http://www.yardbarker.com/users/gderron Recent Yardbarker Articles: gderron en-us I've taken much time out of life these past few months, inclu ing quitting my job, to figure out how I personally can help Phoenix in it's new quest for efensive ominance. EUREKA!!! I hath foun it. All we nee to o is change the spelling. From this moment forth, our team shall be known as the Dphoenix Suns............... WAIT, people would try to pronounce that D, woul n't they. I on't want to change the soun of the name, just the spelling. Well, maybe they coul be the Pdhoenix Suns. The D would be silent, kin of like that 'O' that oesn't belong. WAIT, we on't want no silent D! We on't even want a quiet D. We nee a lou a$$ D, like when the oor bell rings and scares the hell out of me an my og. You know just when it gets to the really super scary part of the new 90210 series an all of a su en- " ING! ONG!". Gets me every time. That's the kin of D we nee in Dphoenix. Great SCOTT!!! I i it again. From this ay forth they will be known as the Phoenix Sunds. The D isn't silent, but it oesn't really change the team name. For 16 years this organization has been ealing with this efense ilemma, but I the great Germar erron figure it out in two months. hmmm.... but where do we get the D? We can't just conjure up a mythical letter D. (can we?) Of course we can always take our D from the usual suspects- the enver Nuggets or former Sunds coach Mike 'Antoni. If you watche the Car inals/ olphins game then you're aware of the big fat D lying on a beach in Miami. OHHHHHHHH SNAP- I got it! The Arizona Diamondbacks. We won't have to go too far and they have TWO Ds in ONE team name. That's two much D for one team, that no one even cares about. Check this out- Arizona Diamonbacks. Name oesn't even change. I've been in Arizona for two weeks and I've one what the entire state coul n't o for over a eca e. The eal is one. The ecision has been ma e. New team names are the Arizona Diamonbacks and the Phoenix Sunds. hol the applause. Thank me after the Sunds beat the Celtics in six. Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:36:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/340318 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/340318 ESPN reported 20 minutes ago that Chad signed with the Dolphins- 2 years 11.5 mill which makes him the starter. Is he an improvement or just a waste of money? Who gets cut now? What are the fantasy implications? What are his Madden ratings? I'm losin' it. I know he's smart and a leader and stuff, but that dude really can't throw at all and he's the definition of injury prone. AARGH!!! Sat, 09 Aug 2008 01:04:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303423 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303423 Well here's ESPN's Scoop Jackson's answer. I don't really agree, but I'm glad someone's giving one of the greatest offensive forces ever some attention. It's not just the dunks either- 33% on threes, 80% on free throws, 60% on 18 footers, a lil crossover... Defense would be nice, but beggers can't be choosers. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:36:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303292 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303292 The Len Bias tragedy has always intrigued me. I'm curious about the details of what happened and why. I'm curious about what might have been. I'm curious about the number of tragic deaths in the Celtics organization and how that effected their legacy. I was too young to really follow basketball at the time, but my teachers all thought that if Bias had ever suited up, we'd be paying $200 a pair for Air Bias'. I did get to somewhat know coach Charles G. "Lefty" Driesell while a student at and fan of Georgia State University. I never thought about it until right now, we had an amazing run while he was there, but couldn't get over the hump. During that period two of our top players were killed and another was booted for drugs... Curious. Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:52:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283690 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283690 Many of us have debated about it, but as far as I know I'm the only one who has actually seen the game with my own two eyes, and it was amazing. I welcome your debate about what might have "really" happened, the various match-ups, the rule changes etc. In my latest basketball computer sim I created the once in a lifetime game of games that people would pay to see. I understand how dorky this is, but it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. To hear- "Pippen to Jordan" and "Stockton to Malone" again, to watch Barkley block Amare's shots- I was screaming and cheering and on my feet for the entire fourth quarter AND overtime. To create this fantasy of fantasies I actually had to re-create the entire Dream Team. It wasn't difficult because I just took there actual stats and plugged them in- height, weight, position, shooting percentages, tendencies, dominant hand, etc. The new generation guys just had to be put on one roster together. Of course, I don't know who'll be on the final roster, but I think we all know who the top seven or eight are. Here's a breakdown on how IT went down: The first quarter was fairly even, although it was obvious that the DT was the better team. They were bullies in the lane, shot higher percentages and played better D. The star of the first was Charles Barkley with 10 points. The defense played by both squads was phenomenal. Many blocks and steals, by the usual suspects. Team USA had no answer for Chuck, but the DT had no answer for STAT who finished the quarter with 8. In the second quarter the DT started to pull away. They played like "grown men". Jordan stepped it up with a few steals, jumpers and an amazing dunk. Clyde followed suit. Magic was bullying Jason Kidd and TUSA was down by 11 mid way through the 2nd quarter. Recent subs, Kobe and Shawn Marion provided a spark. At this point the TUSA offense consisted of Kidd lobbing it to Marion and a few jump-shots by Kobe and Lebron. With defense and dunks Trix almost single handedly cut the lead to 5 points by halftime. Barkley led all scorers with 15 points at the half. At the start of the third TUSA made a line-up change by starting Trix at PF and moving Stat to center. It worked as TUSA took a four point lead as Trix went to the bench at the five minute mark, with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 8 steals in about 12 minutes of pt. David Robinson was dominant in the lane- swatting shots and making everything. He got his own rebound at least four times to score on the second chance. Barkley was swatting everything. Pippen was ripping and running and Jordan was picking off passes like Deion. For some odd reason Malone kept bringing the ball up the court. I never did figure that one out. At the start of the fourth the "grown men" quickly took over and erased the lead. Pippen, Robinson, Barkley- it really didn't matter. Everyone shot low percentages throughout, but the DT definitely had a "BIG" advantage (get it). With about five minutes left the DT was up by seven. TUSA shut them down on defense, but couldn't score. That's when Dwayne Wade took OVER. He took it to Jordan like I've never seen. Spins in the lane, crossovers, head fakes. I think he got him for 3 straight baskets and a nasty 'and 1' dunk. The DT didn't rollover and die though. Barkley, Pippen and Robinson kept the lead. So with 23 seconds left TUSA was down by three and they give the ball to Lebron James. Lebron works it around and around the perimeter. My heart is thumping when all of a sudden right on the sideline he throws up a three over Pippen- SWISH with .3 left on the clock. TIE GAME, OVERTIME The first made three of the game! In overtime Magic takes over and dominates Kidd. In the lane, a foot inside the three, lay-ups- swish, swish and swish. Kidd has no answer. He's too small, too short. The DT is up by seven with three minutes left. Amare decides to takeover. He's missing a lot, but getting bounds, getting to the line, getting blocks. TUSA down by five. Kidd decides to give it back to Magic- a steal, fast break- lay-up. On the next possession he takes him right to the rim- another lay-up. TUSA down by one. A steal by Lebron and a timeout. 20 seconds left Everyone knows where they're going. They give the ball to STAT and he's immediately doubled. He kicks it back to LBJ. He gives it back to STAT but Barkley's there. Back to LBJ. He passes back to STAT who's trying to back-down Barkley, but he ain't budging so he passes it back to Lebron. With less than a second Lebron lets a three rip, from the opposite sideline of his first overtime clinching three, over Jordan and Pippen- there's no time on the clock. That red light is on- SWISH. TUSA wins by two- 99-97. That's only the second three of the game that anyone has hit. Amare won player of the game. You can't make that up. It was amazing! I'm probably going to have a lot of fun with this. I didn't control substitutions or line-ups so many people didn't get in the game or played very minimal minutes, but in a game like this Christian Laettner and Tayshaun Prince probably wouldn't have played anyway right? Here's the juiciest of individual stats: Player.....................Pts...Rbds...Assts...stls...blks...Tos...Fg% Team USA Lebron James..........24........5........5......5......0..........5....476 Dwayne Wade..... ...21... 2 .... ...5 ... 6 ... 0...... 3.....454 Jason Kidd .............18... 3 ......... 9 ...... 7..... 0.......17....533 Stoudemire ............16...13...........3........2.....6.........0......307 Shawn Marion ........ 12... 11 .........2....... 8.... 2.........6......352 Kobe Bryant............. 4......2...........0.........3....0.........0......333 D. Howard ...............2.......7...........5.........4.....1.........0.....1.00 Chris Bosh...............2........3..........0.........2.....2.........1.......250 C. Billups ...............0........1...........4.........4.....0.........5......000 Dream Team Magic................... 20........ 5........13........ 5..... 4.......14.....476 Barkley .................19......10..........3..........2......4........5.....428 S. Pippen..............16.......10.........3..........4.......1........3.....347 Robinson...............16......11.........2..........5........5........4.....470 M. Jordan..............12........6..........2..........9........2....... 4.....428 K. Malone................4........3..........7..........1........2....... 6.....500 P. Ewing..................4........4...........0.........0........1........1......285 Chris Mullin............ 4........3...........2.........3.........0....... 3.....500 C. Drexler...............2........1............2....... 4..........0.......1......333 Larry Bird...............0.........4...........2........0..........0.......0......000 Fri, 09 May 2008 19:35:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265344 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265344 The title of this piece is commonly said but inaccurate at best and may be totally incorrect. Age is much more than a number. It's a symbol of constants throughout time. It's symbolic of a level of maturity, emotional development, physical attributes. Age is the system we use to measure these things- this average of values taken from men and women throughout various cultures and classes over a hundred years. This article is almost a direct response to comments on a particular mb about athletes being old, older being better, better being younger, what defines age etc, etc. The common thought is that yes younger athletes may run faster and jump higher, but they don't have the years of knowledge and wisdom of their senior teammates (awareness). Speed is not the only aspect of your personal athleticism that declines with time. Add on reaction time, quickness, mental speed and recovery time. Feel those aches when you workout that were never there before and realize that you are getting injured more easily each year. Of course there are 40 yr-olds who can outrun 18 yr-olds and I'm sure that the Spurs could beat a high school varsity team with ease, but don't fool yourself. Youth truly is wasted on the young. On average we peak physically at about age 25. This means that you have the most potential for physicality at that point. You may not hit your peak until you're 30 and past the greatest potential point. I hit my peak at about 17 or 18 and it's been all downhill since then. I'll use my self for example so I want hurt anyone's feelings or have someone give me any negative response. Before the age of 20 I was an uncanny physical specimen and had no idea. I was about 30 pounds underweight, but toned. I had an eight-pack. I ran 4.3-40s, 10.8 hundreds and 12minute 2-miles with ease. I barely ever sweat, never got tired and never felt any soreness. I'd never been injured. I could do 66 sit-ups in 60 seconds, 75 push-ups, dunk a basketball yada yada yada you get the idea. By age 21 I'd gained 40 pounds and was now in my "ideal" weight range. I could not make it around a 1/4-mile track once without stopping. I couldn't touch a basketball rim. Every time I ran to catch the bus I'd land awkwardly on my ankle and have soreness for days. I couldn't do more than 10 push ups and for the first time ever I would be dripping in sweat all the time. I would be out of breath if I ever ran up stairs or couldn't find the remote and had to get up and change the channel. What happened? Yes, I did stop being active. Yes, I did eat all the wrong things. But I'd done these things my whole life. By the time I turned 23 it was getting ridiculous. I had man boobs, had gained another 10-lbs and the crazy thing was everyone liked me more. The girls thought I looked better because I was bigger. The guys respected me more. It was like gaining 50lbs made me a real man. So I had to do something about it. My last semester in college I took personal fitness and I had a separate personal trainer for two years after graduation. I had to do this because everything was becoming more difficult. Good thing I didn't have a girlfriend. Man was it harder though. Always aches and pains. Always out of breath. And I never have come close to the times I ran (easily) just a few years earlier. The apex of this very humbling experience was blowing away the competition at a track meet and tearing both hamstrings in the process. I could barely walk for weeks. The pain was like fire. I knew I'd never be the same. I was 25. I could go on, but the point of this is that it happens to everyone. There's no way around it. No doctor, trainer, or program will ever give a 33 yr-old his best possible 25 yr-old legs back. All your favorite athletes will decline. When we say that 32 yr-old athletes look old they're not being compared to your 32 yr-old brother, they're being compared to themselves 10 years prior. All of the world's knowledge won't stop a 20 yr-old who can run a 4.19. Wisdom won't give you legs to double jump. SO the next time you hear anyone say, "man, he looks old" understand what they mean. "Man he is a shell of his former self. Five to ten years ago that would've been a dunk- and one" Fri, 09 May 2008 10:30:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265179 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265179 This is a really good read on the Jacksonville Jaguars and QB David Garrard. I like the guy, the coach and the team but I'll never know why they gave a 30 yr-old a max deal like that- SEVEN YEARS!!! And you'll hear otherwise, but I have strong ties to Jacksonville and have been to nine games down there- there is NOT nearly enough support for that team, but it makes sense. Jacksonville (the city) has a population of 800,000. To fill the stadium each Sunday would require 10% of the residents to be at Jacksonville Municipal. That's not happening. Also, with the Jaguars only being around for about 15 years this will be the first generation of fans who grew up as Jags fans. Most of them were Dolphins, Cowboys, Steelers or 49er fans (sorry Bucs). It's hard to replace what's in your heart. Many people still don't know how to act when the Jags and Phins play. At least they have a "good guy" at quarterback. Good luck this season. : ) Wed, 07 May 2008 23:08:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264605 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264605 I never liked Karl Malone and many people share the feeling. Here's just one more reason to dislike Kuntry Karl. If this is all true, he's a total loser, rapist, deadbeat dad and should be stripped of his Olympic medals. Money really does make the world go 'round... Wed, 07 May 2008 13:26:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264314 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264314 Bill Simmons' latest on the Phoenix Suns. It's like a eulogy. You know- "He was kinda a jerk, but man Phoenix had a good heart" or "He'd give you his last if he didn't spend it on crack" Fri, 02 May 2008 00:30:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/262549 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/262549 I re-simulated the NBA playoffs 50 times to get an even more accurate view of what we might see during "The Best Western Showdown Ever"- the NBA playoffs. If you don't know what I'm taking about please go read my previous article which is titled "NBA 2008 Playoffs Simulated with Updated Rosters". Of course I previuosly did this before the trade deadline and immediately afterwards teams made trades, dropped players, murdered coaches, etc, etc. So, I waited until after the trade deadline and re-simulated with ALL 16 potentially playoff bound teams. This time I simulated the playoffs 50 times for better supposed accuracy. I actually completed this weeks ago, but I hated the results so much that I put off writing this. It results in a much tighter race, so make of it what you will. Here are the results: The Magic, Nets, Raptors, Hornets and Warriors each won one title for a 2% chance of getting a ring. The PISTONS only won twice which gives them a 4% chance at the trophy. ? Spurs* got through four times for an 8% chance at repeating. The Nuggets got five virtual titles for a 10% shot- %&$@!!! The Cavs and Suns have great shots with 6 titles and a 12% chance. (Cavs love being in the east). The Lakers and Celtics take 2nd place with 7 titles each and a 14% chance of personally pissing me off. And ladies and gentleman your 2008 simulated NBA champions are the Dallas Mavericks??? hahahahahahahahahahaha- well that's what the PC says, but I think that Dirk and the Mavs are the worst thing in the league currently. A seven-foot small forward who can't defend and has no athleticism or heart???? Well they won 8 ships and that gives them a 16% chance at redemption- hahahahahaha The west now has a 64% chance of winning this thing. Apparently the Pistons (top 2 team in my book) have almost no shot at winning. The Hawks, Jazz and Wizards did not win one simulated finals series. The Sixers weren't included because I started the process before they went on their win streak, they didn't make HUGE trades and because- come on, the Sixers- really. The Celtics and Suns were still the highest rated teams with a 94 of 100 rating. GO SUNS!!! Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:05:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/228792 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/228792 Best NBA (post)season ever! ? -in the west, the answer is a big YES! Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:29:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/220917 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/220917 Recently I took a job as an announcer and host for a touring basketball show team. I'm purposely not naming this team so that I don't violate the terms of my contract, ruffle any feathers, burn any bridges, hurt any feelings, etc, etc. Sounds like a dream job right- pretty girls, exciting games, floor seats? Well I'm not that naive. I knew it would be hard work and a hard life on the road, but it may be even more than I can take and I can take a ton times two. My title says Host/Announcer. My duties include playing all music and effects, setting up and striking audio, acting, dancing, banter/improv, announcing, commentating (is that a word), driving the bus, carrying the coaches' luggage, managing the opposing teams, managing the refs, managing the scorekeeper and board, handling contests and prizes, working with the sponsors, calling plays, security (PLEASE NO CAMERAS, ONE LINE, GET OFF THE COURT, etc) and general schmoozing? with all important people related to the event AND being a role model (no drinking, no women, no drugs and lots of work with kids, not that I have a prob with this). The pay is terrible and the expenses are high. I eat last (when I get to eat), I have to sit in the back of the vehicle when I'm not driving and my companions are 6'5", 23 yr-old, baby-daddys who complain about their arduous life of putting a ball through a hole and having sex with gorgeous 19 yr-old blondes. So outside of what I mentioned above and the heavy lifting I do and the thankless nature of my work, the only problem I have with this job is the traveling. I'm too old and too unhealthy for road life. I have migraines, ulcers, bad kidneys, liver and bladder, I don't sleep (period), I have to pee every 45 minutes and I found out that I never have gas until you close a van door for 11 hours. Oh yeah- the thankless part really sucks. I've been doing this work my whole life and I knew that once I stepped backstage and off-camera that I'd be out of the spotlight, but man this really sucks now. It sucks when a mob of gorgeous teenage girls rush towards you to anxiously ask when number 10 will be out of the locker room. It sucks that people are really impressed by and interested in me until I tell them that I'm not actually a basketball player. It sucks even more when I tell people I'm WITH the team- and they say, "WHY?" It sucks being the "shortest" guy (6'0) and apparently not the most handsome (and they think I'm fat, too). So, why would I ever even finish this season, when so many people say don't? Great experience, that will hopefully look good on the world's longest (my) resume. Hopefully it will lead to something else- like a job with the NBA's Phoenix Suns... If I break my contract, I lose most of the money that they aren't paying me? I'd do it for the kids man! I really love working with kids and everyone thinks I'm so gifted with them. I'd do it for the guys! When you're on the road for a month with seven guys in a van you form the best of brotherly bonds. Even though none of us would have ever talked to each other outside of this situation, we do genuinely have a good time together and care for each other- even that weirdo announcer dude. There are a few perks: very good meals, meeting wonderful people- including NBA and NFL players, mayors and senators, photos and autograph sessions- when that little eight-year old, red-haired, freckled-face, white girl comes up to me after a game while I'm coiling cables and asks for my autograph because she's impressed by what I do- it gets me every time, riding in limos, the occasional Star treatment and most importantly getting to see 6'7" ripped black guys walking around naked while constantly questioning my fitness level, haircut, driving ability, manhood and aversion to the purchase of "Magnums"- wait, all those things sucked too. :) Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:10:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/218680 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/218680 The latest craze in sports predictions are video game and computer simulations. You see them all the time on ESPN and people having been doing this since at least the 70s. I've been doing this as well, since way back on my Super Nintendo. With all of the recent trades and "hoopla" I decided to do my own NBA playoff simulation using updated current rosters. It wasn't easy either because I had to fantasy draft all the teams and arrange them in an order so that teams likely to meet in the playoffs would meet in the sim (no east-west meets until finals right). I won't go into details about what games or year or system I used. I can tell you that previous results of other experts had Phoenix taking Boston in seven (prior to recent trades). I understand that there are flaws such as the players' individual ratings, the programmed style of plays, coaching adjustments, injuries etc. But this is all just for fun right? I only chose the eight teams that I felt actually had a shot at the title. Four from each conference. There are two ways to do this- one shot winner takes all or the more accuarate cumulative results of anywhere from 10-100 simulations. I chose the latter and be lucky I did. The teams included Lakers-92, Spurs-91, Suns-94, Hornets-90, Pistons-91, Celtics-94, Magic-90, Cavs-92. The numbers next to each team indicates their overall rating, after I updated the rosters. If you're new to gaming it's like the college grading system. Don't complain about the teams I picked, because barring trades or injury you know the Mavs, Jazz and Nuggets aren't winning a title. Also- screw the east. It IS a two dog race. BTW, I'm no lame. I have a master's degree and taught research studies to undergrads. On to the results. I watched some games and took notes of trends and statistics. Here are some that caught my eye: (by team) Spurs Still good. Damon Stoudamire helps offensively. Finley still a top shooter. Their big three CAN be stopped. Bruce Bowen can get hot. Lakers Success depended mostly on- Odom. If he has big games they win. Gasol wasn't as big of a factor in sims. Mostly a big body that rebounds. Kobe averages about 28ppg. May be the deepest team. Don't sleep on Ariza, Walton, Farmar or anyone else on this bench. Suns Shaq could average anywhere from 9-26ppg. No longer a rebounder or shot blocker. Maxes out at about 26mpg. Plays first quarter and fourth quarter. He's still very clutch. Really talented squad. Bell, Diaw and Hill will be the difference. Pistons could be a problem in a finals match. They held Shaq to 9ppg and were great on both ends. Hornets Peja Stojakovic is the pulse of the team. To win he has to be ON. Paul is Nash-like. Very even and consistent play. Chandler is still not polished offensively. Celtics Not very deep after the big three and two halves, but they are overachievers. Posey, House, Perkins et al seem to step it up at the right time. They NEED a PG. House turns it over too much. Does Posey ever run point- he could. Pistons Rasheed IS their MVP- pretty flawless at both ends. Definition of a team. They have too many options/weapons. Maxiell was a beast! Magic Many unlikely heroes from the bench. Howard was hurt in one sim and they still won a couple of rounds. Lewis has the talent to take it to the next level on occasion. Cavs LBJ!!! is pretty unstoppable. 40 point games. He could average a triple double in a series. Lebron and Hughes shouldn't play together. Hughes is not a point guard. Gibson can get hot quick and cool off just as fast. No lead is safe against this squad. This postseason should see a record number of three-pointers taken and/or made- led by Raja and Finley. sooooooooo WHO won? After 10 simulations the Spurs, Celts, Hornets and Pistons each won one title, the Lakers won two titles and your 2008 champions after winning FOUR titles are the Phoenix Suns!!! The Suns beat each eastern conference team once in route to the their four rings. They never lost in the finals. So to summarize: The Phoenix Suns have a 40% chance of winning the title this year. The Magic and Cavs have no chance of winning it. There is an 80% chance that a Western Conference team will win the title. Only the Celtics and Pistons have a shot at beating the west. any questions? Sat, 09 Feb 2008 21:00:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/134239 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/134239 I know it's not a done deal yet, but I felt that I had to write about this- especially considering my now infamous SHAQ!!! blog I've never seen this much buzz about a potential Suns trade, so it must be as close as frog's hair- (I heard it on tv last night). We all know the obvious negatives- slow, fat, ego, out-of-shape, old, horrible FT%, sits in lane for entire possesions. (I just hate the 20mill contract, most in Suns history?) So let's talk about the positives of this potential future Sun. Shaq brings respect from refs, coaches, the media and other players. When the Diesel is parked in the lane- NO ONE is driving to the hoop. Right now with Amare there, players almost get a free pass to the rim. Shaq at his worst (right now) is getting 15 pts, 8 boards, a couple assists and a block. Similar numbers to Trix, but Shaq is also still drawing double teams. The Suns will finally start getting calls from the refs. Go look at foul statistics from when MJ played for the Wiz- yep all of sudden teams were fouling them "more" with Jordan on the roster. I think Shaq will have that same effect in Phoenix. Remember Shaq sucked last year, but when Wade went down he put together a string of 30 and 10 games to get the Heat to the playoffs. That was only one year ago, so don't think that that ability magically disappeared on his next birthday. Superman can still turn it on when he actually gives a damn. I think that with another shot at a ring or two in Phoenix he'll give that damn. I mean really, who wants to bust their butt for a team with 10 wins in February. Another mistake the whole world is making is the line-up issue. Amare moves to the 4, Shaq has to learn to run with Nash, etc, etc. HELLOOOO McFly!!!!Why do we all assume Shaq will start. On my team he'd have to leave his egos, MVPs, rings, and record all-star appearances in Miami (his wife has half of that anyway) and come off of the bench. Everyone keeps saying he can't run, but he won't have to. That's our problem! When Steve rests everyone just kinda hangs around in a halfcourt set waiting for something to happen. It looks like we couldn't acquire another TRUE pg, so when Steve's not on the court we're just not going to run. We're already doing that this year anyway. Instead of losing leads we're going to give it to Shaq, let him knock people over and dunk like he's done his entire career. When they triple team him he'll just kick it out to LB for three or Thrill from 15ft. You guys have been complaining about getting bigs for years. So they went out and got the biggest MOFO in the history of basketball- and you complain. And you know what, IF Tiny becomes a Sun you better love him anyway. That's what defines a true fan. You love the Phoenix Suns regardless of the names on the roster. You loved Mark West, Walter McCarty, Oliver Miller, Richard Dumas, Clifford Robinson and you're going to love that 335-pound bald, black, rapping genie. Now go buy some Pepsi, Icy Hot, Reeboks and Vitamin Water :) Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:08:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/132002 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/132002