Shaq to Phoenix

"To be a mediocre center?" I don't think so. Everyone can talk about how Shaq can no longer post numbers like when he did at his prime. Sure, no more 20-10 nights like he did with the Los Angeles Lakers, but right now, I don't think he's shrunk to being a mediocre center. Mediocre means to be just one of the average guys, but that's not what they're paying him 20 million to do, and that's not what he's going to give him. First off, the injuries. Shaq has a very banged-up body by now with all the abuse he's taken over the years. He's not really Superman, and he doesn't have a body made of steel. But there's something overlooked in the big picture: the Phoenix Suns have some of the best doctors in the business. They overcame major injuries to Amare Stoudemire (microfracture surgery), Steve Nash, and Grant Hill (surprising everyone with a healthy performance this season, missing only a few games) in the past, and it's foolish to think these same doctors would take Shaq in with the team if they knew he couldn't play as many minutes as the Suns wanted him to play. He'll play, and with the right guidance and treatment, he'll stay on the floor. The numbers? Who needs twenty points from the Big Diesel? This is the Phoenix Suns, they've got scorers everywhere. Stoudemire and Nash can put up 20-30 points a night. Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, and Grant Hill can contribute around 15 points each, and they still a few more options deeper down their bench. Shaq should be able to contribute, but if was managing the Suns, I'd be happy with about 10 points per game. That's probably enough for scoring, but what I would want Shaq to do is grab those rebounds (something they will need plenty of from O'Neal as Marion left a huge hole in this category) and intimidate people in the paint. No more scoring at will in the paint against the open court Phoenix style of play, not with Shaq playing the Big Cactus role in the middle. Amir Johnson of the Detroit Pistons got a taste of that the last time Detroit won against Phoenix (send tumbling down by a later apologetic Shaq on defense), and that's the type of play the Suns are going to need from him. And he's not going to do that just like other centers are doing right now: there's a huge difference in how a player would react to seeing Shaq in the middle. Just imagine this comparison: situation one would yield, "Man, Zaza Pachulia's blocking the paint, but I don't care, I can take him," and situation two would yield, "Oh man, Shaq's there. Good thing I can pull up for a jumper from out here." The Suns are known for their great passing (led by Nash). Amare's a great passer, so are Hill and Barbosa. It's an often overlooked fact, but Shaq also is a great passer, and he loves to kick the ball out from the post to three pointers outside, something the Suns have a lot of. It's definitely a sight I'm looking forward to. Lastly, I don't think that with all the championship experiences, the valuable knowledge of dealing with the best players on and off the court, the humor, the spirit of wanting to get to the top, and just the presence of one Shaquille O'Neal can ever be played down enough to call him a mediocre center. He's one of the best players ever to play the game, and while he can no longer break glasses and pull entire boards down in a game, he still brings enough on and off the court to just be the guy the Suns need to get that championship. I think the trade was worth it.