Cleveland is now making a last ditch effort to win Lebron his NBA Championship. Their previous acquisition of Mo Williams unfortunately did not succeed, so now they are forced to make one last bid. As the saying goes, "Last but not Least", calling this effort the least is in no way true. Rather than being less, this effort is more. To be exact, it's about a foot and One-Hundred pounds more. It's also about 100x the ego. It's Shaquille O'Neal.
Shaquille O'Neal is a behemoth. He's huge! He's one of the best Centers ever, and even today, ranks as probably a top 5 Center. This man can pull rebounds out of the air, swat a way shots without ever leaving the ground, dunk the ball while barely leaving the ground, and pass with the skill of a Forward or Guard. Indeed, Shaq's underrated passing ability will be a big asset to Cleveland.
Lebron James is an athletic freak. His combination of size and speed defies logic. Easily weighing 260 pounds, Lebron can still race across the court in 5 seconds. Along with that, he can execute an extremely difficult pass while running full speed, and more often than not, the pass reaches it's intended target. Lebron James is faster than virtually every Forward in the league, which allows him to get to the rim at will. This results in a high amount of dunks and layups, making him one of the premier penetrators in the game. Add to that his ever improving Jump Shot, and you now have the ultimate player. A guy who can dribble, pass, drive, shoot, rebound, block, and steal, all while hardly breaking a sweat. That's is the definition of greatness. It may be too early for me to say this, but from what he shows already, he's becoming the best in the game.
Put these two forces of nature, and what do you get? Perhaps the most talented duo in the NBA. Perhaps. But one thing is certain. By adding Shaquille O'Neal to their roster, the championship is now Cleveland's to lose. Here are a few of the things that this team can now do.
Passing to Shaquille O'Neal in the paint makes Lebron James job much easier. Even at Shaq's advanced age, no Center alive can guard him 1 on 1. As a result, if the double team doesn't arrive, Shaq is free to overpower his defender and get an easy layup or dunk. However, it gets interesting if the double team does come. For if the double team closes in on Shaq, he will get to show off his incredible passing skills. Because Cleveland will surround Shaquille O'Neal with jump shooters as players, when the double team arrives, one shooter will be left open. All Shaq has to do is find the open shooter and kick the ball out to the shooter, who will get an open 3-pointer. Sound familiar? This is very similar to how Orlando ran their offense, except for one small factor. Lebron James. Lebron can catch and shoot, but, unlike any Orlando players, Lebron is also an extremely good driver, and will be able to take advantage of the double team on Shaq and get a good cut to the rim as well.
Lebron now has the more reliable passing option when he is in the paint. When Lebron drives, he will generally have gotten by his man, so, to stop him from scoring, the opposing teams big man will have to step out and get him. If this happens, he can now make the easy pass to Shaq, who can then have an open dunk or layup. This is quite similar to what he used to do, except for one thing. Ilgauskas would always stay out in the perimeter, so Lebron would have to pass to him in the perimeter. As a result, Ilgauskas had to take a jump shot. And while he made some, his jump shot is no where near as reliable as Shaq's good ol' dunks.
However, this is not to say everything is perfect. There will definitely be some flaws to overcome. In the past, because the Cleveland big men stood outside the paint on offense, when Lebron James drove to the rim, alot of time, he had a much easier job making a layup or dunk because the opposing big men were too far away to close out on Lebron. However, with Shaq arriving, the paint will now be more congested for Lebron James to work in. Shaq has no jump shot to speak of, so he will not be able to lure the opposing big men away from the paint, even if he stays out on the perimeter. As a result, Lebron will get fouled alot more, and take more hard hits. However, that will equal even more free-throws for him, and also equals more assists for him when he passes to Shaq.
And that is about it, for my newest blog. I want to know what you think about it. Please comment and tell me. Thank you.
Zoe Duchesne
Melissa Satta
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Comments (13) Add A Comment
I can't wait to see Shaq and Z play side by side in the paint while LeBron enjoys every minute on it.
Southern Discomfort
Charlotte, NC
Total Comments (5184)
... of it (not on it).
Southern Discomfort
Charlotte, NC
Total Comments (5184)
While I think it was a trade well worth making for Cleveland, I'll wait to see them play a few games before I anoint them the favorite. It wasn't that long ago that LA bolted on the Mailman and the Glove to Shaq (and while he was still a top force in the league) and Kobe, and everyone, including myself, was crowning them champs only to be proven wrong. And it's safe to say that Malone and Payton took much better care of their bodies over the years than Shaq. Not to mention, this Cleveland team has FAR less talent than that LA team, and nobody knows how much chemistry the two will have together.
perfect360
Pittsburgh , PA
Total Comments (987)
They should have traded Z instead of BWallace, they could have started big ben @ PF.
Imagine C-Shaq PF-BigBen SF-Lebron PG-Mo
ZeroCool
Beverly Hills , CA
Total Comments (2)
Shaq is without a doubt a difference-maker in Cleveland. Still an extremely important piece of the puzzle is missing. It is an absolute must that Cleveland fill the void at the power forward position. This is equally as important--if not moreso than the acquisition of Shaq. If you're expecting your dreams to come true, you can't oversleep. If Dan Gilbert is really serious about bringing a championship to Cleveland, he must go hard after Zach Randolph or Charlie Villanueva. Both of which can be had.
Hllywd: Old…
Columbus , OH
Total Comments (8612)
i think with Z at center shaq can be pf can u say clevlands twin towers
pistons4life
Total Comments (15)
Are you serious?
ahung: The Last…
Santa Clara , CA
Total Comments (2775)
I actually believe that Cleveland will win less games during the regular season with Shaq at center. That's because Shaq's a more "traditional" center than Ilgauskas (who's usually on the perimeter on offense) and t4ams will employ familiar defensive sets against them.
But once he and LBJ get the hang of working together on offense their mutual ability to pass and finish will be fun to watch (especially in the playoffs) and they could win it all. They need one more player, preferably a power forward, who can rebound, defend and shoot well from 10-15 feet. If they get him, they will win the East and maybe the Finals.
Petey024
New York , NY
Total Comments (2146)
Great work friend!
dynamic
Total Comments (4248)
One of my favorite blogs of yours yet. I for one am extremely excited to see what Shaq brings to the table, and whether it will be enough to take them over the top. I tend to agree with Hllywd that they need to address the 4 spot.
That said given their history they probably will stand pat content with this single trade and assume a title is on the way. That is one good reason to root against the Cavs, Shaq joining them makes the Cavs makes them almost as polemical as the Lakers.
dynamic
Total Comments (4248)
Thanks dude, this one just kind of hit me. Yeah, I agree with you and Hllywd also, if they can get a Charlie Villeneuva(sp?)/Zach Randolph type power-forward, the championship is their barring injury(although when keeping Shaq in a conversation, injury is very much a possibility).
ahung: The Last…
Santa Clara , CA
Total Comments (2775)
Thanks, I agree.
ahung: The Last…
Santa Clara , CA
Total Comments (2775)
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