A lot of speculation floating around these days about a Shaq to Dallas deal. Mostly because Shaq and Mark Cuban have been such good friends over the years. That, and the fact that Phoenix will make Shaq the scapegoat for all their failures this season (which is ridiculously unfair, but whatever).
Put on your thinking caps. What does Dallas gain from a Shaquille O’Neal acquisition? What do they lose?
BENEFITS
If Dallas picks up Shaq this offseason and resigns Jason Kidd, they trade Erick Dampier and Jerry Stackhouse’s expiring contract. And next season, you get to see a starting lineup of Jason Kidd, Antoine Wright, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, and Shaq, with Jason Terry coming off the bench. That doesn’t suck, let me tell you. But Shaq is old. Even though he had an unexpected resurgence this season, he’s historically a battered player who sits out up to a third of regular season games in order to be ready for the playoffs.
If Shaq were to return next season in even better condition than he was at the start of this year, however, Dallas could be fit to make a serious NBA Finals run. That depends, of course, on everyone staying healthy. Ryan Hollins, James Singleton, JJ Barea, and Jason Terry are the most reliable contributors off the bench, with a very disappointing Gerald Green, Devean George, and Brandon Bass also waiting in line.
HANDICAPS
If Dallas uses up it’s expiring contracts on a Shaq nearing retirement, that leaves no gas in the tank for the future. No draft picks this year due to the Jason Kidd trade. No Jason Kidd or Shaq in the next two or three years. Even Dirk may be a #2 or #3 contributor to the team by the time 2012 rolls around. So you have an aging team that suddenly loses its superstars and has to rebuild.
Plus, if any one of those three stars gets injured for the season, forget about an NBA Finals.
Perhaps the best reason to pass on Shaq is the possibility of acquiring a stud like Chris Bosh or Vince Carter or who knows. The problem with a Chris Bosch is where to start him. He’s a power forward, the position which Dirk “plays” best. Dirk can’t cover a big Center on defense. He won’t take any risks with his body.
So that either means a serious mismatch, or Bosh plays the 5 with Dirk at the 4. Maybe that can work. I’ve always said that Dirk is really a shooting guard, which he is, except he can’t cover the quick shooting guards in the league, either. The joys of creating mismatches is that you often create one that’s a liability in addition to the strength.
VERDICT
Dallas has to see what’s out there first. When all the teams make it known which marquee players are on the trading block, Dallas will do its due diligence to get the best fit for the team. But, if deals for Chris Bosh or Richard Jefferson aren’t workable, Shaq becomes a very tasty choice.
We’d love to see the Mavs perpetually add skilled youth to the team, so that we don’t have to suffer the rebuilding years. But in a pinch, Shaq becomes a very tempting option.
And speaking for myself only, I’ve wanted to see Shaq in a Mavs uniform since he left Los Angeles. I’m just sad that Cuban waited so long.
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