What’s the big idea? Shaq as a Hawk wouldn’t work

Shaq is self centered and is self serving. Ever stop to wonder why he has now been on 5 teams in 8 years?Wondering why Cleveland is not offering Shaq a contract? Shaq is always about the camera, the money and himself.

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‘Shaq is the size of Stone Mountain’

How’s that a bad thing in the defensive paint?

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Mark,

I have a brief counterargument.

Everyone said that Jamal Crawford was more hindrance than help to a team, but the Hawks finally got it right when they put him on the bench. I think the same would happen Shaq, if he’s willing to accept a bench role.

I have a modified version of your 5 points listed, but they are stated assuming Shaq would come in as a bench player.

1) Shaq has almost nothing left, but what he has left is an upgrade over any other attainable back-up center.

2) Shaq isn’t as good as Al Horford, but he would be well-suited for special situations, which is why he should come off the bench.

3) Adding Shaq as a back-up center would bolster the Hawks frontcourt as he’s (as already stated) an instant upgrade over Zaza.

4) In all the situations where Shaq hindered a teams success, he was starting, just like Jamal Crawford. Once Crawford was allowed to focus on what he does best and nothing else, he had a career year.

5) As long as we don’t insert into our starting line-up, I doubt it’d be a Moses Malone repeat. We wouldn’t be putting the fate of entire games and series in his hands at back-up center, we’d be utilizing him when needed for what he does best.

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Soulstar – mostly agree with your 5 points. The biggest question will be whether or not Shaq will accept a backup role. If he’s willing, I say let’s get him.

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BRINGING IN SHAQ IS THE EQUIVELENT TO BRING IN WILT CHAMBERLIN IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES TO THE LAKERS, EXCEPT WILT WAS A TAD BIT BETTER. HOW ABOUT GOING FOR HOWARD WHEN HIS CONTRACT IS UP? I’VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHY ATLANTA SPORTS TEAMS DON’T ATTRACT THE BEST, THEY ALL SEEM TO LIVE THERE.

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There comes a point in which ASG and guys like Mark Bradley have to ask themselves if just winning a playoff series is good enough, because apparently it is for guys like MB and the majority of the fans on this blog.

Atlanta lost a lot of games last year against bigger teams because Horford was the only true low post threat and if he gets in foul trouble look out.

What Bradley fails to realize is that Atlanta almost got beat by a Milwaukee Bucks team WITHOUT THEIR STARTING CENTER! Even if Shaq is half of what he used to be he creates a threat down low that will make opponents think twice about throwing the ball into the paint.

A lineup of Horford-Smith-Shaq-Teague-JJ increases their chance of competing with the bigger teams of the NBA, not just survive against inferior teams like the Bucks.

Atlanta needs to get bigger, and play a smarter type of game in order to step up with the halfcourt teams of the league in the month of May.

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I would love to see J smoove play a role similar to Gerald Wallace on Charlotte, as a slasher and scorer, flashing into the paint from the perimeter outjumping the small forwards who will guard him to get some offensive boards and put backs. Marvin tries to do this but he is too timid. I think a frontcourt of smoove, horford, and shaq/haywood/brad miller could match up with anyone in the league

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I completely agree with each and every point you make. Can I also say..you had me at “750lbs”!! Hilarious!

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Robyn, you must be joking;

otherwise I have some knock-knock jokes that will have you rolling

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Well, looks like someone stole my handle. Guess I should post more often.

I might have missed this if someone said it in the 150something comments before me, but Shaq is good for business.

We’ve said it time and again, this city’s basketball fans are about names. That’s why the Hawks didn’t sell out when playing Duncan and the Spurs when they were bagging titles, but still get their panties in a twist every time Kobe comes to town.

Shaq will put butts in seats and jerseys on backs, even if he doesn’t perform anything more than role player duties off the bench. He’s a name people in Atlanta have heard of, and will help ASG will some of Shaq’s salary back in ticket and jersey sales.

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Paying millions for washed up, lazy players with an attitude like Shaq? Brilliant!!! That should produce an nba title! The hawks management–on top of it baby!

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Also, is Shaq really a worse option than Randolph Morris, Jason Collins, Joe Smith or the #31 pick? Wasn’t the point of selling the second round pick in order to sign veteran help at the 5? It doesn’t get much more veteran than Shaq.

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Al Horford can not guard Dwight Howard. Shaq can at least put a body on Howard and slow him down. I think it is good move to bring in Shaq. As for Josh Smith. He can be a slasher. Shaq is a great passer.

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@Washed up – at least they’re spending money and taking risks, not something you’d expect to hear in the same sentence as ASG.

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M.B. All Shaq has to do is drink one of those 5 hour energys before each game. Give one to Smoove as well so he wont stand there and watch Orlando scope up loose balls and rebounds under his nose while he pouts. Who would you use the Hawks MLE on MB?

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Thanks Mark for those “wonderful” memories of the Hawks losing to the Bucks in the 1989 Playoffs-the same Bucks team that was led by the likes of Fred Roberts and Brad Lohaus. To go further, they won Game 5 of the first round here at the old Omni building after the Hawks won all 5-6 games they played in the regular season.

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i suggest we go ahead and get the BIG BUZZARD shirts printed , because there aren’t many cactus in Atlanta they don’t seem to do real well in cement. and all the big diesel engines have to bypass ATL so it don’t look good for the BIG BUZZARD at this stage of his career, which means he will probably be on the roster before long

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@ Mark Bradley & Hawksnation. Instead of stirring a hornets nest on what Shaq has left, why aren’t you writing about how we get absolutely nothing from ZaZa & no energy whatsoever from our bench. I also don’t see you saying the same things about Joe Smith, though a solid vet he has also seen better days. This team needs another presence inside & an additional experienced veteran. There is no big man help out there, that’s going to fall in our laps. As for the Horford critics, he’s a solid young guy out of the Kendrick Perkins mode ( just a bit undersized ), he just needs more seasoning & the right coaching. Plus I didn’t see the media complaining when Perkins along with an aging Rasheed & the Celts destroyed the Cavs. People do not understand that with these guys signing for the maxx contracts there is no money left on the books to make any aggressive moves. I say get something that we will at least get a return on at this point. I pray that we do get full value out of Joe, because we have got nothing out of recently signed contracts; Bibby, Marvin, & Za Za have not earned the money awarded. Hawks fans seem so delusional sometimes, faced with this ownership & the young core we have in place, we better try anything to progress instead regressing. Because if the latter happens, we are gonna have one heck of a fire sale !!! And for the record that 88-89 team was coached by Fratello ( need I say more ), and for those of us who remember even with talent, that team had no direction much like your present 09-10 Hawks ( 2 all-stars on that roster Nique & Moses ala Horford & Joe ). Moses averaged 20.2 ppg- 12.0 rpg- 1.3 bpg Theus 15.8 ppg- 4.7 apg- 1.3 spg Doc 13.6 ppg- 6.9 apg- 2.4 spg & Nique 26 ppg- 6.9 rpg- 2.6 apg . Plus you had Battle, Levingston, & Carr contributing major pts. off the bench. I’m sorry Mark the problem was not Big Mo but little Fratello !!!

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Enter your comments here

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The Hawks need a center period. Shaq is coming off the bench doing spot work. They don’t even have to play him until after the All-Star break. Not to mention Shaq can still score.

If you saw the Orlando series it was Dwight Howard murdering the Hawks all day long. That’s all it boiled down to. He’s tall enough and quick enough to severely bother Al Horford on the defensive end. He’s way stronger than Horford and can post up very low on the block. Howard is also taller so essentially with his athleticism makes Horford contesting any shot impossible.

Shaq will help with these problems. he won’t completely eliminate them but will definitely help a little bit. Dwight cannot push Shaq around on the block or when vying for rebound position. Being able to simply man up with Dwight Howard causes the perimeter to be guarded better. On defense, offensive players are still scared to bring it in to Shaq because he’s still 350 lbs and is not afraid to knock somebody down.

Why did the Celtics smash the Magic? They were able to defend Howard 1 on 1 with big slow Perkins…and they had a significant advantage at PF with KG bodying Rashard Lewis the entire series. Horford at PF would absolutely kill Rashard Lewis.

The Hawks were forced to double team. They knew Howard would get his points but the way he got them was unacceptable. Dunk after Dunk, putbacks…gaining position deep, offensive rebounds…simply put the points were too easy. Shaq will push him out the lane, make him take some hook shots or running floaters and not to mention expend energy.

Shaq to the Hawks would put them over the top in my opinion.

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Mark you must be smoking again!!! Shaq is still a threat down low and will stop many of the jumpshot ladden lulls that we tend to have…. Shaq still requires a doubleteam and would open up the perimeter for JJ and jamal…. Not to mention the fact that he would allow us to be much more aggressive on the perimeter defensively, 7feet 350 is 7feet 350 no matter how you slice it, the hawks should be aggressively persuing Shaq!!! all of these people on this blog must be hiding under those empty seats in phillips on those tuesday night games against the Wizards!!!! LMAO

ASG you have got to spend money to make money… And all this Shaq off the bench talk means you have apparently not been watching the Hawks, we dont have a low post person on the team!!! AL doesnt have a low post move to speak of, ( needs to turn and face more) Josh is camped out on the 3pt line watching JJ dribble for 20 seconds… I think Shaq wants to be relevant again and would fit great with this team because he is still a matchup problem for every center in the NBA!!! AL would flourish at the 4spot and Josh would then either go to the bench or become a very big 3 moving Marvin to the bench which is where he is probaly most comfortable….. GET REAL PEOPLE

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overall, the hawks need shaq oneil.moses malone didn’t fail in atlanta, it was the acquisition of reggie theus and the fact that the hawks were a selfish team with a bunch of individuals.what hurt that year. when management got rid of tree rollins and randy wittman,that hurt the team chemistry when reggie theus came aboard. as i recall, shaq has nba champuonships to his credit with much needed experience.mark, don’t even go that with your brainless comments and ideas.you just want to start a debate unneccessarily.on the real side, acquiring shaq would be the missing piece to the frontcourt that the hawks have longed for.even if he doesn’t start, can boster the team to get to the next level.

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We will continue to be overmanned in the playoffs against any team who has a dominate center if we don’t have a big body to play the 5. I don’t think Shaq is the answer, but it would allow Horford to move to the 4, and Josh to move to the 3. Both of them would be better suited in those positions, and the team would be able to play better defense because they wouldn’t be double teaming so much down low, and because of this, they could switch from zone to man-to-man often enough to confuse. So I do believe that Shaq would be helpful, but he won’t bring a championship. If we could also send Marvin and either Bibby or Teague along with a draft pick or Jordan Crawford to the Hornets for Chris Paul, the Hawks might be in business. This would fit under the cap, too. Regardless, we need a big, dependable body inside, or we go nowhere in the postseason.

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Hey MB, PD said @ 10:46 am there was an article that said Horford wants to play the 4 (PF). Here’s a portion of the excerpt:

J.J. is back now. The Hawks still plan to add more pieces, including a center. Al reiterated his stance that he prefers to play power forward but isn’t making any demands about switching positions.

“I’m fine with [center] but my natural position is obviously the four,” he said.

So since all of us are wrong about AL’s natural postion, is Al wrong too about his position?

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1) Shaq is not the reason Cleveland is losing playoff games. Cleveland continues to surround Lebron with guys that will not step up when it counts. They disappear in the playoffs just like they did in 2008 before Shaq. In 2007, Lebron almost single handedly took down the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals. Against the Spurs in the Finals, he couldnt do that and they got swept.

2) As for Shaq and the Suns, they missed the playoffs because Nash and Stoudamire were both injured and they were in the West. Their record would have put them 5th in the East.

3) Shaq averages 12 pts per game because his minutes are down to 24 per game. Thats actually a productive average.

4) Horford is not big enough to clog the lane. This has been a consistent problem in the Hawks defense. They have no one that can take charge of the paint. The Hawks consistently leave a wide open lane to drive through, and premiere inside players like Howard destroy them regularly. None of the Hawks have an inside enforcer mentality. Shaq would bring them that option.

Bringing in Shaq to a much more versatile team than Cleveland would be an excellent move.

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