Talking Myself Into It

A couple weeks after saying that it probably wasn't going to happen, the Boston Celtics have agreed to terms on a contract with Shaquille O'Neal. This comes on the heels of signing Jermaine O'Neal last month and it gives the Celtics five members of the 2004 All-Star game, which would be huge news if it were still, you know, 2004. Unfortunately, it is 2010 and three of those guys (Garnett, Shaq and Jermaine) have spent the better part of two years dealing with various leg problems. Age and injuries aside, the biggest factor going forward that will decide whether or not this move works will be how Shaq handles being the fourth option on a team of players he used to be able to dominate. He appears to be a very gregarious guy, that doesn't change the fact that O'Neal is bound to have a large ego befitting of a man who ruled the NBA for a decade. Clearly he had issues with a reduced role on his last few teams, which all ended with Shaq leaving on less than cordial terms. However, this is not the first time Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers have decided to roll the dice on guys with slightly checkered histories at their last NBA stops. The Celtics have lucked out that players like Rasheed Wallace, Stephon Marbury and Nate Robinson have stayed on their best behavior while playing here, but at some point that luck is going to run out. If Shaq decided to cause problems (admittedly, that is unlikely as long as the team is winning) it could effect the entire locker room dynamic.

Still, I like the Shaq signing. First off, I think Doc is the kind of coach who can handle a locker room with all these over-sized personalities. Also, it just makes basketball sense. With Kendrick Perkins getting hurt so late in the playoffs I doubt he'll be back to playing they way he was before his injury for at least two seasons, which is coincidentally how long Shaq's deal could potentially be for. His signing will allow Perkins to work back to full strength without rushing and risking further injury. Also, while Shaq isn't a defensive presence anymore, his wide body will still make guys like Dwight Howard work for rebounds, which would have been helpful against Pau Gasol in Game 7. As for the offense, no one will be asking O'Neal to put up huge numbers - if he can give the Celtics 25 minutes, 10 points and 8 boards a game I will be thrilled. Anything more than that should be considered found money and if he gets worn down or in foul trouble, Jermaine O'Neal (who somehow managed to be the higher-paid-while-at-the-same-time-second-best O'Neal on his own team) can fill in the rest of time. Not to mention, this Celtics team has the perfect mindset for Shaq: he doesn't like to exert himself until the playoffs and the defending Eastern Conference Champions proved that they don't feel the need to either. Just be ready by the playoffs and you can fit right in. No, really, I can talk myself into this. It could work... I think.

-Let me go on record right now as saying that I have no doubts that a) Mark Cuban will put in the highest bid for the Texas Rangers and b) he will still not be awarded the franchise. The Rangers are currently up for auction because they did stupid things like give Alex Rodriguez $200 million without making nearly enough money to cover that kind of salary and plunged themselves $500 million into debt. A group led by all-time great Nolan Ryan put in a bid, as did Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Cuban's was the higher bid, but MLB awarded the franchise to Ryan's group, which seriously pissed off all the people the Rangers owe money to, which is why the team is now once again up for auction. If Cuban were to win, he would probably become one of the best owners in baseball pretty quickly. When he bought the Mavericks they were one of the worst teams in the league and he got them to the point where they are competitive every single year by doing what fans always want an owner to do: investing his money back into the team. There is not a question in my mind that he could do it again, especially in a league with no salary cap. However, he is not like one of the stuffed shirts that currently own baseball teams and would probably start pushing for things like replay, time clocks between pitches and increased technology throughout the game. That is why I assume his still-highest bid will be rejected and the second-highest bid from the group led by Nolan Ryan will get the team. This is why baseball continues to fade as the National past time. They need to be embracing guys like Cuban, not pushing him away. The Rangers are in a good-sized media market and yet they only contend once every five seasons. Cuban would be the better choice to own them, I just hope baseball isn't so set in traditions they refuse to see that.