Shaq or bust.

[chambers]

I've said this somewhere else and I'll say it again:

Getting Shaq(and even JO) at the beginning of the season was great because we didn't need them to be a super star or anything..all we needed Shaq to do was plug up the lane, get some easy baskets here and there, and provide 6(hard) fouls. JO we needed the same from, too. It would've been nice because we would've had a big rotation of Perk, Shaq and JO who could all protect the paint and block shots all in their time on the court.

But then Ainge went and traded Perkins away...JO is injured. (despite the recent news I still believe Shaq will be back before JO, I still think how silly some people can be when they see "oh JO can be back as early as next week" and believe it) Shaq went from a luxury to a NECESSITY. Shaq was a necessity in Cleveland and in Pheonix, both didn't turn out so well at all. And IMO it doesn't look well at all for us if we need Shaq to be that necessity..

*yes I understand we need/needed wing depth which is why Perk got traded away for Jeff Green, so don't take it as me complaining about the trade still. We basically filled a hole in one area(wing depth) in exchange of making a hole in another area of our team,(front court depth). I still believe we can win it all with our current line up(with Shaq in it, JO would be a luxury), but it won't be pretty at all.

Though Shaq has the greater immediate impact, I'm betting more on JO's health at this point than Shaq's.   JO's kept on schedule and now without swelling since surgery, whereas Shaq's achilles has been a moving, troublesome target.

Shaq got cordazone shots to starting practicing. It's obviously not healing fast enough.
I agree that JO will be back in full flight before the big shamrock.

[winsomme]

I've said this somewhere else and I'll say it again:

Getting Shaq(and even JO) at the beginning of the season was great because we didn't need them to be a super star or anything..all we needed Shaq to do was plug up the lane, get some easy baskets here and there, and provide 6(hard) fouls. JO we needed the same from, too. It would've been nice because we would've had a big rotation of Perk, Shaq and JO who could all protect the paint and block shots all in their time on the court.

But then Ainge went and traded Perkins away...JO is injured. (despite the recent news I still believe Shaq will be back before JO, I still think how silly some people can be when they see "oh JO can be back as early as next week" and believe it) Shaq went from a luxury to a NECESSITY. Shaq was a necessity in Cleveland and in Pheonix, both didn't turn out so well at all. And IMO it doesn't look well at all for us if we need Shaq to be that necessity..

*yes I understand we need/needed wing depth which is why Perk got traded away for Jeff Green, so don't take it as me complaining about the trade still. We basically filled a hole in one area(wing depth) in exchange of making a hole in another area of our team,(front court depth). I still believe we can win it all with our current line up(with Shaq in it, JO would be a luxury), but it won't be pretty at all.

Though Shaq has the greater immediate impact, I'm betting more on JO's health at this point than Shaq's.   JO's kept on schedule and now without swelling since surgery, whereas Shaq's achilles has been a moving, troublesome target.

Shaq got cordazone shots to starting practicing. It's obviously not healing fast enough.
I agree that JO will be back in full flight before the big shamrock.

the cortisone shot combined with the fact the injury is to his achilles definitely calls into question the effectiveness of Shaq at any point this season....even if he makes it back to the floor.

it's going to be very difficult for Shaq to utilize his power in the way that we need him to...

until he hits the floor, however, this is all speculation. hopefully, he just comes back and is a force.

[jsingh1699]

for all we know, him taking the shot is part of his plan/schedule to getting back next week, so he oould still be on schedule. end of next week cant come soon enough.

[chambers]

I've said this somewhere else and I'll say it again:

Getting Shaq(and even JO) at the beginning of the season was great because we didn't need them to be a super star or anything..all we needed Shaq to do was plug up the lane, get some easy baskets here and there, and provide 6(hard) fouls. JO we needed the same from, too. It would've been nice because we would've had a big rotation of Perk, Shaq and JO who could all protect the paint and block shots all in their time on the court.

But then Ainge went and traded Perkins away...JO is injured. (despite the recent news I still believe Shaq will be back before JO, I still think how silly some people can be when they see "oh JO can be back as early as next week" and believe it) Shaq went from a luxury to a NECESSITY. Shaq was a necessity in Cleveland and in Pheonix, both didn't turn out so well at all. And IMO it doesn't look well at all for us if we need Shaq to be that necessity..

*yes I understand we need/needed wing depth which is why Perk got traded away for Jeff Green, so don't take it as me complaining about the trade still. We basically filled a hole in one area(wing depth) in exchange of making a hole in another area of our team,(front court depth). I still believe we can win it all with our current line up(with Shaq in it, JO would be a luxury), but it won't be pretty at all.

Though Shaq has the greater immediate impact, I'm betting more on JO's health at this point than Shaq's.   JO's kept on schedule and now without swelling since surgery, whereas Shaq's achilles has been a moving, troublesome target.

Shaq got cordazone shots to starting practicing. It's obviously not healing fast enough.
I agree that JO will be back in full flight before the big shamrock.

the cortisone shot combined with the fact the injury is to his achilles definitely calls into question the effectiveness of Shaq at any point this season....even if he makes it back to the floor.

it's going to be very difficult for Shaq to utilize his power in the way that we need him to...

until he hits the floor, however, this is all speculation. hopefully, he just comes back and is a force.

that's true,
but I think that if they can get him playing the first 6-7 minutes and just imposing around the paint- with hard fouls, it will be great at sending an early message and not letting teams get into a flow and taking 8-12 point leads early on in the game which has been happening too much lately.

[clover]

for all we know, him taking the shot is part of his plan/schedule to getting back next week, so he oould still be on schedule. end of next week cant come soon enough.

Didn't he say a few weeks ago something to the effect of his being old school and if it were up  to him he'd take the cortizone and get back out there, and if it came down to the playoffs that's still what he'd do, but the med staff wanted him to get it healed right, so he was following them?   That would seem to ave suggested that he'd take a cortizone shot if need be to get back out there, but that they were hoping to get him healthy via the rest and rehab route instead.

[Tai]

I've said this somewhere else and I'll say it again:

Getting Shaq(and even JO) at the beginning of the season was great because we didn't need them to be a super star or anything..all we needed Shaq to do was plug up the lane, get some easy baskets here and there, and provide 6(hard) fouls. JO we needed the same from, too. It would've been nice because we would've had a big rotation of Perk, Shaq and JO who could all protect the paint and block shots all in their time on the court.

But then Ainge went and traded Perkins away...JO is injured. (despite the recent news I still believe Shaq will be back before JO, I still think how silly some people can be when they see "oh JO can be back as early as next week" and believe it) Shaq went from a luxury to a NECESSITY. Shaq was a necessity in Cleveland and in Pheonix, both didn't turn out so well at all. And IMO it doesn't look well at all for us if we need Shaq to be that necessity..

*yes I understand we need/needed wing depth which is why Perk got traded away for Jeff Green, so don't take it as me complaining about the trade still. We basically filled a hole in one area(wing depth) in exchange of making a hole in another area of our team,(front court depth). I still believe we can win it all with our current line up(with Shaq in it, JO would be a luxury), but it won't be pretty at all.

You think it's "silly" to think JO will be back when he's a) not experienced swelling in three weeks and b) is essentially on schedule?

In comparison, Shaq now needs his foot in a boot to STOP swelling after all this time AND a cortisone shot.

I can understand if you think JO won't necessarily have enough time to be effective in the playoffs, but believe it or not, he looks like the healthier O'Neal at this point. I know, how'd that happen?

Ultimately, I think both will be good to go in the playoffs, even if that means JO plays a lil more than Shaq, but I do think both will play. Honestly, Krstic prolly just needs to come off the bench, where he may get more of the pick and pop plays he can really strive in while BBD is the inside man, and Shaq and JO coming back may finally let him do that.

[Marcus13]

Shaq has the wait of this team on his shoulders.  We can't compete for a championship without him.  This isn't new news.  All we can do is watch and pray