Shaq

This offseason has seen a lot of big name stars switch uniforms already, and now another name can be added to that list.  Shaquille O'Neal has decided to join the Boston Celtics.  Shaq joins a team that already boasts three future Hall of Famers and will begin this season as the defending Eastern Conference Champions.  It's not hard to see why he was drawn to this situation, despite the fact that Boston is only able to offer the veteran's minimum of about $1.4 million (a steep drop from the $20 million he made last year).  Boston gives him the best chance of joining a veteran team with a chance to win now, which makes it a good move for him as opposed to signing somewhere like Atlanta or Cleveland.

Whether it is a good move for Boston or not remains to be seen.

Shaq certainly comes with his share of baggage.  He's been known to put his ego ahead of his teammates  (ask Kobe) and is no stranger to conflict and controversy.  It's no secret that he's burned bridges on his way out of Orlando, LA, Miami and Phoenix.  He's perhaps the biggest personality in the NBA, joining a locker room that's already full of some big personalities.  Doc Rivers will certainly have his hands full juggling all of them this season.

Shaq showed last season in Cleveland that he is capable of doing what nobody thought he could do - play second fiddle to another star.  But that star happened to be Lebron James, the reigning MVP and arguably the best player on the planet.  Not even Shaq's ego could have allowed him to think that he could take over and make the Cavs his team.  He said and did all the right things to be a team player and let LeBron run the show.  Can we expect to see the same in Boston?  For all the talent in this lineup, there is no superstar the caliber of LeBron.  The Celtics Big Three of Pierce, Allen and Garnett are all aging veteran's in a similar situation as Shaq.  It's hard to believe that Shaq sees himself as anything less than being on their level, so how will he respond to being a role player off the bench?  A cranky Shaq that feels like he's not involved enough can be a disruptive force.

There's also the obvious fact that Shaq is no longer the dominant force he once was.  He's 38 years old and gaining weight by the minute.  We had to listen to announcers last year claim what a boost Rasheed Wallace would be once he works his way back into game shape.  How many games will Shaq need to play himself into shape?

The good thing for the Celtics is that they aren't expecting the player that has averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds per game in his career.  They would be content with the 12 ppg and 6 rpg he contributed to Cleveland last year.  At this point in his career it's not about the stats that he puts up, it's more about the intimidating presence he makes on the court. 

With the injury to Kendrick Perkins that could keep him out for half the season, as well as the impending retirement of Rasheed Wallace, the Celtics found themselves in need of some big bodies.  The problem was, they had no cap room to acquire them with.  Jermaine O'Neal was a nice pick-up with their mid-level exception.  At that price he becomes a low risk/high reward type of player that should be able to replace Sheed's production (and then some) if he's healthy.  But he wouldn't be enough by himself.

Getting Shaq at a minimum contract was a move the Celtics had to make.  He gives them a legitimate force in the paint to match up against opponents like Dwight Howard.  Part of the reason the Celtics were unable to hold back the Lakers in last year's Finals was because of the size difference (especially after Perk got injured).  The combination of Gasol, Bynum and Odom was just too much size and length for the Celtics to deal with, and they got killed on the boards because of it.  Shaq will help even the odds and tip the scales a litte more in Boston's direction, so to speak.  The other thing to keep in mind is that the Eastern Conference's new super power, the Miami Heat, lacks interior size.  Boston's ability to run the O'Neal's and Perkins at them is an advantage they can look to exploit.

It's been many years since Shaq has been considered a dominant force on the defensive end.  It's been 5 years since he had a season where he averaged over 2 blocks per game, and he continues to get killed on the pick and roll plays.  His biggest attribute on defense will be his big body that he can use to push opponents away from the basket.  Smaller guards often think twice before driving into the paint with him there, fearing a collision that would be like hitting a brick wall (ok, so these days it may feel like hitting a wall of jello, but still can't be fun).  The Celtics are a great defensive team, so having guys like Rondo, Pierce and Garnett on the floor will help protect Shaq from getting exposed on defense when he's on the floor.

His role in the offense will be a mixed bag.  The Celtics like to push the ball when they get rebounds to try to score in transition, with Rondo leading the charge at break-neck speeds.  As we saw in Phoenix, Shaq just won't be able to keep up with this pace, even in limited minutes.  Then again, Sheed wasn't ever one to hustle up the court either, and we at least won't have to worry about Shaq throwing up bricks from three point range, so there is an upgrade there.  Shaq is more suited to do what Sheed should have done more of - park himself near the paint and score close to the basket.  His size and ability to finish at the rim will be a huge asset for a team that often struggled when they were forced to work in a half court offense.  Instead of watching Pierce try to go Iso, dribbling for a bit before jacking up a fallaway jumper, they will now have the option to throw it down low to a legitimate post presence.  Jermaine O'Neal's offense game is on the decline, and the team struggled when it wasn't able to trust Perkins on offense last year.  They now have a force that can score inside at will and draw fouls.  Even if he can't make his free throws he can at least get teams into foul trouble if they try playing Hack-A-Shaq.  Besides, it's not like Rondo makes his free throws either.

Health will once again be a major storyline for the Celtics this season.  The Big Three have all had their injury issues, which are only more likely to become an issue as they continue to get older.  Perkins of course is the major injury that they will have to deal with from the start, and the two O'Neals they got to help replace him have their own history of injuries.  Shaq only played in 53 games last season, averaging just over 23 minutes per game.  The team needs both O'Neals to stay healthy, at least until Perkins comes back, and could struggle if more than one of the three is out for an extended period of time. 

Shaq has gotten picked on by fans and the media in recent years for being a shadow of his former self.  That happens when you get old and start to slow down, and for a player of his caliber the drop off can be more drastic.  However, he is still capable of contributing, and playing for a contender will help keep him motivated.  What would have been the alternatives?  If you think Shaq is a mistake, would you have gotten excited over Kwame Brown or Josh Boone?  Without any cap room to work with, the options were limited.  It should be looked at as a major coup that GM Danny Ainge was able to convince Shaq to come here for cheap.  When the team is full healthy (knock on wood that this actually happens) he will become one of the big men in the rotation off the bench, along with Jermaine O'Neal and Glenn Davis.  Having him on the roster means that we'll be saved from having to see giving minutes to the likes of Sheldon Williams and Brian Scalabrine (sorry, Scal's Pals).  Even at this stage of his career, Shaq is clearly an upgrade over them, or any other available big man.

Bringing Shaq to Boston also adds some intriguing storylines to some already fierce rivalries.  One of their main rivals is Orlando, where Shaq started his career.  He won a title with Dwayne Wade in Miami and spent a disappointing season last year in Cleveland with LeBron.  Plus, we all know the well documented history of Shaq with the Lakers, particularly when it comes to Kobe Bryant.

The Shaq signing is more about just what he brings to the court, as he can impact the team in a lot of ways.  He's still a big name star in the eyes of many people around the league, so his signing sends a message to the team that despite their financial restrictions they intend to make improvements to this team to help push them towards another title rather than be content with re-signing their own players.  He's the type of player fans can get excited about, and so long as he's happy he's got the type of personality and charisma that will do well in a city like Boston.  This team already has plenty of leaders, so he won't be expected to take on that role, but he is a veteran that knows how to win.  He has 4 rings of his own to prove it. 

This team has a limited window to contend before they are forced to rebuild around Rondo in two years.  They have to go all in to try to win before then, which means they will have to take some risks.  There's no doubt that there are some big risks involved with signing Shaq, but if he stays relatively healthy and can show he has something left in the tank than the reward may be that he plays a key part in helping this team raise Banner #18.