SunShaq Redemption

Well, what a difference a week makes. A week ago, going into a pivotal game against the hated Spurs (Sterns), the Suns were a team in disarray, having just blown a 9-point lead going into the 4th quarter against the Jazz, and getting outscored 41-24 in the quarter. Including that game, they had lost 4 of 5, and were just 3-6 with Shaq in the lineup. The Spurs were on the horizon, as was the possibility of the Suns not making the playoffs, and a lot of people, including the local media, were on the verge of panicking. Now? Not so much...

The Spurs game was a gritty, hard-fought contest in which the Suns came from behind in the 4th quarter and made all the big shots down the stretch, something the Spurs have continually done to the Spurs. Next up was a Memphis team that had given the Suns problems this year, and many saw as a possible let-down game. The Suns poured it on early and often, and cruised to a blow-out win. Two more game against Golden State and Sacramento followed, as did two wins and point totals in the 120's. Against Golden State it was a huge 3rd quarter that turned the tide; against Sacto it was a 42-14 beatdown in the 2nd that set the tone.

And now, just a week after many thought all was lost for the Suns, they sit in a tie for the 5th seed, just a game and a half behind the Lakers for the Pacific Division Lead and the #1 seed in the playoffs. They are on a four-game winning streak, their longest since the first week of December, and are suddenly looking like a team that has figured out how to integrate all their new people, including Shaq and Gordon Giricek.

To his credit, Shaq has been better than i thought he would be, producing double-doubles, rebounds galore, and even getting into the assist game, with 6 against the Grizz. He has shored up the Suns defensive rebounding woes, and provided some much needed toughness and grit. He has thrown his body around, sprinted up and down the court, and generally played like a man who is doing exactly what he said he would do when he got here: Play motivated, play hard, and get the rest of the Suns to fall in line.

It took about two weeks and ten games, but the Suns have finally come around and figured out how to play with the first true big man the franchise has ever had.

Amare has been playing out of his mind, a walking 29-point 9-rebound machine since Shaq freed him up to play his true power forward position. Shaq himself has averaged 11 and 10, which gives the Suns a formidable front line. These two have been playing well since Shaq showed up; the adjustment for the Suns has had to come on the perimeter. As the announcers said on Thursday against the Warriors, of all the Suns Steve Nash has had to make the biggest adjustment in his game.

Nash struggled at first, his turnovers shooting up and his assists dropping. The strength and focal point of Nash's game has always been to dribble into the lane, draw a crowd, and do one of three things. A) Dish to Amare or Boris diving to the hole for a dunk or layup, B) Get himself open for a 8-10 footer, or C) Draw the defense in and dish to a wide-open Bell or Barbosa behind the arc for a three.

It's that simple, and that's how the Suns offense ran when forced into a half-court set. With Shaq in the game clogging the lane, Nash did not have the space available to just dribble around inside; as a result he got caught in tight places underneath the basket with no one streaking down the lane and without the space to kick it out. His turnovers went up, his assists down.

The first couple of games with Shaq, the team, and Nash in particular, struggled trying to figure out how to best get Shaq the ball, and what to do from there. You saw forced entry passes to him, you saw Shaq setting screens beyond the arc, and you saw the team struggle. As they've had time to play together and figure it out, you are starting to see it all come together.

Shaq is getting himself into better position on the block early in the shot clock. The entry passes are getting the ball to him. With him on the block, there is room in the lane for Amare to come streaking down the middle, and Shaq has the ability to get him the ball as Nash used to. If that's not there, teams are sagging their defense on Shaq and leaving the arc open, and Shaq has found the shooters out there, as Nash used to do. The offensive principles have not changed for the Suns, just as Shaq claimed it wouldn't. The only thing that has changed is who it is running through.

The other thing that Shaq has finally figured out, almost to perfection, is how to ignite the fast break. He claimed when he arrived in Phoenix that big man have the ability to get the board and ignite the break with an outlet pass. Shaq is becoming a master of this, throwing 15 and 20 foot passes to the guards as they leak out. So not only has the Suns half-court offense worked out most of it's kinks, their fast-break is hitting on all cylinders.

All of which should make the rest of the Western Conference a little nervous.