Why Shaq didn't sign with ATL

[Boris Badenov]

From Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"I’ve been told that Atlanta wouldn’t budge on giving Shaq a starting nod over Al, who is after all still only 24-years old and an All-Star. Shaq believes he will get the starting nod over Jermaine O’Neal in Boston as Kendrick Perkins rehabs from his knee injury.

Atlanta also wasn’t willing to pay Shaq more than the minimum and that was a sticking point for him. He didn’t want to sign for the minimum when the Hawks had their bi-annual and mid-level exceptions available because of the perception that would create–as in the Hawks could have paid him more but didn’t. That’s not the case with Boston, which had neither of those exceptions and so could only give him the minimum."

http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2010/08/05/atlanta-hawks-no-shaq-now-what/?cxntfid=blogs_hawks

My thoughts:
1. The second story makes much more sense to me than the first. I can see Shaq being insulted by not getting one of the exceptions. But I find it hard to believe that Doc/Danny have told him he's anything more than a backstop until Perk gets back (even if he starts until then, which makes sense given that Doc probably wants JO to have continuity playing with the second unit).
2. If I were an ATL fan, I'd be a little annoyed. If they could've had Shaq for the MLE, why not go for it? Who are they going to end up with instead - Kwame Brown?

[Birdbrain]

Shaq wasn't going to lose in Atlanta for the vet min. Might as well win while getting vet min.  Plus the kobe tasting angle.

Not everything is a conspiracy.

[manl_lui]

Shaq simply wants to be with a contender nothing more

Atl will not get pass 1st round this year in my opinion, they will obviously be 3rd in the southeast division

they shouldve offer Shaq the MLE at least, even now they still have no counter to dwight which completely destroyed them last year

[Boris Badenov]

Shaq wasn't going to lose in Atlanta for the vet min. Might as well win while getting vet min.  Plus the kobe tasting angle.

Not everything is a conspiracy.

Right. The point of the article, though, is that he might have been willing to lose in ATL for the MLE.

It's not a conspiracy theory (among other things, a conspiracy has to involve more than one person). It's just a possible window into Shaq's thinking, for good or bad.

[MG1]

This is BS.

Cavs insider said ATL was talking S&T with them involving Marvin, and Shaq demands 16mil/2year.

If they would only offer minimum or even MLE, there is no need of S&T with Cavs. And I don't think Shaq will have any interest to talk with them at all.

I guess this report is just for Hawks to save faces. Because Shaq would rather play for Celtics at minimum than play for Hawks at MLE.

[Birdbrain]

Shaq wasn't going to lose in Atlanta for the vet min. Might as well win while getting vet min.  Plus the kobe tasting angle.

Not everything is a conspiracy.

Right. The point of the article, though, is that he might have been willing to lose in ATL for the MLE.

It's not a conspiracy theory (among other things, a conspiracy has to involve more than one person). It's just a possible window into Shaq's thinking, for good or bad.

I guess interpreted it more as them 'explaining' why he chose Boston over Atlanta and conspiracy being that he chose Boston because he could say they couldn't offer more.  That made no sense to me.  Whatever choice of words fits for not believing that story is what I meant. 

Maybe BS was the appropriate term.

[Snakehead]

The thing is Al would have welcomed moving to PF and playing alongside Shaq.  He isn't a true C and has said they need a low post presence.  I'm sure he doesn't want to guard Dwight.

That makes the lineup a bit confusing with Josh Smith.  He's a good PF but I think he could play SF and be effective there as well and bruise smaller SF's.  Then bring Marvin off the bench as a good bench guy instead of a decent starter.  You aren't the best shooting team but Al is a pretty solid midrange guy now and would get more opportunities at PF.  And you'd be long and physical and crash the board really hard with that lineup.  And you can return to your original line up later in the game with a sub.

Sounds like it has potential to me but I guess Atlanta would rather stand pat and be horribly embarrassed again by the Magic this year.  How you go through that Magic series as a team and stand pat AND sign your 29 year old no-show-if-still-talented-but-not-max-worthy SG to a huge contract for 6 years is crazy to me.  Such a bad contract, it's unbelievable he's being paid more than LBJ and Wade.

[Bankshot]

I don't believe that Shaq was ever going to sign with Atlanta.  He was just using them to try to get some leverage with the Celtics, imo.  I guess if the Celtics didn't sign him he might play for Atlanta, but Atlanta is not a legit contender and Shaq knows that.

[MBunge]

Shaq wasn't going to lose in Atlanta for the vet min. Might as well win while getting vet min.  Plus the kobe tasting angle.

Not everything is a conspiracy.

Right. The point of the article, though, is that he might have been willing to lose in ATL for the MLE.

It's not a conspiracy theory (among other things, a conspiracy has to involve more than one person). It's just a possible window into Shaq's thinking, for good or bad.

I guess interpreted it more as them 'explaining' why he chose Boston over Atlanta and conspiracy being that he chose Boston because he could say they couldn't offer more.  That made no sense to me. 

It actually makes sense to me.  It's one thing for Shaq to adjust his ego to a title contender like Boston saying they won't sign-n-trade for him, so all they can offer is the vet min.  I can understand Shaq being much more offended by a team like Atlanta that just got humilitated in the playoffs telling him they won't sign-n-trade, they won't offer him the MLE and they won't offer him the LLE.

I don't understand ATL not giving Shaq whatever he wanted to sign, especially after they blew all that dough on Joe Johnson.  Maybe Shaq would turn out to be a bust, but at least the team could fool itself and its fans for a while.

Mike

[manl_lui]

The thing is Al would have welcomed moving to PF and playing alongside Shaq.  He isn't a true C and has said they need a low post presence.  I'm sure he doesn't want to guard Dwight.

That makes the lineup a bit confusing with Josh Smith.  He's a good PF but I think he could play SF and be effective there as well and bruise smaller SF's.  Then bring Marvin off the bench as a good bench guy instead of a decent starter.  You aren't the best shooting team but Al is a pretty solid midrange guy now and would get more opportunities at PF.  And you'd be long and physical and crash the board really hard with that lineup.  And you can return to your original line up later in the game with a sub.

Sounds like it has potential to me but I guess Atlanta would rather stand pat and be horribly embarrassed again by the Magic this year.  How you go through that Magic series as a team and stand pat AND sign your 29 year old no-show-if-still-talented-but-not-max-worthy SG to a huge contract for 6 years is crazy to me.  Such a bad contract, it's unbelievable he's being paid more than LBJ and Wade.

how much does Josh Smith makes? you think trading Sheed, two other players and a 1st rounder for Smith works?

[Snakehead]

The thing is Al would have welcomed moving to PF and playing alongside Shaq.  He isn't a true C and has said they need a low post presence.  I'm sure he doesn't want to guard Dwight.

That makes the lineup a bit confusing with Josh Smith.  He's a good PF but I think he could play SF and be effective there as well and bruise smaller SF's.  Then bring Marvin off the bench as a good bench guy instead of a decent starter.  You aren't the best shooting team but Al is a pretty solid midrange guy now and would get more opportunities at PF.  And you'd be long and physical and crash the board really hard with that lineup.  And you can return to your original line up later in the game with a sub.

Sounds like it has potential to me but I guess Atlanta would rather stand pat and be horribly embarrassed again by the Magic this year.  How you go through that Magic series as a team and stand pat AND sign your 29 year old no-show-if-still-talented-but-not-max-worthy SG to a huge contract for 6 years is crazy to me.  Such a bad contract, it's unbelievable he's being paid more than LBJ and Wade.

how much does Josh Smith makes? you think trading Sheed, two other players and a 1st rounder for Smith works?

He makes 10 million a year I believe.  Less than Sheed, not sure what you'd package with him exactly but a 1st rounder would work. He is worth more than 10 million though, his year last year was truly great.  He improved all around and became much more effecient, cutting out the bad jumpers that had hampered his game before.  He is a big value for his production.

I'd love Josh Smith, he'd be great for the future Celtics with Rondo running the open floor.  He'd thrive in our Celtics defense too.  He was robbed biggest of all not making the All-Star team last year.  But ATL is not going to give him up I don't think, at least not this year.  Like I said Al Horford is really a PF and wants to be a PF, but ATL apparently wants to stand pat with Al at C and Smith at PF.  And they aren't trying to dump salary.  

We'll see in the future, they signed that terrible max contract to Joe Johnson so maybe they will be looking to dump salary if the team starts doing badly, which is possible considering how much better the East got.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Bulls bumped them off their spot, and the Heat have obviously overtaken them.

Maybe when we start having the old timers be expiring contracts or off the books entirely we might be able to land him.  That'd be a great, great fit I think.

[Boris Badenov]

It actually makes sense to me.  It's one thing for Shaq to adjust his ego to a title contender like Boston saying they won't sign-n-trade for him, so all they can offer is the vet min.  I can understand Shaq being much more offended by a team like Atlanta that just got humilitated in the playoffs telling him they won't sign-n-trade, they won't offer him the MLE and they won't offer him the LLE.

I don't understand ATL not giving Shaq whatever he wanted to sign, especially after they blew all that dough on Joe Johnson.  Maybe Shaq would turn out to be a bust, but at least the team could fool itself and its fans for a while.

Mike

Yeah, I don't understand either. Why get stingy all of a sudden after you outbid, um, NO ONE for Johnson, who will be making $25 million by the last year of his deal when he's 35 years old? And don't they still have an exception from the Childress trade? So using the MLE on Shaq wouldn't even rule out trading for another high-quality guy later in the year.

Makes me glad that we have Danny running the show here.

[Eja117]

At least when the Celts give him the minimum he'd probably get more playoff checks.

[LooseCannon]

But I find it hard to believe that Doc/Danny have told him he's anything more than a backstop until Perk gets back (even if he starts until then, which makes sense given that Doc probably wants JO to have continuity playing with the second unit).

I think Shaq believes that he can win the starting job from Jermaine O'Neal.  The test will be: what if Shaq appears to be playing slightly better than JO, but Doc keeps him on the bench?

[StealthB]

I don't buy it.  I am sure they would rather play Horford at the 4, and I think it's his natural position.