Shaq now offically a Cav...wow**
- Thread starter ScoobaDawg
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i don't think o'neal is necessarily "done", but they're only giving 34 year old ben wallace, pavlovic (who won't get minutes behind lebron), and the 46th pick (which wouldn't likely provide any help in the next year or two).
i think it's a great move by the cavs. even if o'neal is in cleveland for just one year, they'll have the cash next year to re-sign lebron and make a run at bosh or stoudemire or another big-time free agent big man.
i think it's a great move by the cavs. even if o'neal is in cleveland for just one year, they'll have the cash next year to re-sign lebron and make a run at bosh or stoudemire or another big-time free agent big man.
...but I think Cleveland is in "win now" mode, and I don't think this move necessarily puts them in the Finals. O'Neal won't be able to keep Turkoglu, Pietrus, and Rashard Lewis from raining 3's on them again in the East Finals next year. On the other hand, this may be the first in a series of moves for Cleveland.
I think the big thing is your point about re-signing LeBron. Even if they have the cash, what makes him stay in Cleveland? LeBron has much more to gain by playing in a large market.
I think the big thing is your point about re-signing LeBron. Even if they have the cash, what makes him stay in Cleveland? LeBron has much more to gain by playing in a large market.
granted, that probably will be way down the list on lebron's list when considering offers.
the cavs are definitely in "win now" mode, and for what it cost them, i don't know that they could've done any better than adding shaq. they traded two essentially non-contributors and a low-value draft pick for a big man who can, at times, be a dominant force in the paint on both ends. granted, shaq is older and slower. but he's still better than 90% of the big men in the NBA. and we've seen how good he can be when coupled with dynamic perimeter scorers.
the cavs know that they need to show lebron that he can win in cleveland in order to be in position to re-sign him next year. perhaps the cavs can spend more time on the perimeter defending the magic shooters if they have a big man who can actually defend howard (z and varejao can't cut it). bringing in shaq probably goes a long way to showing lebron that they are committed to doing whatever it takes to win, and i suspect that's probably very high on his list. i'm sure new york will be intriguing, but i just don't see lebron jumping to the dysfunctional knicks.</p>
the cavs are definitely in "win now" mode, and for what it cost them, i don't know that they could've done any better than adding shaq. they traded two essentially non-contributors and a low-value draft pick for a big man who can, at times, be a dominant force in the paint on both ends. granted, shaq is older and slower. but he's still better than 90% of the big men in the NBA. and we've seen how good he can be when coupled with dynamic perimeter scorers.
the cavs know that they need to show lebron that he can win in cleveland in order to be in position to re-sign him next year. perhaps the cavs can spend more time on the perimeter defending the magic shooters if they have a big man who can actually defend howard (z and varejao can't cut it). bringing in shaq probably goes a long way to showing lebron that they are committed to doing whatever it takes to win, and i suspect that's probably very high on his list. i'm sure new york will be intriguing, but i just don't see lebron jumping to the dysfunctional knicks.</p>
is the issue of slowing down the way the Cavs play. They're great on defense and get down the floor quickly to score. It's obvious that Shaq won't be on the other end of the floor but neither was the tall bald m17er (I didnt want to spell his name). Verajao? gets down the floor thought so that would be the only dropoff. But the improvement in the pain in Shaq over those two greatly offsets that notion