The Western Conference is by far the superior conference in the NBA, and it continues to get better. With all the teams possessing near-identical records, the West has looked to the East to grab some players that will help their squads make a final playoff push.
Even though the Jason Kidd trade has had its fair share of headlines, the return of Shaq to the Western Conference has everyone keeping their eyes on Phoenix.
And how can you blame them? The "Big Diesel" has literally been the face of the NBA for the past 10 years. Not only has he dominated the game with his physical play, but he has also been one of the most entertaining players in the past decade. This has made him hard to hate.
But even the biggest of Shaq fans must admit that his time is winding down. He is a much slower, less physical version of the big guy that was once known as Kazaam. His stats have steadily declined and he can't take over a game like he once did when with the Lakers.
Even with this, Shaq has found another chance to capture a NBA title. The Phoenix Suns are one of the most fun teams to watch. With Steve Nash running the team, the Suns are almost guaranteed to score 100 points every game. The last couple of seasons, they have been unable to reach the NBA Finals because of their lack of defense. They knew this year would be no different unless they made a change.
This is where Shaquille comes in. The Suns had to deal a great player in Shawn Marion to acquire the Diesel, but teams should be willing to do anything for NBA championship. General manager Steve Kerr and the Phoenix staff knew they would be unable to grab a championship with the squad they had, so they took a risk.
While in Miami, Shaq might have been a little down. He was not really encouraged to work hard for a team that was flirting with finishing last in the atrocious Eastern Conference. He has been sitting out with injuries with no hurry to comeback and help his team.
The trade has given Shaq a rebirth. He has been working hard to get back in shape so that he will be able to run with the Suns. The fact that he is once again on a contending team has lifted his spirits. He has said that he is the happiest he has been in a while. I believe a happy Shaq equals a much better Shaq.
The fact that the Lakers are only one game behind the Pacific Division-leading Suns might also encourage O'Neal to work harder. Remember all of those fights between Kobe and Shaq? The rivalry may have just been renewed. Nothing would make the big guy happier than beating Kobe.
Shaq can provide this team with veteran leadership. As a player that has won four NBA Finals, Shaq knows how to take a team to a championship. Even though that won't be his job in Phoenix, he can teach players like Amare Stoudamire and Steve Nash how to prepare for the playoffs and the finals.
O'Neal can also be an important role player for the Suns. Last night against the Lakers, he showed that he can still play. He totaled 15 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes. The Suns' frontline might not be better than the Lakers' duo of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum (when he gets back), but you could do a lot worse than having Shaq and Stoudamire up front.
With the "Big Aristotle" now at center, Stoudamire can physically dominate most power forwards in the NBA. This was made evident by his 37 points and 15 rebounds last night. Shaq can still intimidate most big men in the league and Stoudamire is a proven shot-blocker. Teams will find it a bit harder to score in the paint against the Suns.
There have been a lot of concerns with how Shaq will handle being on a team that loves to run. Shaq's role with the Suns is pretty clear. He just needs to bang around, get rebounds, and make sure he outlets the ball to Steve Nash so he can do his thing. On the rare occasion where the Suns have to run their half-court offense, the Suns can now dump it down to Shaq and let him work his magic.
With all of the additions in the Western Conference, the second half of the season will be something to watch. The Lakers seem to be the front-runner, but the addition of Shaq to the Suns will help them make sure they stay in contention for the Pacific Division and, most importantly, a championship.
Ladies and gentlemen, the NBA is back.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
