Shaq should not be an option. He's old, fat and won't accept being down in the rotation once Perk comes back. He'd be a headache and he would just be a wall near the basket that would stop penetration. Shaq would be a mistake. If the C's go after anyone based on past performance then I'd go after TMac or Iverson instead... both would be a mistake too but hey so would Shaq.
I don't think that Howard would be available to us until half way point in the season (December)
T-Mac and Iverson's best skill when they were good was their athletecism. Shaq's biggest skill has always been his size. T-MAC and AI are older and slower but Shaq is still huge.
Yes Shaq is still huge in size but if you remember back to the Cavs/C's series in the playoffs I would love it when Shaq was in the game because he changed the Cavs game and made them very beatable.
Plus who gets the minutes once Perkins is back? Perkins? Shaq? Jermaine? You can't have a log jam of bigs who have egos. Shaq has an ego and I do not think he would accept being lower on the rotation that would really limit his minutes. One or more of them is going to complain and be a headache.
Josh Boone is a better option for a big cause he can rebound and would be in the Shelden role and would accept it. Unlike Jermaine, Perk or Shaq.
Some reasons why Shaq can work in the rotation. Shaq played 23 minutes per game last year, He would be fine with anywhere around 20 minutes, I'm sure. Because of Shaq's free throw shooting, he simply can't play the end of games. So we don't have to worry about who's on the floor for the final 4 minutes (It won't be Shaq). Cleveland needs a reason to do the deal, which is why I included big baby, that way he won't need his minutes too.
For Playoffs: 96 minutes between PF and C
KG - 28
JO - 26
KP - 22
SO - 20
Of course those are rough numbers, on any given night if one player is playing better or if one player is in foul trouble, those numbers will vary. But there are enough minutes for the 4 of them. Perk often doesn't play the end of games either so KG and JO could be the go to lineup down the stretch.
And if anyone questions if Shaq can still add value, simply look at the effect Shaq had on the Chicago series. He single handedly put Brad Miller and Noah in foul trouble every game. Shaq can't really just dominate post defenders as good and big as Perk; but he wouldn't be going against Perk, and we wouldn't need him to dominate. He adds a whole new dimension to our team, and could really be an improvement over Perk in the half court offense.
And Shaq is hilarious, one of the funniest players even in the NBA for sure. Anyone who has been following the NBA since Shaq came into the league in '91 knows the guy gives the best interview in sports. He would fit in great with our veteran team and our 2 year window. People talk about Shaq causing chemistry problems, but did Shaq cause chemistry problems in Orlando? LA? (No, that was Kobe causing them) Miami? Cleveland? Answer...No.
Topic: The Roster I want for Opening Night (Read 8970 times)