Well, Salsa- you got to admit, Marion could not have gone out in more spectacular fashion- a walk-off dunk.
I don't see how this is a good trade for either team. Both O'Neal and Marion have been career underachievers.
Is this a good trade for your Heat?
How so for Marion. Personally I can't figure out how he's scored so much with that shooting style of his. Looks like something out of the fifties.
ABSOLUTELY!! And in every sense too. They fill a void in the middle, they put Adonis Haslem at his natural position at PF, they FINALLY put Michael Beasley to start at his natural postion of SF...O'Neal's salary does NOT count against the salary cap, his contract expires at the end of THIS season and you got rid of the the point guard they got in the Marion trade. SO, all those they got for Shaq, are now gone. A DEFINATELY win for the HEAT.
ABSOLUTELY!! And in every sense too. They fill a void in the middle, they put Adonis Haslem at his natural position at PF, they FINALLY put Michael Beasley to start at his natural postion of SF...O'Neal's salary does NOT count against the salary cap, his contract expires at the end of THIS season and you got rid of the the point guard they got in the Marion trade. SO, all those they got for Shaq, are now gone. A DEFINATELY win for the HEAT.
Yeah, strictly from a standpoint of trading a forward for a center, it's a good trade.
You guys were in need of a true center and had a bevy of forwards. I can see why this makes sense. Talent wise though, O'Neal and Marion are a wash.
LOL!! I could never understand when people say that? ESPECIALLY when the players are traded to other teams where their role can be COMPLETELY different or when they stay on their respective teams, but management has decided to take a different approach to the future of their team.
With Marion, he went from being the NUMBER ONE scoring option, to the 3rd option. How is your production NOT GONNA DROP when you get less touches of the ball? He still has the same skills. Same apllies to O'Neal. He was THE #1 option for a very long time....then he became #3 in Toronto. Less touches, less production. And the argument that they are getting the same minutes does NOT apply because you can play the same amount of minutes, but less plays still run through you.
Nice analysis. We need more of that around here.
Fair enough, but just so you know, both players stats starting diminishing BEFORE they were traded to the Heat and Raptors from the Suns and Pacers.
Now MAYBE, if they get in the playoffs...they MAY get by the 1st round.
I'd rather have the lottery pick than a one and out.
Bill, speaking of the C's, I ask this:
How did the 2002 Celtics come within two games of making the NBA Finals?
For all the anticipation and joy over a Lakers/Celtics final, they could have met in 2002- in the final year the NBA was on NBC, no less!
You're giving up already?
Let me tell you about two teams that are proof that the playoffs are a different beast:
1999 Knicks- an eighth-seed that went all the way to the Finals
1995 Rockets- a sixth-seed that won the title
The NBA announced today that the NBA Finals MVP Award will now be known as the Bill Russell Award.
I think this is both awesome and appropriate. Russell is the ultimate winner in North American sports history! :up
Amen, brother! :up
Russ got very emotional when Stern announced this earlier today. The big guy just lost his wife a month ago, so this was a very poignant moment for him.
In true Bill Russell (who turned 75 yesterday) fashion, he gave his Celtics teammates all the credit.
No Russ, this is YOUR moment. MAYBE the Celtics would have won a couple of championships WITHOUT you. Maybe???
But they certainly wouldn't be one of the top three dynasties in the history of North American professional sports! :up
Take a bow, Russ.............you deserve it!!!