I really don’t think there is a single person, NBA fan or not, who has not heard about the recent news concerning Shaquille O’Neal and the Phoenix Suns. The trade has spawned serious amounts of conversation and it seems everyone has an opinion on the trade.

In light of the trade and the rise in criticism about how an aging, injured O’Neal would fit into the “run-n-gun” style that is a trademark of the Suns offense, the Phoenix Suns organization posted a list of the top 10 reasons the trade is a positive thing for all involved.

After reading the list I cannot say that I completely disagree with the Suns’ thinking, but I am still skeptical. The Suns lay claim on Shaq being an asset because of his presence in the middle and low-post but I wonder if they may have jumped the gun a little.

Sure, Steve Kerr (Suns’ general manager) made sure the Suns’ medical team could guarantee that all of Shaq’s injuries are correctable but that does not leave out the possibility that they could be recurring. Everyone needs to face it: Shaq is getting old and, as we have seen this season, more prone to injury.

I do believe Shaq will make a serious change for the Suns and the rest of the league is right to start paying attention now. As long as he stays healthy, the Suns are right: Shaq’s presence on the court finally allows for Amare Stoudemire to play to his full potential as a power forward.

The idea of combining Shaq and Stoudemire into a combination quite similar to that of Tim and David would be perfect for the Suns. The Suns could depend on Shaq and Stat to take care of the middle and also can rely on their sharp shooters to catch a pass and release a jumper.

Shaq also adds his experience and knowledge of the game to a Suns team that could now have all the right parts to win a championship.

This trade has all the potential to prove to be the greatest thing the Suns organization has done. But I say only time will tell. It is too early to start making predictions. Shaq is not the Shaq of the Laker Dynasty.

Could the Suns’ theory here work? Sure, but Shaq seriously needs to get into better shape and necessary precautions need to be taken to keep him on the team’s active list.

What are your thoughts on the latest addition to the Suns team? If you didn’t get to read the list posted on the Suns’ Web site here it is. Check it out and post your thoughts on this blog at the Lake Front’s official myspace page www.myspace.com/ollulakefront, all responses will be posted on the Lake Front Online next week.

Top 10 Reasons Why the Shaq Trade Will Work

By Stefan Swiat, Suns.com
Posted: Feb. 10, 2008

After just missing a Finals trip last year and boasting the top record in the Western Conference this season, some fans wondered why the Suns decided to trade forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat in exchange for center Shaquille O'Neal. Here are the top 10 reasons why this deal will make the Suns more equipped for a championship run:

1. Interior Defense
The main criticism of the Suns has been whether or not their fast-paced style would be able to carry them through The Finals. Due to the fact they like to push the tempo, they went smaller than most teams by using an undersized-center in Amaré Stoudemire and placing 6-7 Marion at the power forward. Now with the addition of O’Neal, there is a true presence in the middle that will deter opposing players who attempt to drive the lane. His defense should also limit the amount of second-chance points and offensive rebounds garnered by opposing clubs.

O'Neal also allows the Suns to play one-on-one defense in the post against the more formidable centers in the West like Tim Duncan and Yao Ming. When they were undersized, the Suns were forced to double-team and scramble to get to outside shooters. In their last game against San Antonio, the Suns were picked apart from the perimeter because Duncan kept finding spot-up shooters out of double-teams. Now the Suns can stay home and make the opposing post players make difficult shots.

Another advantage is the amount of pressure it alleviates from Stoudemire. Instead of always having to be conscious of his foul trouble, Stoudemire can relax a little knowing that he is not the last line of defense anymore. This should allow him to excel offensively by not having to expend so much energy guarding heftier players.

2. A Constant Low-Post Threat
As great as a scorer Stoudemire is, he uses an array of spots and situations on the floor to score his points. While he is multi-faceted in his approach, O’Neal likes to lock up his position right on the blocks, amassing a 58 percent field goal percentage over his career. Even during this season, O’Neal has commanded double-teams and has continued to shoot at his usual 58-percent clip.

This frees Stoudemire, who would often be the only player within the paint when he shot, to crash the offensive glass on the weak side. Stoudemire really hasn’t had the opportunity to play with a true center in his time in Phoenix, so he hasn’t been able to feast on opposing power forwards by cleaning up on the offensive glass. Having STAT and O'Neal gives the Suns the same sort of offensive look that was successful with the Spurs’ Duncan and David Robinson. It also allows them to get bigger front lines in the West like the Lakers’ (Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum) into foul trouble.

Maybe the greatest asset of having O’Neal down on the low post is his ability to recognize the double-team and kick it out to potent outside shooters. Just like the Suns have had to combat that issue, other teams will have to prepare for when the Suns return the favor. Steve Nash is fifth in the league in 3-point field goal percentage, while Raja Bell has shot over 40 percent from downtown the last three seasons. Bell, whose percentage has dipped to 38 percent this year, is just chomping at the bit for the open looks he should see when O’Neal draws a crowd.

3. Championship Experience
Besides Sean Marks, who won a lone championship ring with the Spurs, O’Neal is the only player to have made it to the Promised Land. For a franchise hungry to lay claim to their first title, what better midseason pick-up could there be than a center with four rings? O’Neal has seen a lot of battles during his time the NBA and has come out the winner in more than a few. It is that sort of experience and wisdom that could play a powerful role on and off the court.

Not only has O’Neal won a title with one team, but he has won one with two. He has won and lost in The Finals, while also being the favorite and the underdog. Those experiences have proved invaluable in shaping his championship mindset, while also providing him with a catalogue of knowledge to delve into when needed. Not only will he be able to guide players through the championship-seeking process, but he will also exude the sort of mentality necessary to persevere through the playoffs.

4. Enhanced Chemistry
Every great championship club has a certain hierarchy within its core and when that order is disturbed, chemistry issues can ensue. GM Steve Kerr talked about a certain “pecking order” that the championship teams he played on possessed. Michael Jordan made the rules in Chicago during their dynasty, while a cast of veterans like Robinson and Duncan spearheaded the run with the Spurs in 2003.

Despite owning the best record in the Western Conference, the Suns were only 15-13 against the West while going 20-2 against the East. There has been an anxiousness growing and a feeling that was something missing from this team. There didn’t seem to be the same sort of pop and excitement in the air as in the last few years.

Now with the addition of O’Neal, an injection of life has surged throughout the franchise while also establishing who will command the most amount of respect in the locker room. While he might not be the team’s best player right now, he brings with him a figurehead-like presence that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once possessed with the Showtime Lakers. Every tribe needs a chief, and the Suns have their man.

5. Mentor to STAT
With the departures of former assistant coach Marc Ivaroni and forward Kurt Thomas, Stoudemire lost two of the more consistent voices in his ear over the past couple of years. While Thomas was a respected veteran on the court for his play, one of Ivaroni’s duties was to prepare the post players for games. As a former inside player, Ivaroni was able to relate to Stoudemire, while also hastening his technical development.

Since those departures, no one has been quite able to fill that void until now. O’Neal specifically addressed in his press conference how he hopes to be like a “big brother” to Stoudemire by passing along his tricks of the trade. Not only can he help space the floor for him offensively, but he can also talk to him about opposing players’ strengths and weaknesses. From learning what a certain player’s pet move is to how to stay out of foul trouble, O’Neal should provide the sort of tutelage that STAT needs in order to master his game.

6. Toughness
It seems as if most championship teams have a player or two that add to a team’s overall grittiness. The Pistons’ “Bad Boys” had a litany of players who filled that role, such as Rick Mahorn and Dennis Rodman. In this case, O’Neal brings a certain aura of toughness to the Suns that no one could question. Other teams’ players always have thought twice about committing a hard foul against any of O’Neal’s teammates in the past, and they will have to think about that in the future as well. If the Suns were an old A-Team episode, O’Neal would be the equivalent of Mr.T’s character, B.A. Baracus. The new Suns center definitely makes the Suns more intimidating. When the playoffs arrive and the tensions rise, it seems like the Suns players will be comfortable to know that O’Neal is on their side.

7. Suns Are Still Run-and-Gun
Much ado has been made about the Suns scrapping their running game in favor of a half-court offense centered around O’Neal. However, both Kerr and Head Coach Mike D’Antoni have stressed in their talks since the trade how the Suns plan on continuing to run.

D’Antoni has cited a few times how a 40 year-old Jabbar was able to ignite the Showtime Lakers’ fast-break attack in the 1980’s. O’Neal has also stated that his defensive rebounding will trigger the break and that if he doesn’t get the rebound, he will be leading the charge down court. The 7-1 center hopes to make a lot of doubters eat their words about his ability to run the floor, while also declaring that it was the Miami Heat’s choice to play a half-court style that has given off the impression that he can't run. But given the opportunity to, especially with Nash’s ability to get players the ball, he would absolutely relish in the role.

8. Medical Staff
Remember the names Dr. Thomas Carter and Aaron Nelson. They might end up being the MVPs of the Suns’ season. Carter, the team’s physician, and Nelson, the team’s head athletic trainer, were two of the key figures integral in signing O’Neal. Before the 14-time All-Star was inked, they thoroughly examined him to make sure that his injuries from this season were correctable. Once they determined that they expected him to return to health with an improvement in his flexibility, Kerr made the deal.

O’Neal has publicly made a serious commitment to the training staff and has pledged to do whatever they ask from him. He has already gone on record in stating that he has been tremendously fueled by any doubt people might have in him. If he couples that motivation with treatment from a training staff that has a history of rejuvenating injury-riddled players, then the Western Conference is in for a long end to this season.

9. Grant Hill
One of the main reasons the Suns were able to execute this deal was because they signed Hill this past summer. Phoenix could part ways with Marion because of Hill’s versatility. While Marion’s rebounding and activity will be missed, Hill brings much of the same skill set to the Suns as the Matrix once did. Hill has the ability to match up with a variety of different players on defense, while also scoring points at the same rate as Marion. At 6-8, Hill can match up with bigger players on the baseline, while also exhibiting the quickness to contain smaller players on the perimeter.

Also, instead of having Marion alternate between power forward and small forward, the Suns should have more clearly-defined roles. Hill will see most his time at the 3, while Stoudemire will man the 4. Boris Diaw and Brian Skinner will sure up the rest of the minutes on the front line as Kerr goes in a search of the final roster slot.

10. Contractually Sound
A few of the naysayers in this trade cite the money being spent on O’Neal as a reason why they were opposed to it. But that’s because they didn’t examine the big picture. Per league policy, the salaries of Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks were essentially the same as O’Neal’s once they were combined. Marion was in the last year of his contract while Banks had three more years on his contract after this season. O’Neal's contract, on the other hand, expires two seasons after this one, along with Steve Nash’s contract.

Kerr said that he didn’t think he would be able to re-sign Marion at the end of this season and that the Suns were going to have to find someone to replace him. he assumed he would have to spend close to the $20 million they are going to pay O’Neal now to hopefully find someone later. So instead of not receiving anything for Marion and gambling on finding a free agent in the offseason, Kerr saw an opportunity to correct some of the problems that have been plaguing the Suns all season.

The message from the front office was clear. They are trying to win a championship now. While Nash is still lively and Hill is enjoying his renaissance, the Suns are attempting to take advantage of this window of opportunity. Now armed with a center that fills a lot of their holes, the Suns may have just pulled off the coup they needed to bring the city of Phoenix its first NBA Championship.