The Panic Button

Did the Phoenix Suns push the panic button a little too early when they made the trade for Shaquille O'Neal? Growing up a Los Angeles Lakers fan I have become accustomed to teams feeling inferior to the Lakers.

They are the team to beat, every year, no matter what. Anytime a team goes into the Lakers' house they play their very best. Playing in front of Hollywood stars and seeing the championship banners in the rafters can do a funny thing to opposing teams.

The Suns obviously made the Shaq trade in response to the Lakers acquiring Pau Gasol for Stone Hands and a bag of chips.

Is it going to work out for the Suns? Early indications are no. Shaq looked horrible Sunday versus the Detroit Pistons (3-8 from the field, 1-8 from the foul line) but he did get 11 rebounds in the loss. In their win versus the Boston Celtics he had 4 points on 1-5 shooting, while grabbing 14 rebounds.

Shaq is not going to get 15+ shots in a game, probably will not get 10 shots in a game, so the offense is going to have to come from Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash. Stoudemire has looked great with Shaq taking up the paint, but how much of the load can the dude take on?

Five to six minute bursts each quarter for Shaq is probably the best way to go for the Suns. Sad to see a giant fall in front of our eyes.

That is what they are missing with Shawn Marion over in Miami: his versatility to do what they need. Shaq will do a couple things for the Suns: rebound (when he feels like it), take up the paint, get a couple of alley-oop dunks. With Marion they had three-point shooting, rebounding, his driving to the basket, defense on the opposing teams' best player, assists... the list goes on.

Perhaps Mike D'Antoni saw the smile on Phil Jackson's face post-Gasol trade and thought to himself, "I want that."

Mike D'Antoni Likes To Whine

Throughout the NBA season you will see Mike D'Antoni crying up and down the court. I do not think there is anything worse then seeing that dude whine. Google him, 90% of the images that come up are like the one to the left.

Last night, D'Antoni did not take kindly to Phil Jackson and his timing of calling a timeout. Jackson called a timeout immediately after D'Antoni had, with the Los Angeles Lakers blowing out the Phoenix Suns. D'Antoni went nuts immediately after he called the timeout, and looked like a hyena excited about seeing a lion.

You can read Jacksons lips in the following video, "what the f**k is wrong with you? Go sit down!":

D'Antoni had this to say after the game:

"Yeah, I was pretty upset," D'Antoni said. "I thought he disrespected our players. But he likes to play the mind games and that's fine. He might want to try to do it in playoff time when we bust them every year."

You got some balls D'Antoni... little as they are, you have no room to make such a comment. Every year? I guess two years in a row constitutes "every year". Just how many championships have you won? What is that I hear? Oh that is right, nothing, meaning zero.

If Jackson had the talent you had on your squad he would have already won back-to-back titles. Your players underachieve in the playoffs, and take on the persona of their head coach: whiners. This Lakers team took your team to the brink of elimination, and would have easily defeated you had Kobe Bryant possessed a teammate better than your average gym basketball player.

D'Antoni would not be able to take this Lakers team to the playoffs like Jackson has the past two years.

Jackson had this to say about D'Antoni flipping out:

"He wasn't thinking straight. That's all," Jackson said of D'Antoni. "He'd understand that if he thought about it for a second. I think he thought I was trying to showboat or grandstand. But when you have a mandatory timeout coming in a minute and a half or something like that, just get it out of the way."

You know Jackson was smiling when he said that.

Memo to D'Antoni: you do know you are Mike D'Antoni right? Win something, and then talk.

I think I am going to take back my prediction that the Suns are winning it all this year.

(Side note: I just noticed Lakers assistant coach Frank Hamblem smiling after Jackson tells D'Antoni to sit down. Classic.)