Dynasty of the 50’s and 60’s. The ABA revolt of the 70’s, during which no team or player dominated. The eighties were defined by Magic vs. Bird. And then there was his Airness, whose power was so great the NBA is still trying to recover from his absence. So what force has controlled the Landscape since MJ’s departure?

Shaq.

He was the diesel engine that powered the Lakers to the only Jordan-less Threepeat in 4 decades. This team was so good the nation cheered when the boring ass pistons beat them. The only other team to win besides those Pistons, the Spurs and Shaq’s Lakers: Shaq’s Heat. Even looking back to when Jordan took a break, the year he came back he lost to the Magic, who Shaq dragged to the finals.

He’s led 3 different teams to 6 finals, winning 4. Is it so crazy to believe he can do it with a fourth?

There is a very clear slope of how dependant the team has been on Shaq over his career (apparently blogs don't support excel charts that measure Shaqosity. Picture shaqs line sloping down and his sidekick's sloping up). Just look at his wingman. He made a Penny valuable enough to have a Lil Penny voiced by Chris Rock. How many endorsements has he gotten since Shaq moved to Tinsel Town? Kobe was an upgrade, but Kobe wasn’t the player he is now back in 2000. That was Shaq’s team. Big Aristotle gave Kobe the cushion to develop into the best player in the league, picking up 3 rings along the way. By the time he moved back to the beach Shaq was ready to pass the reigns to someone else, and D Wade was the right player to give them too. This was Wade’s team, but Wade doesn’t become Wade without Shaq.

Now he gets to go to the Desert and play alongside a full grown star for the first time in his career. Instead of Shaq making his teammates better, Nash will make Shaq better. I know, he’s too old. He was too old when he left LA, too. Ok, now he’s REALLY too old, and injured. Phoenix has one of the best training staffs in sports. If they can fix Grant Hill’s ankle, they can squeeze half a season out of O’Neal.

Shaq can’t play in Phoenix’s perpetual fast break offense. He doesn’t have to. Nash and the speedsters can run up the court when it’s there and when it’s not now they can actually score in a half court offense. Forget about what the Suns were for a minute. Out of the contenders in the West, what point guard is better than Nash? What frontcourt is better than Amare and Shaq? Gasol-Bynum? Duncan-Umberto? Now throw in Bell, Diaw, Barbosa, and Hill. Sounds like a Championship caliber squad to me.

There are a lot of good teams this year and it’s hard to name a favorite. I’m just not ready to say the Sun has set on the Shaq Era. Never doubt the heart of a Champion, and never tell a 350 pound Champion he can’t do something.

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