I think if it was anyone besides Yao, Shaq wouldn't stand for it. But they have so much mutual respect, Yao is constantly giving Shaq his props and Shaq has had a lot of good things to say about Yao the past few years since he kind of sees the two of them as a dying breed of low-post centers. Also Shaq is getting up in years and limiting his minutes to 18-20 could lengthen his career by a few seasons. Not to mention that if this crazy plan does work out and the Rox can win a title or two, Shaq would be very happy to add to his ring collection and possibly surpass Duncan's 4 rings, Kareem's 5, or even Jordan's 6. The best case scenario for Shaq would be to come to Houston, backup and play limited minutes while collecting 6th man of the year awards and win a few more titles in the twilight of his career. And if you limit the minutes of Shaq and Nash and add them to this core, I think it's a possiblity within the realm of reason.
you're on a roll, man! now i like this nash-shaq package deal even more. if kobe wins another ring and ties shaq's 4, shaq will be fired up to get his 5th.
Agreed entirely. As I said, Shaq is more or a ring chaser than a guy who wants playing time. He's more like a Robert Horry than an Allen Iverson. I truly would love to have Nash and Shaq would make it even better. We would STILL have Kyle Lowry as our backup PG too who's a great defensive PG in the league and he'll learn a lot under Steve Nash. Even if this trade fails to gets us a ring, it will help our PGs like Kyle Lowry develop, It can even help Yao develop if Shaquille O'Neal is backing him up. This is a Now or never trade.
I'm sorry, but you are incorrect. If my memory serves me correctly, the Spurs teams, and the Piston team this decade that won the title after acquiring Sheed, were all pretty high up in terms of offensive efficiency. It isn't about scoring a ton of points, it's about scoring effectively. The Rockets consistently have players on their team who shoot a lot (wing players) and make 40-43% of those shots. The Spurs, Pistons, Celtics, Lakers, etc. have guys making 45%+ of those shots.
Different skill sets. Nash is effective because he is so versatile on offense. He shoots the 3 at a 40% rate, so players need to guard him on the perimeter. Lowry's 3% can improve, but I would highly doubt it would improve past, say, Rafer's. Nash can also drive and score. This is where he and Lowry are similar -- they can both take it to the bucket. They both attract defenses or fouls. Nash is a dynamite passer, something Lowry doesn't quite have yet. He may or may not develop it, but he'll never be a real successor unless he can shoot the 3. Nash stretches the floor, drives past his defenders, attracts help defenders, and threads the needle to hit the open man. And he does it so reliably that you don't really mind his risky passes. I'll say it again -- I like Steve Nash. But his career is on the decline, and it's only going to look worse in halfcourt sets.
For everyone saying Nash can't play halfcourt ball, please provide some support. Last I checked, they ran halfcourt ball last season and he outproduced our starting PG in basically every category. And neither one of them can defend worth a crap, so toss that out the window. I'm amazed that folks think a PG that shoots 50%, 40%+ and like 90% from the line....who can pass....can't fit into a halfcourt team with a center that you can't stop without doubling...or with two great defensive wings to cover for him. Edit: Do y'all realize we won two freaking titles with Kenny Smith running point for us...in a halfcourt offense?? And it worked because he could shoot......
Tony Parker and Chris Paul would eat Nash alive. Yao would only pick up a zillion fouls after they drove past Nash to the basket.
What it comes down to is how this is team constructed, and if it is close to contending. You obviously don't think they are, I disagree. To me, the Lakers are one of two truly contending teams. I think everyone will see that after they beat Denver handily. We took them to 7 games without our two best players. The media blames it on the Lakers not giving effort, which is a cop out to take all credit from the Rockets. We won those games because of US and what we did, not what the Lakers failed to do. With that said, this team is built for a championship run, NOW. Yao, Scola, Battier, Artest, are in their prime and have a 2-3 year window. Those are our best players and this team is built around them. That's not opinion it is fact. It doesn't matter how much youth you infuse, as long as those are our core players, we need to be playing for a championship NOW. If you trade for Nash, he fits perfectly with the 2-3 year window our whole team is built for. If you trade for youth, you are set up for years of mediocrity. By the time Brooks, Lowry, Wafer, and whatever youth we get are prime time players, our core players have already declined. So it comes back to my first point, whether or not we are contenders. If you don't think adding a top 10 player, which Nash still is, to this roster makes them contenders, then we need to blow this team up. There's no need keeping a core of 29+ year olds when you aren't trying to win a championship NOW.
Could we get Mutombo to sign a 1yr 12mil contract and acquire Shaq with Nash to appease PHX? They clear cap and can rebuild around Amare. The thing is the NBA is requiring those 1yr guys to at least practice now. When LA traded Aaron McKie (a freaking coach at the time!) in the deal for Gasol the NBA did NOTHING! Another example of the NBA protecting the Lakers.
Ok if people talk about Yao sooooo much about how great defensive guy he is this and that then why hasn't he been considered to be on the NBA All Defensive Team?? Mutombo has been on it. Artest has been on it. Battier's name has been mentioned. Why no Yao?? FYI the Detriot Pistons have sucked since Ben Wallace left. Don't say Prince defense has been horrible since he left. Prince his still playing decent defense.
nash might have started to decline, but not by much. banking him having ~3 good years left is nothing out of reasonable assumption. and adelman's offense is not a half court in its conventional way. i remember how yao was so happy 'casue he suddenly caught many more passes and scored when we had mark jackson for a short while. a almost 40 freakin' mark jackson, a 35-year-old nash, hmm, enticing to say the least.
Nash was a great player, now just good and old. Lets not go down the aging superstar path again. Develop young talent, maybe get some not so aged help. Go Rockets! PS. Is anyone else waiting for Game 8? I didnt want this to end.
Decent? You've got to be kidding me. Prince has been exposed so much defensively ever since Ben Wallace left the Detroit Pistons. The entire Pistons team sucked...True. Defensively, they have gone nothing but downhill. Even then, they at least made the ECF for what 6 years straight under Chauncey Billups.. Pistons don't suck, Prince does. Yao has not been on the all-defensive team, Yes you are correct. Maybe if his entire game was more focused on defense than offense, I'm sure it could be a different story. Maybe if he wasn't such a gifted offensive player and they wanted him to play more defense, maybe it would be different. Who knows...All I know is Yao has a huge impact defensively.
Kinda like D.Will kills Brooks? I could understand this argument if Brooks was an average defender, but he isn't....and as hard to believe as it is...he is smaller than Nash.
No kidding. Thankfully Morey doesn't seem to do that and would rather develop his young guys. Or, he'll brainwash another GM to give us a great player for peanuts.
The Spurs have been top 10 offensive teams in their championship years, except for the shortened 1999 season. The Pistons were 18th in offensive efficiency in their championship year, according to basketball-reference. I guess they were one of few exceptions. They had to fight tooth and nail to get out of that New Jersey series, and they were playing defense at an unbelievably high level late that season. I don't remember how strong the East was that year, probably not very. I think the Lakers were have beaten them if they had Karl Malone at full strength.
good post. i feel like with the momentum we were gathering, even with yao out, we could've beaten the lakers in 7 and sorta replay the detroit stroy - had we still had deke playing at full strength. him and yao both going out in the playoffs was a double blow. oh well...
I may be wrong, but I think the OE number for the Pistons was much better after the trade for Sheed. Either way, the guy who was taking the most shots for them (Rip) wasn't hitting in the low 40s.
