So Lue Thinks He's Too Good For Miami

Following up on yesterday's post about Tyronn Lue scheduled to come to Miami for a physical on Monday - it turns out he never showed up. Lue stood us up. If he weren't so insignificant and inconsequential a player, I'd feel somewhat sad, possibly offended. But Lue's spurning of the Heat is a blessing (not even a "blessing in disguise") - Lue is no upgrade over the Chalmers-Banks-Quinn trio the Heat already have at point guard. If you're going to use up the midlevel exception, you should use it for an upgrade. I'm glad he came to his senses before we did. Now let's find some center depth!

Is Lue To Heat the Right Move?

According to the Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel, free agent point guard Tyronn Lue is scheduled for a physical today with the Heat, and could be extended a contract offer following the physical. Lue is a 10 year NBA veteran, and is 31 years of age. Last year, he averaged 5.8 points and 1.5 assists per game playing for the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks.

This is about the best that the Heat could do in this uninspiring free agent point guard class of 2008. Their other options are Keyon Dooling, Carlos Arroyo, Anthony Johnson, and Sebastian Telfair, and they only have $1.9 million in midlevel exception money to spend.

I must say, I'm spectacularly unimpressed with Lue and the other available free agent point guards the Heat have shown interest in. I think I'm content to just retain Mario Chalmers, Marcus Banks, and Chris Quinn, and call it a day. With Chalmers' impressive performance in the Orlando summer league, the more pressing need for the Heat seems to be center, where you have a not-even-certain-to-be-healthy Alonzo Mourning and Mark Blount as the only options.

I'm On Team Kobe Now

It's amazing the effect that time, experience, and perhaps a little sour grapes can have on one's opinions. This time last year, I was a huge Shaquille O'Neal fan. Despite being bludgeoned by the Chicago Bulls in Rd. 1 of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, memories of the glorious 2006 championship run still filled my heart with contentment. Although Dwyane Wade was the undisputed king of that run (according to ESPN, the best Finals performance ever), Shaq was an important piece of the championship puzzle. He was big, brash, and a delight to watch in post-game press conferences, the "big Aristotle".

I'd always taken Shaq's side in the feud he had with Kobe, even before Shaq donned a Heat uniform. Kobe is, after all, a narcissist malcontent. No longer. I'm on Team Kobe now. For those that haven't heard, Shaq (not Kobe) decided to rip open old wounds at a New York nightclub on Sunday night while performing a freestyle rap. Here are some of the lowlights:

* "You know how I be...Last week, Kobe couldn't do without me."

* "Kobe...tell me how my a$@ tastes." (this one he got the mesmerized crowd to chant repeatedly)

* He took another, more subtle swipe at the Heat, saying that he was "the difference between first and last place." (someone should remind him that the Heat was in last place on the day he left for Phoenix)

Shaq is an immature dolt. He is trying to play it off as a frivolous thing that rappers do all of the time. But don't believe it. Ever since he left the Heat, he's made public infantile tomfoolery a personal mission. Remember his uncalled-for shots at Ron Culp, Ricky Davis, and Chris Quinn of all people? Besides, while it is true that rappers blast others in freestyle rap, they do it to people they have genuine beefs with.

I think this latest episode illustrates at least two things: (1) That boyish quality that we loved about him while he was down here is the same thing that he uses to stab us in the back when he is out of here; and (2) Pat Riley was an enormously positive influence on him while he was down here - without Riley's sage words and discipline, Shaq is reverting to the lost child he was before he arrived in Miami. Pitiful.

Defending the Shaq

Shaq has come under a blitz of fire lately for throwing the Heat under a bus. This is nothing unusual for him, as he's just as well known for his destructive exists as his mammoth entrances.

I'm not going to defend Shaq's actual comments. You can read about them here. DSponge, a respected member of our staff, had his own share of criticism for Shaq, and I vowed to launch a retort.

Does Shaq have emotional problems? Absolutely, and they're not the kind Dr. Phil can solve in Scary Movie 4. Has he burned bridges with his former teams? Yes. Did he do the same with the Heat? Yes.

But slamming Shaq for sharing a few plain words about the state of the Heat is a poor use of verbiage. Everything he said about Chris Quinn, Pat Riley, and the Heat this year just happens to be the truth. Pat Riley is equally no stranger to throwing his former teams under the bus (see Lakers, Knicks, Heat prior-to-Stan Van Gundy), and what he did to Stan Van Gundy is worse than anything Shaq ever said.

Let's also not forget how Shaq was berated this year. The guy is old! What more motivation would you expect from the large, detiorarating cyclops of charisma on a last place team? Between his wife cheating on him, the blame directed his way, and now the love he's receiving in Phoenix, I think we can understand why he'd make some of those comments.

Is he to be admired for them? No. Should he be forgiven? I say yes. Go Suns!

Shaq, It's Time to Move On

Yesterday, Shaquille O'Neal was interviewed by the Boston Globe before his game with the Celtics. He had this to say about his time with the Suns and his former team, the Miami Heat: “We have professionals who know what to do. No one is asking me to play with Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. I’m actually on a team again.”

Give me a break! I understand that he felt he wasn't given enough playing time recently under Pat Riley and they obviously had a disastrous falling out. But 5 weeks after the trade, a trade that sends him to a championship contending team, Shaq has to call out Chris Quinn! Of all people! Quinn does not look athletic and certainly is not a star, but he has done everything in his power to make himself a better player. The Notre Dame guard is succeeding in the NBA and I guarantee you that he and Ricky Davis have handled themselves more "professionally" than Shaq is by making these absolutely unnecessary comments.

Shaq also called out the Miami Heat medical staff and other various team officials. I truly believe this is an example of pure arrogance and egotism. Why complain now? The Suns are a great team and Shaq should be savoring this opportunity to play with them.

And getting back to that press conference after the trade, nothing was said of Dwyane Wade or the 4th Championship that Riley won with him. Apparently Shaq and Wade don't have that buddy-buddy, jedi-apprentice, relationship that they used to.

Please. Have some respect. Can Shaq just recognize all of this at some point? Can he leave a team without being bitter. So far he's 0 for 3. The Magic, Lakers, and now the Heat, are non-existent in his memory.

Look, I do appreciate what he has done, after all, you have to say he fulfilled his promise to bring Miami its first ever NBA Championship. But I respectfully disagree with ASponge. While I will not root against Phoenix, I will definitely not go out of my way to root for them. No sir, not after the way Shaquille O'Neal has dissed the Heat officials, players, and most of all, fans.