NBA Basketball Betting: Phoenix Suns

The trade that brought the Big Cactus to the desert is proving to be the best deadline deal of 'em all. A look at the Suns.

NBA Basketball Betting: Phoenix Rising

Critics of the trade that brought Shaq to Phoenix are quickly being silenced

March 26, 2008
By Mike Halford
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

Well, we hope they continue to criticize us because it definitely motivates Shaq. One of the other factors in this trade is you are getting a guy with something to prove, a guy who is motivated and who in the past has used motivation to win championships.

When he won a title in Miami two years ago, a lot of people said they couldn't do it, including me. I was working for [Turner Network Television] at the time, and I didn't think they could win it. But Shaq has made a career of proving people wrong."

-Phoenix Suns GM Steve Kerr to the Wall Street Journal.

After nine games with Shaquille O'Neal in the lineup, the Phoenix Suns were 3-6.

They looked disorganized on defense. Discombobulated on offense.

In fact, there was nothing to indicate that the blockbuster deal - which sent Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to Miami - would be any more fruitful than the similarly questionable deal by Dallas to acquire Jason Kidd (the Mavs are 9-8 with Kidd) or Cleveland picking up Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West (10-7 since).

But that all changed on March 8.

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