Shaq...

[Covert Rain]

^Its not that Shaq made it so the Suns couldnt score in the paint, obviously thats where Shaq scored, it just made it different. With Shaq in if the Suns ran the Nash/Amare P&R Amare would 'roll' right into Shaq thus making it less effective. Or Shaqs man could come over to guard Amare and Amare would have to be lighting quick to dump it to an open Shaq. It works better if you have a big like KT or Big Z who can pop out to the elbow or baseline 10-15 feet, get out of the 'rollers' way and keep his own defender honest. Back in the Stockton/Malone days they always had another big like Ostertag who could step out a few feet and shoot.

The only thing though is that then your giving up easy buckets (flip ins, dunks) for slashing plays to the bucket or quick pops from 15. To me all your really doing is giving up one for the other. I would rather have the play around the bucket personally. The problem with the Suns wasn't that we could not fill it up. We just couldn't stop others from filling it up on the opposite end of the court. When Shaq went to the bench...the opposing teams scoring sky rocketed.

I hope these first 3 games are not an indication of how this season will go. This team is already 8th worst in the NBA at Opposing Points per game, 10th worst at Opposing FG% and 17th in the NBA at scoring points in the paint.

So basically we have traded away interior play for perimeter play for the sake of unclogging the lane because unclogging the lane has not produced more paint points so far.....its less.

 

[Superbone]

I hope these first 3 games are not an indication of how this season will go.

Yeah, 82-0 would be terrible.

 

[devilalum]

Shaqatros

 

[Covert Rain]

Yeah, 82-0 would be terrible.

If you had read my post, I was referring to defense. Because we all know how unimportant that is come playoff time right? We all know the Suns have historically gotten the defensive stops they needed to get to the finals right?

 

[JCSunsfan]

Shaqatros

Looks like his wife agrees.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4642307

 

[elindholm]

Va'Shaundya??? Seriously?

 

[Bufalay]

Va'Shaundya??? Seriously?

I forget his name, but I believe her husband's name is equally unusual.