Heat With Diesel Fuel: The Importance of Shaq

To his credit, Shaquille O'Neal never went around boasting that he was The Man. The Big ChamberNeasy, yes. Superman? Sure. But he never took sole credit for the Laker mini-nasty. He knew that the sober guidance of Phil Jackson, the liberal wallet of Jerry Buss, the locker room presence of Mitch Richmond, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, and Derek Fisher, and the stellar play of Kobe Bryant were prime factors.

Now we observe O'Neal operating in a new environment. Though hobbled recently, he dedicated himself to be physically fit. He took Dwayne Wade under his huge wing. He reached out to Miami fans. And he could be en route to the Finals again.

What does this say about professional basketball? For all the talk of the return of the little man, of Small Ball, Allen Iverson, the old David Wesley/Baron Davis backcourt in New Orleans, and Mike Bibby/Bobby Jackson in SacTown, an unstoppable big man is the ticket.

Why has this fact gone overshadowed? There are a number of reasons. We forget about the college game, where UConn was led by Emeka Okafur, and UNC by Sean May. We forget about Michael Jordan's baseball oddysey, when Hakeem Olajuwon ruled the NBA world. What about the Spurs' success with The Admiral and Tim Duncan? The Laker three-peat? All of these triumphs underscore the need to feed the post, and the importance of interior defense. Those powerful Bulls teams were the exception, not the rule.

Fans must also note that 25 years ago, Amare Stoudemire, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Rasheed Wallace, and the recently-retired Karl Malone, most of whom stand at least 6-11, would have been centers. That was the NBA of Wes Unseld and Dave Cowens, but also of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone.

Just because Patrick Ewing is ringless, doesn't mean the postman is not precious. Look at the three NCAA national championship games Ewing led Georgetown to, two more of which his team could have conceivably won. Shaq proves the rule, the old boxing aphorism that a good big man is better than a good little man. In a larger way, Bill Russell was solid proof.

The high-percentage shot is the best shot. When healthy, Shaq is not only quick, strong, and an excellent leaper given his bulk, but he is a smart passer. On a well-balanced team, he is always a candidate to play in June. Olajuwon and Abdul-Jabbar also knew when to pass out of the double-team. College and pro champ Bill Walton knew how to pass period. In the NCAA's, Utah's Andrew Bogut put on a clinic, feeding cutters like a latter-day Meadowlark Lemon replicating the Harlem Globetrotters' weave.

Shaq and Wade compliment each other expertly, and Wade's humility and appreciation prevent the jealousy that clouded Shaq/Penny [Hardaway] and Kobe/Shaq. Without such clouds, the Heat are in for a sunny forecast.