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A nice summary of Pundits Pooh-Poohing the Shaq trade

Only because we do not do it enough.

We do not remember often enough when the pundits are WRONG and our management is RIGHT.

Thank the Gorilla it appears that our management appears to have gotten it right this time.  And props to Kenny Smith for picking the SUNS as winners early on following the trade.

Here's a great summary from Ken Berger on Feb 6th, 2008:


Personally, I think this could be a huge mistake for the Suns. They're taking something that works, and in a desperate move to take it to the next level, they're risking an awful lot. Unless David Stern changes the rules to allow Shaq to play on roller blades, I don't see how he's going to fit with the way Phoenix gets up and down the floor. Defensively, it's no secret that Shaq is already retired.

Here's a sampling of other opinions on the deal. Yours are welcome.

* Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports agrees with me that the Suns will regret this. So do John Hollinger of ESPN Insider and Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine -- although Chris can understand where the Suns are coming from.

· David Aldridge of TNT and The Philadelphia Inquirer quotes a Suns official who says Shaq's problem in Miami has not been age, but motivation. "Just imagine a Shaq that's motivated," the source said. "You think he won't be motivated to take out the Lakers?"

· In his blog, Heat beat man Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel gives Pat Riley credit for pawning off Shaq's contract, which has about $50 million left over the next 2 1-2 seasons. "He has made more money disappear than Enron," Winderman wrote, citing the elimination of Brian Grant, Eddie Jones, Antoine Walker, and now Shaq. Isiah Thomas needs some of what Riles is drinking.

· Readers are burning up Henry Abbott's TrueHoop blog with comments such as "impossible," "moronic," and "bizarro." One guy said his head almost exploded when he read about the trade. He should try watching the Knicks play.

Now check out what Kenny Smith said February 25th, when the SUNS were losing a ton of games.


My prediction for how the West will be won? The Suns will rise and beat the Lakers to advance to the NBA Finals.

Let's hope Kenny Smith is RIGHT!!