It Looks Like Someone Is Playing With the ESPN Trade Machine....

And that someone must be from the Heat organization. After congering up this deal, the Heat must have blackmailed the Suns because if Shaq is sent to Miami for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks someone with the Suns is feeling the squeeze. Or more likely this is windfall from the Lakers deal in which they netted Gasol. (Note to self: Talking about the Lakers in any sort of negative way brings Laker fans out of the woodwork.) That piece was more about my opinion on possible negative ramafications of the trade. Lets be honest it was a trade that any team would make, you just would have to, but I was more getting to the fact that Odom no longer becomes ideal and is in some ways a hinderance. Now if Trevor Ariza ends up starting that would make sense, while making Odom the best sixth man in the NBA. But I didn't make that claim due to the fact that I wouldn't really be sure how Odom would take to being on the bench. Also I did say that it was a favorable trade but one that wouldn't get the Lakers to the finals. Well now with this Shaq deal I may be proved dead wrong.

This week Western Conference teams seem to be making sure they can match the Lakers size by going big. Earlier this week Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson announced that when Chris Webber debuts Thursday he will be in the starting lineup. This means that the Warriors will be looking to slow down their offense a bit while Webber is in the game. Unless something happend since Webber last played, he isn't much of an up and down guy. I can't see Webber playing more than 25 minutes tonight probably due to being out of playing shape but even as the season progresses he probably will not get many more than that.

Now the Suns are looking to add Shaq and move Marion which frees up Amare Stoudemire to play PF. According to reports the Suns are looking merely for Shaq to play strong defense, and are not asking him to be an offensive force. Obviously the Suns will run more with the smaller lineup when Boris Diaw is on the floor and slow it down a bit with Shaq. I guess this deal in the mind of the Suns gives them the option of playing big, saves them about $1 million in salary this year, and rids Marion who was upset with the team this past off season. But with a game and a half lead in the West, I find it hard for the understand why this team would feel such an urgancy to make this deal.

The winners in this deal seem to be both players who have reported to be pleased with the move. Even Marcus Banks who fell out of favor now gets a fresh start. The Heat also look to be winners because they get a dynamic player in Shawn Marion who they could give an extention to or let go to free angency and wipe his salary from the books. As for the Suns, it remains to be seen when Shaq comes back, how healthy he is when he is back, and how this team can gel and adapt to a change in playing style. Maybe they will look to run 4 while Shaq is in, who knows, only time will tell.

This looks like it could be the beginning of the end for the run-n-gun era. West teams are going big to compete with the Lakers. And when it comes to analyzing the Lakers, I must be wrong because GM's in the West seem to be very, very worried about this team. Only time will tell, but the West playoffs will be as exciting as ever this year. Something that can't be said about the East.

(Side note: I don't get paid for this and purely do it for fun, I do welcome comments and criticisms though. I am no journalism major.... just a big sports fan. OH and Gauntlet III blog will be out tomorrow or late tonight. ENJOY!)