Shaq to Miami

[JMK]

The deal is done!
How does this affect the NBA? For one, it makes the Heat almost an instant contender to win the East...it takes the most dominant player out of the West which can only be good news for Kevin Garnett and other big players in the Western Conference.

And what about Kobe? If he decides to leave the Lakers anyway, the fans in that city are all going to committ ritual suicide. I bet some people *cough*Eb*cough* are really enjoying watching the Lakers come apart at the seams. ;)

[darth_mcbain]

Wow - I didn't realize the deal was finalized... Yeah - I gotta say that the Heat will have a good shot...

[Jedi Master Carr]

The Heat will be a very good team next year. Really this was stupid, they should have let Kobe go, heck he could still go to jail, I would have never went with him. I see why Jerry West left the Lakers now.

[JMK]

I would still choose Kobe over Shaq. Kobe could be the next Jordan and could still play another 12-13 years at an effective level. Shaq has 2 or 3 years left at the most. Of course, I'm assuming he won't go to jail.

[Jedi Master Carr]

LOL I am not sure Kobe hasn't proven much without Shaq. I think this will help the Heat more in the short term, not sure how it will be in the long term.

[jjwr]

Very risky on both sides of the coin. Shaq is only in his early 30's, which in NBA terms isn't too bad, but at 7'1 and 350lbs you have to wonder how much more he can take.

The one good commment I read some time ago was that in the East Shaq won't be going up against many good Centers so a lot less wear and tear on him after having to battle with all the big guys in the West, could add a year to his career.

Course he only has 2 years left on his Contract, I could see Shaq hitting the market in 2 years and going to the best possible team for him to win a championship at.

This makes the Heat a top 4 team in the East, simple as that. Losing Caron Buttler will hurt them but they have Wade who would have been the rookie of the year any other year(and played better down the stretch then Melo & Lebron) and Eddie Jones who can still play. I don't know much about the rest of their roster but they won't need a whole lot more to be effective.

As for the Lakers, the wheels had obviously fallen off that team as it currently stood so something needed to be changed, to me it was the supporting cast though and not the big 2. Had they worked they could have kept both, brought in some good role players and been another title contender. If you have to pick one going with Kobe, who is still only 25/26 and plays a mainly non-contact position you go with the player who gives you a long term future, thats if he signs with them. Personally I would love to see Kobe go elsewhere, I hate to see Rudy T get stuck with that mess as I like him as a coach but just to stick it to the Lakers I hope Kobe bolts too.

If the Lakers do get Kobe they have the makings of a very solid team.

PG: Fisher?
SG: Kobe
SF: Butler
PF: Odom
C: ??

Add in some size in their rookies, Karl Malone and a few of the foreign guys who's names I forget and they will be solid, maybe not great but definetly solid.

[JMK]

Kobe has decided to stay with the Lakers. Booooooooorrrrrrring!

I wanted to see a complete implosion of this team. >_<

[jjwr]

It came close, though Derek Fisher signed with another team, I can't recall which one though.

That makes you wonder if Payton will stick around, he could have a much better year under Rudy T rather than Jackson.

[JMK]

Didn't he say on the ESPY's that he would stay with the Lakers?

[jjwr]

He may have, I haven't been following the situation much. They do have the potential for a decent smaller lineup now, it won't be able to deal with the big bodies of some of the West Teams but they will be a better up-tempo team.

[JediBoricua]

Payton is staying. He signed an extension even before Shaq or Phil had left.

Fisher signed with Golden State.

This has been a Public Sevice Announcement by JediBoricua.

[jjwr]

Just because he signed a contract doesn't mean he will be playing there. Last word I heard was if Shaq left he would seek a trade, and considering how bad he was last year it may not have been a bad idea, but with Rudy T it may work out ok.