The Big Aristotle, as he was properly introduced on the JumboTron, debut with 15 points, nine rebounds, and three assists for the Phoenix Suns.
Not bad, not great, definitely not Big Arisotle-esque.
After hearing a week’s worth of NBA analysts try to construct a tangible explanation for Shaq’s intangible presence, I finally had the opportunity to watch the Diesel with his new team. Moreover, I thought Shaq was surprisingly effective – on offense.
His stat line was far from amazing, but as ESPN’s Tim Legler addressed ad nauseam, the presence of Shaq’s 330-pound frame occupied as many as three Lakers bodies at one time. Allowing the Suns’ Amare Stoudemire to do what he does best: slash to the rim. Stoudemire finished with 37 points and 15 rebounds. More importantly, six of those rebounds were on the offensive end, which led to easy buckets for the Suns and Stoudemire.
O’Neal’s size and strength demands a box-out (a lost art in today’s NBA) from his defender, and sometimes from multiple defenders. While Pau Gasol and various Lakers’ big men attempted to keep Shaq off the boards and out the paint, Amare roamed free for several uncontested dunk and put-backs.
Other Suns benefitted as well, as the team shot 51.6% from the field.
Another offensive stat in which Shaq influenced was free throws. The Suns are a great free throw shooting team and although the Big Aristotle isn’t educated on the science of converting them, he shoots from the charity stripe quite often. That’s because teams prefer their 50/50 odds with the big fellow at the line rather than surrendering a dunk, a logical approach to defending O’Neal. The more teams hack Shaq, however, the quicker they allow the Suns to shoot the bonus.
For instance, Steve Nash shot eight free throws last night against the Los Angeles Lakers, making seven of those attempts. Nash usually only shoots about three free throws a game while the Suns, as a team, merely attempt 22 per contest, sixth worst in the NBA.
Shaq allows more free throw opportunities for the Suns. I don’t think the Suns will become a more prolific scoring team because of this, but they will become more efficient.
If Shaq can continue to draw fouls during the playoff, at the end of games teams will play less aggressive for fear of sending players like Nash, Stoudemire, and Grant Hill to the free throw line, resulting in more open shots and easy lay-ups.
Defensively, well that was a different story.
According to Steve Kerr, the reason in which the Suns traded for Shaq was to be a defensive presence. Well, he was a presence, he’ll always be a presence at 330 pounds, but I thought his impact of defense was more negative than positive.
The most glaring and fair criticism of the Shaq is his inability to run the court. This doesn’t affect the Suns offensively because they don’t need him to sprint down the sideline and finish. That job belongs to Leandro Barbosa, Hill, and Stoudemire. On defense, however, Pau Gasol was the beneficiary of many easy baskets, including an and-1 dunk late in the game that sealed the Lakers victory, because Shaq couldn’t keep up.
After watching last night’s game, I believe the Suns have improved their team – in a half-court setting. With the acquisition of Shaq, however, they are the worst transitional defensive team currently in playoff contention. One of Marion’s strongest assets was defense, specifically, in the open court. I’m afraid that the Diesel won’t have enough gas to keep pace with opposing teams’ big men.
And unfortunately for the aging Suns, I don’t see this group of players ever winning a championship.
By Matt Martino
not a bad pickup by me in fantasy league either. those numbers will improve, but he needs to stop diving around if he wants to avoid injury. he almost broke both pau’s legs on one play, put a referee in danger on another, and then he goes and rings raja’s bell and takes him out of the game with some shaq fu. he’s being a little too reckless for just coming off the IR.
Makes you wonder how hurt he really was.
or how much inside information i really had.