Some people are not happy with the Lakers trading Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol, and I don't even mean people in Memphis.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Greg Popovich went on the offensive Friday night, saying, "What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension. There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committe that oversees NBA trades. I'd like to elect myself to that committee. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade."

That sounds like fear to me. Without doubt, the Lakers went from "young, exciting up and comers" to legitimate title contenders. One more team in a packed western conference of groups hungry for a first ring. That's scary, especially for a Spurs team that in the last ten years has failed to repeat even once.

I would imagine that he would have negative things to say about the Shaq trade, too. Maybe everyone else is skeptical, but Popovich has seen his team crumble and choke time after time after time against Shaq led teams.

This really does sound like a weight lifter nervous about the extra weights his competitiors are racking on his bar.

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It's always a big trade when it involves such a huge person.

It looks like the Miami Heat are prepared to trade Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns for forward Shawn Marion and rarely used point guard Marcus Banks.


At first I panicked. Shaq is having the worst year of his career by far. Why would Phoenix want him? He's been injury prone lately, too, and has two more years on his contract after this season at $20 million apiece. Does this make sense?



There is a resounding no from the commercial media, the same media who predicted that Al Horford would be ROY, that the Chicago Bulls were title contenders and that Kobe really had no help on his team. There is a slight chance that they could be wrong.



But this time they could be right. Phoenix is the most notrious running team in the NBA and has been since Steve Nash showed up, so Shaq's mobility becomes key. Can he run with the team? Will he make up for the points and rebounds that Marion leaves behind? Will he be hurt?



All of this is merely speculation. But I do want to illustrate some history. In Vince Carter's last season with the Raptors, he was hurt all the time. He averaged 15ppg and sprained his ankle everytime the Raps lost a lead. He goes to NJ and suddenly he's doing 29 points every night to finish the season. Some people will say that a new environment breathes life into a player, but I'll be the realist and say that veterans don't want to play hard for a loser.



Baron Davis did the same thing in his last days with the Hornets. He began to have major ankle injuries all the time, and eventually was traded and forgotten. After his big playoff run this year, the casual fan would have assumed he was a new player because he was totally banished by the Hornets. Ray Allen had similarly "fragile ankles" when he was losing in Seattle, but in Boston, he has also been "rejuvinated."



So all I'm suggesting is that perhaps this trade will "rejuvinate" Shaq. Honestly, the guy has four titles and is 36 years old-- he's not going to hit the deck or even break a sweat for the team with the worst record in the NBA. But if he suddenly finds himself on the team with the Western Conference's best record, I'll bet he musters some energy for title numero 5.



People will say that he was brought in to guard Tim Duncan, or to match the Bynum/Gasol tandem in LA, but if Shaq isn't "rejuvinated" by this trade, then he, and the Suns title hopes are most likely washed up.



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