Suns vs. Celtics Recap

I posted a few quick thoughts late last night after the game, but wanted to get a little more in depth into the game. It was a pretty good showing by the Suns, and i was very encouraged by some of the things i saw.

A lot was made about what exactly Shaq would bring to this Suns team, on and off the court. Off the court it was evident pretty quickly: He brought confidence, swagger, and some humor. How that would translate in the locker room and on the court we were left to wonder when he first showed up in Phoenix. After two games, it's quickly becoming evident what Shaq brings to this team on the court as well.

After game 1 against the Lakers, a lot of people immediately jumped on the Suns about not playing any defense, and Shaq's non-ability to defend or guard anyone. After game 2? Not so much.

The Suns played excellent defense, frustrating the Celtics to a level i have not seen from them this year. KG in particular was really irritated, as Amare pestered him, scored on him, and generally held him in check for the entire game. The Celtic's other members of the Big Three, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, shot a combined 5-25, 20%.

The Suns also crashed the boards again, out-rebounding the Celtics 50-32, meaning in both of Shaq's games the Suns have grabbed more rebounds than their opponents. Shaq himself had 14 boards, while Grant Hill continued his dominance since Marion left with 13 boards and 14 points. Hell, even Steve Nash got into the act with 7 boards, good for third on the team.

And while defense and rebounding were certainly something i wanted to see the Suns improve on with Shaq, there was one other thing i noticed about the Suns that has changed since Shaq started playing: They got a mean streak.

That's right. The run-and-gun, finesse-style, 'soft' Suns got tough all of a sudden.

Last night's game was chippy, to say the least. It started with Shaq early, picking up an offensive foul on the first possession of the game. It continued with Amare and KG, who yapped at each other the entire game. The fouls came early and often in this one, with Shaq and Amare getting KG, Kendrick Perkins, and Pierce all in foul trouble early. It lead to the Suns getting to the foul line often, and attempting 12 more foul shots than Boston.

However, the best thing i've seen come out of Shaq's arrival has been Amare's absolute dominance. Shaq called him the 'greatest big man in the game right now' last night. High praise indeed, even if it is a bit premature. Amare is averaging 33 and 11 with Shaq in the line-up, and has done it against very good competition. KG is an absolute stud, and Amare did everything but brand him and claim him for his own, including getting into his head.

Amare himself attributes it to being able to move back to the power forward slot instead of center. With Shaq in the line-up, Amare is freed up from all the banging down low against bigger and stronger centers, and is able to move more freely inside and out, where he is developing an absolutely devastating 17 footer.

Just like the over-reaction after the Lakers game, it is hard to make too many observations of trends after only two games. That said, there are a lot of good things i see from Shaq and the Suns, and if they can keep it going they have a very good chance to make some serious noise in the playoffs.