Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Shaq to Boston? Possible.
According to ESPN Boston's report this morning, there is legitimate possibility that Shaquille O'Neal could be headed to either Boston, Atlanta, or Dallas to make another run next season at a ring. For the C's, if Shaq were to sign for the mid-level exception of $5.8 million (that is the highest offer any of these three teams can make, anyway), he just might be the perfect fit.
With Boston's Kendrick Perkins sidelined for a good portion of next season due to his knee surgery, the Celtics will need a big man that can guard the fort close to the way Perk does. Perkins is one of the best post defenders in the NBA, and is arguably one of just two or three guys league-wide who can match up 1-on-1 with Dwight Howard. Who is another one of those guys? Shaq. His massive frame can battle down low with the likes of Howard and Bynum, and once Perkins comes back, the C's just might have the legitimate big man off the best that they so desperately lacked in the recently concluded NBA finals.
Sources close to O'Neal say that he has good reasons to go to each of the three contending teams, as well as the possibility of returning to Cleveland if LeBron James decides to re-sign. Cleveland has the ability to pay Shaq more than the $5.8 million mid-level exception. As for Boston, O'Neal has a close relationship with both Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett. Additionally, Shaq was the player who coined Paul Pierce's nickname, The Truth.
So, will it be Shaq in Boston? Will the Celtics open up some eyes historically by rolling out a full set of 5 potential Hall-of-Famers to the court on opening night? Who knows. It's a long offseason, but don't count out the battle-tested Shaq from being able to make an impact on this team.
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