No More Shaq Items! OK, Just One More

Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns had a great season, but Shaquille O’Neal should have been voted most valuable player for several reasons:

1. The Miami Heat had a great season, even though Shaq was obtained by a trade in which the Miami Heat gave up its star player, Lamar Odom.

2. Nash was added to Phoenix as a free agent. How well would Nash and Phoenix have fared had Amare Stoudemire or Shawn Marion been traded for Nash?

3. The Dallas Mavericks did not play appreciably worse, despite the loss of Nash.

4. The Lakers crashed and burned because of the loss of Shaq. Even the player who was considered one of the best one-on-one defenders suddenly lost his ability to defend.

Statistics are nice, but points, rebounds, assists and even weight don’t tell the whole story.

Richard Raffalow

Valley Glen