Steve and the Tank! - Shaq's Suns Debut "Eclipsed" by the Lakers

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Shaq's Suns Debut "Eclipsed" by the Lakers

Shaquille O'Neal played his first game with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night against the visiting LA Lakers. Former teammate Kobe Bryant ruined Shaq's Suns debut with 41 points and the Lakers "eclipsed" the Suns 130-124.

Wednesday also happened to be a solar eclipse of the moon by the sun. I viewed it about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday evening. NYC isn't the best place to see celestial sightings because of all of the lights but it was still pretty cool.

Where Do We Go From Here: Wow! Tough one.

It is going to be a great stretch run for the NBA. Only 4.5 games separate seeds 1 through 8 in the Western Conference. Everyone tried to make moves to improve themselves like the Lakers getting Pau Gasol from Grizzlies, the Suns getting Shaq from the Heat, the Spurs getting former Sonic (and Knick) Kurt Thomas, and the Mavs getting Jason Kidd from the Nets.

I think the Mavs and the Nets got better from the trade. The Mavs window to contend for a championship is closing. (Their best chance was being up 2-0 against the Heat in the 2006 Finals but we all know how that ended up.) The Nets benefitted because they got rid of someone who didn't want to be there anymore, Jason Kidd. Kidd is a great talent but his off the court (migraine) and other issues are well documented. He's going to the Hall of Fame but it wasn't cool how he left. The Nets got two first round draft picks, Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, and $3 million in cash. Keith Van Horn hasn't played since 2006 but was included to balance the salaries. Don't expect Keith to play as he didn't officially retire but been spending time with his family and building his businesses. He is going to get $4.3 million for not playing. Hey, not bad work if you can get it. God bless and good luck Keith!

As for the Knicks, ugh is pretty much all I can say. No one wants their players and their huge contracts. The Knicks and the Eastern Conference is so bad that you can take any five people and be a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. For instance, "No Tip Vic" and I talked a couple years ago about fielding a team with his wife Michele and their two young children. We would beat the Knicks and probably be competitive with some other teams in the Eastern Conference. (BTW, "No Tip Vic" is a good person but he got his nickname from Brooklyn Brian and Brooklyn Pete after he didn't tip a waitress a couple of years ago at Ulysses, a Wall Street area bar/restaurant. Come on bro, get with the program.)

Anyway, enjoy the stretch run. Watch recovery from key injuries. When will Bynam return to the Lakers? Will Parker be 100 percent? How will Kobe's hand hold up? How will Shaq's hip hold up? I am still sticking with my pre-season picks of a Spurs-Celtics Finals because the Spurs have the best coach in Popovich and the veterans. As much as I like Doc Rivers, KG, and some of the other Celtics as human beings, I can't root for the team for obvious reasons. Good luck everyone except the Celtics!

Posted by The Tank somewhere between the Moon and New York City.

NBA

Thursday, February 21, 2008 3:00:49 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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