Shaquille O'Neal Needs to Stop Criticizing Dwight Howard

Shaq needs to stop poking Superman.

The Los Angeles Lakers are fighting for a playoff spot, and they put together an inspiring victory over the Dallas Mavericks on April 2. Kobe Bryant led the team with a triple-double and the Lakers won convincingly by a score of 101-81.

This should be the story.

Instead, the news also includes the latest Shaquille O’Neal jab that was directed at Dwight Howard. In an article on ESPN, O’Neal suggests that “"The other guy needs to step into his own."

The identity of “the other guy” is not hard to deduce.

Obviously this is part of O’Neal’s career now. He was hired to be an analyst on TNT, and his job is to express opinions that will be interesting enough to entice an audience. Criticism is part of that analysis.

Unfortunately, this feels a bit personal.

Shaq went on to say this:

"

"I would like to see him average 28 (points) and 10 (rebounds)," O'Neal said. "That's the number that was thrown in my face, 28 and 10, so that's the number I'm always going to throw in his face."

"

The question is what Howard’s performance has to do with Shaq. Where did the 28 and 10 numbers come from? If Howard averaged these numbers throughout the season, would O’Neal start to deliver praise on a regular basis?

Howard may be capable of those numbers, but is that his role with this current roster? Perhaps when Kobe retires Howard could produce those statistics as the first option on offense. However, he is currently playing on a team where the offense is not always going to flow through him.

The reality is that Shaq and Dwight are different players. They have different personalities and varied strengths. Howard is probably never going to be the offensive force that O’Neal was in his prime. However, Howard is arguably a better defender and much more motivated on the defensive end of the floor.

In many ways, it could be argued that Shaq benefited greatly from his pure, raw physical gifts. This isn’t to say that he did not put forth any effort on the floor, but it isn’t hard to argue that O’Neal could have been even better.

O’Neal is also a guy who, despite his great accomplishments, was critiqued throughout his career for lack of effort (via The Los Angeles Times), particularly in the offseason. In some years, O’Neal seemed more concerned with other interests rather than staying in peak shape or working on his free throws.

When a player has success, it is easy for them to point at those accomplishments and suggest that others can do the same thing if they put forth the proper effort. There is some value in that perspective, but every team is different.

What is Shaq afraid of in regards to Dwight Howard? Is he afraid that Howard will steal some of Shaq’s legacy with the Lakers? Is O’Neal afraid that the Diesel will be forgotten? Realistically, O’Neal will always be remembered, but every new generation forgets something about the NBA past.

Perhaps Shaq believes that his critiquing will somehow motivate Dwight to play harder on the court. O’Neal wouldn’t be the first person to employ criticism as a means of encouragement. Still, one has to wonder if Shaq is the best person to be delivering this message.

Will O’Neal keep poking at Howard? Probably. Until Superman wins his own ring, Shaq will always be able to hold that over him. Whether O’Neal could have won titles without a running mate like Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade is debatable. However, Shaq has his rings, and Dwight does not.

Ultimately, these are guys with sizeable egos, and getting along is not necessarily in their nature. The “rivalry” between O’Neal and Howard might continue, and Shaq may be the one who adds the most fuel to the fire.   

Shaq needs to move on.

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