ItsTheBlog™

Just like that, two blockbuster trades go down.

First, the Lakers blow everyone away by dealing arguably their two worst players on the active roster in Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton for, who? None other than Pau Gasol, former All-Star Pau Gasol. Who saw that one coming? Nobody.

Lakers fans everywhere rejoiced even before they heard the part of the deal that sent Gasol to LA. "We're trading Kwame!?" I said, excited, without even knowing where he was headed. Then, ecstatic, "you got to be kidding me!"

Gasol brings the Lakers a legitimate big man who has the finesse to play on the outside. At 7'0", he'll be the twin tower to Andrew Bynum when the young kid returns, but he is comfortable enough playing outside of the key to give the kid some space on the block. But the real gem of this deal is its timing. Bynum's out. The Lakers need someone, anyone not named Kwame, on the block for the next several weeks. Enter Pau. I love it.

Then, last night, I think I wasn't alone when I say I dismissed the rumor of Shaq heading to the Suns as "not gonna happen." But, waking up this morning to find it a "done deal" pending a physical, I was astonished.

Some have suggested that this is a retalitory move by Phoenix. They were scared of the new and improved Lake Show. Isn't that awesome?

Whether that's really true, who knows? But, Marion had been rumored to be out for a while, just no one (this blogger included) thought any deal would go down. Shaq's Heat have been miserable, and while Phoenix leads the West at the moment, it was unclear whether locker room chemistry would last into the playoffs. So Steve Kerr pulled the trigger.

Shaq brings the Suns a beast down low, but this isn't the same Shaq that won NBA Championships in LA or Miami. This is a slow, methodical Shaq--perfectly contrary to the run'n'gun system of the Suns. Is that OK?

It could be. The Suns can run and run and run, and Shaq can stay back on defense. 2 on 1 breaks don't require the Diesel to run the floor. But, when the Suns are forced into the half-court set, they'll be fortunate to have 7'1", 320 (330? 340? more?) down low to bang.

Does it help the Suns in sum? Unclear. With Marion, they risked a player who would walk at the end of the year, being that he was already unhappy. With that, Kerr saw the opportunity to bring in a beast, and give the Suns a shot to win now. Some say Shaq's already has his last run at the title, but it would seem clear that if he hasn't already had it, he doesn't have much time left.

I like the move. It's worth a shot. The Suns are the perennial overachieving regular season team and the perennial underachieving post-season team. Maybe some Shaq can help.

That is, if Pau, Kobe, and the new look Lakers don't get in the way.

Labels: basketball, Kevdog, Kobe, Lakers, miami heat, NBA, Pau Gasol, phoenix suns, shaq