(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

In a blockbuster deal for the Cleveland Cavaliers they have acquired future hall of fame center Shaquille O’Neal from the Phoenix Suns. The Suns have agreed to send Shaq to the Cavaliers for Ben Wallace ($14 million dollar expiring contract, potential buyout), Sasha Pavlovich ($4,950,000 non guaranteed expiring contract), the Cavs second round pick, and $500,000.


Shaquille O’Neal played about a season and a half with the Suns and completely re-vitalized his career. He put up his best numbers in years and stayed healthier than he has been able to the few previous seasons. However this only looked good from the outside. He sat out most double-header games last season and in interviews referred to his lack of touches and what he could do for the team if they work the offense through him.


The first day that Shaq was introduced as a Sun he stood up and pointed to his ring finger insinuating that he was bring a title to Phoenix, but with his short stint with the Suns, it is clear that Shaq could not deliver.


Many fans were very bitter about the original trade that brought in Shaq for Shawn Marion two seasons ago. Marion was a fan favorite and crucial piece to the Suns success due to his defensive ability and athleticism.  The Suns franchise hoped that the Shaq trade would bring in the missing piece and finally allow them to get past the San Antonio Spurs and compete for a title. As we all know this deal did not work out exactly the way the team had hoped, and instead put an end to an exciting style of play called the “run and gun”. It brought the offense to a stand still and did nothing but clog up the middle for Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. It actually made the Suns worse defensively because of Shaq’s slow speed. He is completely unable to guard the pick and roll not to mention the hack-a-Shaq routine where he would repeatedly go to the free throw line and miss his shots. This created many changes of possession for the Suns that really hurt them down the stretch.


The next question is how does this trade make Cleveland better? Sure you have a great potential story line for next playoffs with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. LeBron James and Shaq. Can’t you see all the commercials and media endorsements that will come from this? David Stern probably had a side deal with Sarver for this one.


What Cleveland has failed to realize is that this is not a good deal for their team. Sure it gives them a much stronger inside presence and a tough guy that can foul the @#$ out of anyone who drives to the basket. But it makes them a much less effective defensive team in guarding the pick in roll or guarding any center that can spread the floor. One of the great things the Cavaliers had working for them was their chemistry. With Zydrunas Ilgauskas the current starting center, the Cavs can spread the floor to make room for LeBron James to take his defender to the rim. Big Z could stand out about 20 feet, wait for James to hit him with the pass and drop the jump shot. Do you see Shaq hitting 20-foot jump shots for this team? I sure don’t.

He will create a dominant post up presence but do the Cavs really need that? Isn’t James a better post player than Shaq? What small forward can guard James posting up on them? There will also be the issue of whose team is it? Even with LeBron James as MVP of the league, on his

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