Suns vs Lakers Shaq's debut

[duckhuntersc]

about 3 minutes in Shaq needs a sub, he is going to have to get into better shape to play at the Suns pace. Whats really going to help the Suns is Shaq demands a double team down low, and the Suns have some shooters. I can also see Shaq having Gasol in foul trouble before this game is over.

[CoverTwo]

Once Shaq gets his legs back, he will be fine.

[duckhuntersc]

Once Shaq gets his legs back, he will be fine.The only question is will he ever get them back? 15 years of pro basketball will do a lot of damage... even worse if your a 300+ lb man. There has been a lot of stress on his body during his career. I was watching him earlier, he fell down and looked like an old fat guy having to use both arms to push himself back up, and that was in the first minute of the game. I hope im wrong, because i would love to see Shaq turns the Suns into a contender, but i just dont see it happening.

[crowcutta]

shaq is done, lakers would have close to a double digit lead if it wasnt for that bum mbenga. nash and kobe both off to great shooting starts, i'd like to see the lakers force nash to drive rather than giving him jumpshots

[Gyle41386]

Once Shaq gets his legs back, he will be fine.

When was the last time Shaq had his legs? I seem to remember him spending a lot of time on the bench while Alonzo Mourning dominated the paint against the Mavericks in the Finals a couple of years ago.

Shaq is one of my all-time favorites, but I just don't see it.

[crowcutta]

8 point lead for the lakers at the half, 65-57

[Gearhead]

SHAQ is killing them on the defensive end....

[crowcutta]

shaq can still be a presence in the middle and make shots more difficult for penetrators into the lane but teams are gonna screen and roll him all day ending in open looks and easy buckets

[Regalcock]

You have gotta rest him a lot and run and gun when he is on the bench.

When he comes in play half court, only run if they turn it over. He will get his legs back in a few weeks I bet.

[crowcutta]

great game if you're still up, kobe with a goaltend on a shaq baby hook and then shaq proceeds to sprint up the floor, comical

[Gyle41386]

Shaq is one of my all-time favorites, but he's not going to be able to log the necessary minutes to be a force like some people seem to think he will be. He played a lot tonight, but in spurts of 4 or 5 minutes. Someone on ESPN, I can't remember who, made a comment about Shaq "leading" the Suns to a title. Absolutely not. He's adapting to the Suns, not leading them. He's going to make Amare Stoudemire's life much easier because he commands multiple defenders in the paint, as you guys saw tonight. If he's supposed to be the defensive presence the Suns needed to win a title, they might be in serious trouble since the Bynum-less Lakers dropped 130 on them. Raja Bell got destroyed by Kobe on the defensive end, and then got destroyed by an inadvertant Shaq elbow on a Kobe layup. DJ Strawberry was brought in to D up Kobe and couldn't do it.

The Suns have matched up with the Lakers in the playoffs the last two years and sent them packing in seven. They better hope they don't meet up with LA this year, or in the next several years. The Lakers proved tonight that they can beat the Suns at their own game, and won the season series 3-1. When Bynum comes back, the front line will get stronger. Shaq looked good throwing down on Pau Gasol, but Pau is a finesse player and a threat only on the offensive end that routinely gave up big numbers to opposing big men while he was in Memphis. I'm very excited to see how Shaq plays against all the post players in the West and how much better Amare plays

Great game that lived up to the hype. The Suns should be encouraged by Shaq, but they've got to demand more out of him. Tonight was about as easy as it will get for him in the paint.

[Regalcock]

Shaq is one of my all-time favorites, but he's not going to be able to log the necessary minutes to be a force like some people seem to think he will be. He played a lot tonight, but in spurts of 4 or 5 minutes. Someone on ESPN, I can't remember who, made a comment about Shaq "leading" the Suns to a title. Absolutely not. He's adapting to the Suns, not leading them. He's going to make Amare Stoudemire's life much easier because he commands multiple defenders in the paint, as you guys saw tonight. If he's supposed to be the defensive presence the Suns needed to win a title, they might be in serious trouble since the Bynum-less Lakers dropped 130 on them. Raja Bell got destroyed by Kobe on the defensive end, and then got destroyed by an inadvertant Shaq elbow on a Kobe layup. DJ Strawberry was brought in to D up Kobe and couldn't do it.

The Suns have matched up with the Lakers in the playoffs the last two years and sent them packing in seven. They better hope they don't meet up with LA this year, or in the next several years. The Lakers proved tonight that they can beat the Suns at their own game, and won the season series 3-1. When Bynum comes back, the front line will get stronger. Shaq looked good throwing down on Pau Gasol, but Pau is a finesse player and a threat only on the offensive end that routinely gave up big numbers to opposing big men while he was in Memphis. I'm very excited to see how Shaq plays against all the post players in the West and how much better Amare plays

Great game that lived up to the hype. The Suns should be encouraged by Shaq, but they've got to demand more out of him. Tonight was about as easy as it will get for him in the paint.

I just had to say great post Gyle. You summed it up the same way I see it. pts.:spurrier:

[Mecklenburg Cock]

great game if you're still up, kobe with a goaltend on a shaq baby hook and then shaq proceeds to sprint up the floor, comical

I saw that. Pretty funny!

Shaq looked lost in the 1st half but seemed to get more comfortable in the 2nd half.

[USCbaseballguy]

What was the final to it?

[Regalcock]

What was the final to it?

130-124 Lakers

Boo!:thumbs:

[USCbaseballguy]

130-124 Lakers

Boo!:thumbs: Gah do they even play defense anymore in the NBA? Dang thats alot of points.

[Regalcock]

Gah do they even play defense anymore in the NBA? Dang thats alot of points.

You could tell Shaq helped and hurt them on o and d last night. They are going to have to develop some better chemistry. Their floor spacing at both ends was erratic to say the least. And then Shaq knocked out his own man Bell with an elbow that would have put me in a coma.lol

If Nash would have been ON at the end of the game the Suns might have pulled it out though.

[CoverTwo]

The end of the game was awesome IMO.

Shaq really started rolling in the 4th..I think its just going to take a few games for them to get on the same page but you're going to see a lot of Nash to Shaq the rest of the season..I'm excited for Shaq because he seems to be more motivated than ever. I hope he can get Phoenix a ring.

Oh, and Pau Gasol is a BEAST.

[FinchMcCrunkNasty]

Absolutely amazing game. I love the NBA and hopefully some more people will start realizing how good it really is.

[Gyle41386]

The end of the game was awesome IMO.

Shaq really started rolling in the 4th..I think its just going to take a few games for them to get on the same page but you're going to see a lot of Nash to Shaq the rest of the season..I'm excited for Shaq because he seems to be more motivated than ever. I hope he can get Phoenix a ring.

Oh, and Pau Gasol is a BEAST.

Pau worried me a bit early on...he got multiple good looks very early in the first but could not connect. I figured what Phoenix would do is use Shaq to pressure him and get him out of a rhythm, let Shaq rest, then bring Shaq back in as Gasol started to regain his touch. Pau's main strength in that matchup was his ability to run the floor really well. He's got great touch for a big man, so every bit of seperation he could get from a bruiser like Shaq helped. He played really well on the offensive end, not so much on defense, but Pau has always been the kind of player that opposing big men dominated. He just has to hold his own for another month or so until Andrew Bynum comes back.

Shaq's biggest impact for the Suns is going to be on the offensive glass. Any scoring he is able to provide is a bonus, because there's always going to be at least two bodies on him in the paint, opening the door up for Stoudemire or Diaw to get the offensive rebound. Shaq commands attention, and the other bigs in Phoenix will reap the benefits of that.

[acejrock]

Absolutely amazing game. I love the NBA and hopefully some more people will start realizing how good it really is.

agreed. especially the second half of the season and the playoffs.

[Regalcock]

Also Shaq just being in the lane on the offensive side helps his drivers to the basket. He takes up so much space the defenders have a hard time getting to the ball handler.

The Lakers are for real now. Gasol, Bynum, and Odom will come off the bench probably. That will really help Kobe and it stinks for me I am a Laker Hater from back in the day.

[Jrobyan]

Kobe Bryant is amazing

[Gyle41386]

Also Shaq just being in the lane on the offensive side helps his drivers to the basket. He takes up so much space the defenders have a hard time getting to the ball handler.

The Lakers are for real now. Gasol, Bynum, and Odom will come off the bench probably. That will really help Kobe and it stinks for me I am a Laker Hater from back in the day.

Absolutely...Shaq sets amazing picks just by being Shaq.

The Lakers are definitely for real. Bringing back Derek Fisher in the offseason is probably the most underrated front office move in the NBA over the past year. The Lakers now own the tiebreaker with the Suns in the division, so they just need to hold on and secure home court. Easier said than done, because only about 6 losses seperate the top 9 teams out West.

[CoverTwo]

No way Lamar Odom comes off the bench.

Fisher, Kobe, Odom, Gasol, and Bynum will be the starting 5 with Luke Walton moving to the bench.