Miami Heat vs. Shaquille O'Neal Part I

Emptying my notebook before the Miami vs. Phoenix game Friday on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET, the first of two regular season meetings between the teams. This is the first time Shaquille O'Neal and Shawn Marion are facing their former teams. The game at U.S. Airways Center comes nearly 10 months since the blockbuster trade sent Marion and guard Marcus Banks to Miami and O'Neal to Phoenix.

Steve Kerr, Phoenix Suns general manager:

(on how the trade for Shaq has worked out for the Suns): "Shaq has been great for us. He came into this season in great shape, he’s playing better than he has in years. We’ve been thrilled. He’s been a great teammate, he’s done everything we’ve asked of him."

(why Shaq is playing better than he has in the past few years): "Well he’s definitely in better shape a year ago when we got him. We’re definitely going to him more. Last year he played well but we didn’t go to him a whole lot in the post. He did a good job of adapting to our style. Now we’re trying to forge a new style and he’s trying to help us with that."

ESPN analyst Jon Barry, who is on the broadcast team calling Friday's game:

(on whether the trade has worked out better for Phoenix or Miami):  "Well, can we say neither? Obviously Phoenix rolled the dice bringing Shaq in to an up-tempo team and they had to change the way they played. Losing in the first round (last year) obviously you wouldn't say it was a success.

     "On the Miami side Marion was banged up a little bit, and this is a team that doesn’t have all the pieces it needs to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. Certainly lack of size is a problem. I think Shawn Marion is a good compliment to Dwyane Wade and very capable player. I don’t think the team is where it needs to be for the future. A lot of moves need to happen."

Comments

[me]

Pg- Mario Chaalmers
Sg- Dwayne Wade
Sf- Shawn Marion
Pf- Micheal Beasley
C- Udonis Haslem

or

Pg- Mario Chalmers
Sg- Dwayne Wade
Sf- Micheal Beasley
Pf- Udonis Haslem
C- Shaquile O'neal

[JESSE]

ILL TAKE SHAQ HE WOULD SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS IN THE FRONTLINE AND WE WOULD BE CONTENDING... FOR NOW I BELIVE WE SHOULD HAVE KEPT SHAQ EVEN THO HIS CONTRACT IS PRETTY HUGE.. OUR PROBLEM WASNT SHAQ OUR PROBLEM STARTED WHEN WE SIGNED WALKER (HORRIBLE) AND IT BECAME WORST WHEN WE TRADED WITH THE WOLVES FOR RICK AND MARK SLUMP. (WORST TRADE EVER!!!!) NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF SLUMPS CONTRACT BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE LOST OUR PICK. WITH THAT PICK WE COULD HAVE TRADED FOR A MIKE MILLER TYPE PLAYER WHICH WOULD HAVE US ON TOP OF THE EAST IN MY OPINION. RILEY DID A HORRIBLE JOB AND TRY BLAMING SHAQ FOR NOT BEING COMMITTED SO I MUUSSSTTT DEFEND HIM. (BESIDES SHAQ IS A WINNER AND I DONT BLAME HIM FOR NOT WANTING TO PLAY WITH RICK, QUINN BLUNT AND THE REST OF THE BUMS RILEY KEEPS SCREWING US UP WITH) THE END.

[duh2000]

Um just remember if we would of kept Shaq there would of been the possibility that we would of won more than 15 games last season. Which means we might not of gotten the 2nd pick in the draft. AKA no Beasley.