an article by Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune
linkage...
Shaq, anyone?
Yes, Shaquille O'Neal is the 800-pound elephant in the room. No one really wants to talk about it, but the Heat's main issue is the decline of O'Neal with three years left on his contract at $20 million per season.
Heat coach Pat Riley in his post-series comments said he was to blame for what he called the "pervasive" attitude of the veterans that the team could turn it on at any time. Hmm, wonder whom he meant. Riley said it would have been "a mockery" if the Heat had defeated the Bulls.
"It would have sent the wrong message. We didn't do anything the right way this year," Riley said. Then he added: "If he wants to give back $10 million and play half the season, fine." Wonder again whom he meant.
Miami insiders said not only was O'Neal indifferent to the regular season, as usual, and this time had knee surgery, but he'd even go so far as to tell teammates not to bother with defense, apparently to not make his own indifference look bad. The Heat's options seem limited with a huge payroll, and O'Neal remains a popular figure fans pay to see. But they don't pay to see Miami lose like it did.
Have they had enough?
Despite O'Neal's presence and reputation, he'll turn 36 next season. Frankly, it's difficult to see many teams that would even take a chance on him.
And then there is Dallas, which is where Shaq wanted to go when he was breaking up with the Lakers.
In losing to the Warriors in the first round, it seemed clear what the Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki most needed was someone to take the pressure off. Could Shaq be that guy?
Mavs owner Mark Cuban said they are not panicking or breaking up the team, but time will tell. Miami needs a major overhaul. Would Dallas panic and take a last shot with Shaq? Maybe for Erick Dampier, Devin Harris and a sign-and-trade with Jerry Stackhouse to give the Heat some life again? It does seem farfetched. But it has been a half-century since both finalists from the previous year went out in the first round. And it didn't look like either could win.
Nowitzki's fold against the Warriors brought to mind David Robinson in 1995. He was the MVP that season and accepted his award as he was being dominated in the conference finals by Hakeem Olajuwon. The Spurs began to fade after that with Robinson a year older than Nowitzki is now. The label of being soft and unable to come up big and finish began to stick to Robinson until Duncan came along and Robinson settled into an ancillary role and got two championships. You figure Nowitzki needs someone like that. Shaq?
Remember Garnett?
Or what about my deal from two years ago? I thought I was way ahead of the curve on this one, and if the Mavs could have closed Game 3 of the Finals last year we'd never be talking about it. Seeing the Mavs then as an offensive team that couldn't win, I suggested a Nowitzki-for-Kevin Garnett swap. Nowitzki soon will be named the league's MVP. The general sentiment in Dallas is he has to go. The Dallas Morning News reported there were two fans at the airport when the Mavs' plane arrived from Oakland.
The general consensus is that the Lakers, with Kobe Bryant apoplectic about change (and I can't blame him), will make a big-time play for Garnett, who lives in Malibu and is friendly with Bryant. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak seemed to concede prospect Andrew Bynum and everyone else but Bryant is available, though friends of Garnett insist he won't seek a trade and the Timberwolves, losing millions, will keep him and then save his salary if he leaves.
"Do something and do it now," said Bryant, who is an old 28, having come in as a teenager and having played in 131 playoff games (Michael Jordan had played in 70 playoff games at the same age). "We are going on three years of still being on ground zero. When I re-signed here, they promised they would build a contender and build a contender now. I don't want to have to wait anymore."
Option B is said to be Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal. But sources say O'Neal already has told the Pacers he wants to be traded to the Knicks and former Pacers coach and close friend Isiah Thomas. Would the Pacers take Stephon Marbury or maybe a package with Steve Francis, Jared Jeffries and Channing Frye and the Bulls' first-round pick, which the Knicks own in the swap?
And would Minnesota now swap Garnett for Nowitzki? That would give Dallas the tough guy they feel they need after shriveling up for the Warriors, and it would give the Timberwolves a star and a good guy.
If the Lakers fail, Bryant has an opt-out after the 2008-09 season and the Bulls could be well under the salary cap by then.
Bryant told me he was serious about going to the Bulls before he re-signed with the Lakers, and highly regards the Bulls' organization and the way the team is being built. He's one player who has no fear of stepping into the Jordan legacy. In fact, he'd likely embrace it.
"I hate to even think about me going someplace else," Bryant said.
But he could, if all else fails.
