Shaquille O’Neal was introduced as a member of the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, decked out in a pinstriped suit and a bow tie and waxing on the ultimate goal: winning.
Too bad Shaq’s skills have eroded to the point where he no longer helps his team win.
We love O’Neal (his style, his game, his quotable personality), but he’s entering his 19th season in the NBA. No longer the dominant force underneath the basket, Shaq has been relegated to part-time duty on the floor, logging 23 minutes a game last season for Cleveland and posting career lows in points and rebounds.
This would be all fine and good for a 38-year-old backup center — which is what the Big Shamrock is at this stage of his career. The issue isn’t his production, his attitude or his desire to play; it’s the effect he has when he steps on the floor.
Think of an NBA team as a speedboat. Throwing O’Neal into the mix is the equivalent of dropping anchor while trying to cruise full-throttle. It doesn’t matter that the Celtics run a traditional half-court offense. What matters is Boston is old and getting older. Forcing Rajon Rondo to run a molasses-slow offense is like keeping a Ferrari in the right-hand lane on the highway.
The Suns (a running team) and the Cavaliers (a team built around LeBron James) discovered this the hard way. The Celtics may well learn the same harsh lesson: Having Shaq no longer guarantees winning.
