Steve Nash Asked for Shaq to Be Traded

[Racspur]

Steve Nash Asked for Shaq to Be Traded -- NBA FanHouse

Steve Nash Asked for Shaq to Be Traded




The trade of Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday was more than just a contract dump for the Phoenix Suns.

It also was done to satisfy point guard Steve Nash.

According to an NBA source, Nash expressed his displeasure with O'Neal during a meeting last week in New York with general manager Steve Kerr.


Nash, still one of the best point guards in the NBA, will become a free agent after this season if the Suns can't sign him this summer to a contract extension.

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"I think he told him [Kerr] that if O'Neal was there, he wouldn't be around much longer,'' said the NBA source who requested his name not be used. "That pretty much sealed it.''

Nash had grown weary of O'Neal's inability to keep up with the fast-paced play that the Suns had been so successful with in the past and with O'Neal's demand to be a bigger part of the offense.

The Suns shocked many around the NBA when they acquired O'Neal midway in the 2007-08 season, giving them a low-post presence that was contrary to the way they had been playing. They still won 55 games after he was acquired but lost in the first round of the playoffs. This season with O'Neal, they failed to reach the playoffs.

O'Neal was in the final year of his contract that will pay him $20 million. Nash will be making $13 million this season.

[Flipmode Master]

Steve Nash will never learn..lol..he still believes they had a chance before Shaq was traded for...its true they didn't have a chance with Shaq..but OFFENSE...with ZERO defense will never win.

[GM5K]

Originally Posted by Flipmode Master

Steve Nash will never learn..lol..he still believes they had a chance before Shaq was traded for...its true they didn't have a chance with Shaq..but OFFENSE...with ZERO defense will never win.

I know Spurs fans hate this being said, but it can be argued that they were an Horry hip check(Steve nash flop) away from quite possibly getting a ring. I know a lot of things had to happen after that for them to win it all...I'm just saying they could have EASILY gone to the Finals that year and won. as Pop has said before, luck has a lot to do with winning championships.

I'm not arguing that they were screwed by Horry or the league or anything. it's all on them, and I'm happy it all happened. I just don't like seeing them discredited as a legitimate title contending team during those years, especially that one.

[Guille]

I´m guessing the trade strenghten much more the Cavs than the Suns

[TimmyDthaWay2B]

Originally Posted by GM5K

I know Spurs fans hate this being said, but it can be argued that they were an Horry hip check(Steve nash flop) away from quite possibly getting a ring. I know a lot of things had to happen after that for them to win it all...I'm just saying they could have EASILY gone to the Finals that year and won. as Pop has said before, luck has a lot to do with winning championships.

I'm not arguing that they were screwed by Horry or the league or anything. it's all on them, and I'm happy it all happened. I just don't like seeing them discredited as a legitimate title contending team during those years, especially that one.

We hate it being said because its total crap. First, was barely a hipcheck. Put it this way, if nash wouldnt have flopped so bad and acted, amare and diaw maybe have not had to be so ignorant that they ran to halfcourt. I dont care if amare played, the spurs still woudl have won. They were hands down the better team. honestly, if not for steve nash trying to win an oscar and making that TAP look 8 times worse than what it was, no guys would have felt the need to rush the floor. oh, and who is to say the suns could have EVER neat the pistons. Pistons played offense AND DEFENSE, the suns play one side of the ball...

[TimmyDthaWay2B]

Originally Posted by GM5K

I know Spurs fans hate this being said, but it can be argued that they were an Horry hip check(Steve nash flop) away from quite possibly getting a ring. I know a lot of things had to happen after that for them to win it all...I'm just saying they could have EASILY gone to the Finals that year and won. as Pop has said before, luck has a lot to do with winning championships.

I'm not arguing that they were screwed by Horry or the league or anything. it's all on them, and I'm happy it all happened. I just don't like seeing them discredited as a legitimate title contending team during those years, especially that one.

And im sorry they are discredited as a title contender during those years, because you can not win a championship with offense only. Those suns team defense was TERRIBLE... and NO team with defense that bad has any shot at a ring.. especially not in 05....which is the ONLY reason they never won a ring..

[grizzly_bexar]

I think Nash is gonna be gone anyway. But Shaq is the kind of guy that creates subtle tension on a team that really drags it down over time, especially when it becomes clear that team is not title-bound.

[grizzly_bexar]

Originally Posted by TimmyDthaWay2B

We hate it being said because its total crap. First, was barely a hipcheck. Put it this way, if nash wouldnt have flopped so bad and acted, amare and diaw maybe have not had to be so ignorant that they ran to halfcourt. I dont care if amare played, the spurs still woudl have won. They were hands down the better team. honestly, if not for steve nash trying to win an oscar and making that TAP look 8 times worse than what it was, no guys would have felt the need to rush the floor. oh, and who is to say the suns could have EVER neat the pistons. Pistons played offense AND DEFENSE, the suns play one side of the ball...

I agree that we were the better team. But up to that point, we hadn't really taken advantage. And Amare was killing us, so the suspensions hurt them more than us. And those suspensions just threw the whole series out of whack. So I would disagree that, absent the hip check, they beat us. I would also disagree that we were just going to beat them anyway. It's an unknown. We're dealing with people here, and their emotional/mental reactions to events are just as much a part of the game as the bounce of the ball.

I would agree that, in all probability, if they win that series, they win the title.

[TimmyDthaWay2B]

Originally Posted by grizzly_bexar

I agree that we were the better team. But up to that point, we hadn't really taken advantage. And Amare was killing us, so the suspensions hurt them more than us. And those suspensions just threw the whole series out of whack. So I would disagree that, absent the hip check, they beat us. I would also disagree that we were just going to beat them anyway. It's an unknown. We're dealing with people here, and their emotional/mental reactions to events are just as much a part of the game as the bounce of the ball.

I would agree that, in all probability, if they win that series, they win the title.

All i can say is i strongly disagree. I said 2005 in the previous post, i meant 2007. And that changes the outlook, i do think they might have beaten the cavs. I also think the strategy for san antonio was for amare to go off.....and shut down everyone else.... so yes amare killed us. I guess no one can say who would or wouldnt have won, but i would put a whole lot of money on san an.... proven champions that could play both sides of the ball... suns were just a regular season champ that relied soley on offense.... Just couldnt see them outlasting the spurs with or without amare.

[alh1020]

I wonder how Steve feels about getting Ben Wallace for Shaq? That's a real step up. Of course, Nash will force him into retirement with a few chosen words to management.

[shelden]

Originally Posted by TimmyDthaWay2B

We hate it being said because its total crap. I dont care if amare played, the spurs still woudl have won. They were hands down the better team. the suns play one side of the ball...

I agree completely. I think Amare was putting up gaudy numbers, i.e. "killing us" because the Spurs game plan was to allow him a certain number of points. Spurs beat the Suns 4 games to 2 in that series, and Amare only missed one of those games.

[clovisnmspurfan]

If I remember correctly Horry was standing on the sideline, Nash brought the ball towards Horry and tried to go through him! Besides Amare can score lots of points and that is it. Spurs played much smarter ball in that series.

[BoerneAg54]

Originally Posted by TimmyDthaWay2B

We hate it being said because its total crap. First, was barely a hipcheck. Put it this way, if nash wouldnt have flopped so bad and acted, amare and diaw maybe have not had to be so ignorant that they ran to halfcourt. I dont care if amare played, the spurs still woudl have won. They were hands down the better team. honestly, if not for steve nash trying to win an oscar and making that TAP look 8 times worse than what it was, no guys would have felt the need to rush the floor. oh, and who is to say the suns could have EVER neat the pistons. Pistons played offense AND DEFENSE, the suns play one side of the ball...

+1, not losing any sleep for the crybaby Suns over some hipcheck that was just as much Horry standing there holding his ground than it was a hipcheck. Not Rob's fault little stevie went flying when he tried to run through Horry's thigh.

[CRL]

Originally Posted by GM5K

I know Spurs fans hate this being said, but it can be argued that they were an Horry hip check(Steve nash flop) away from quite possibly getting a ring. I know a lot of things had to happen after that for them to win it all...I'm just saying they could have EASILY gone to the Finals that year and won. as Pop has said before, luck has a lot to do with winning championships.

I'm not arguing that they were screwed by Horry or the league or anything. it's all on them, and I'm happy it all happened. I just don't like seeing them discredited as a legitimate title contending team during those years, especially that one.

All I'll say about the infamous Horry hip-check is if that single act and it's repercussions took the Suns down, they didn't deserve to win the series. Those dumbazzes who chose to come off the bench... Well, like Ron White says, "You can't fix STUPID".

[My2Cents]

Nash finally realized what some of us have always known...Hack is not all that...and he just spoke up!

[BackHome]

They didn't trade Shaq because of what Nash said in fact I would not be suprised if Nash and Amare are both traded by the beginning of this season.

The Suns are blowing up the team for financial reason just like the Nets are doing..Tough Times.....