Shaq is out 4-6 weeks
Torn cartilage. Surgery. A 34-year-old man. Are the Heat in trouble? Nah.
I remember vividly back when I was in high school seeing the New York Times sports section sitting on my parents kitchen table. The front page story read something like “Balance of Power Shifts in the East.” Underneath that was a photo of Shaquille O’Neal in the back of a limo in street clothes and shades and if I remember right, a cast on his wrist. This was right before the 1996 season, a year after the Magic made their one and only trip to the Finals. At the time this was great news, cause it meant the Knicks had a shot again, and for that I was grateful. A Shaq injury meant that it was safe for everyone else to think big again.
And then the Magic came out of the gate and ran up a 17-5 record without him. A big reason for their success was the play of Penny Hardaway. Shaq came back, Orlando won 60 games but lost to the greatest team ever and that was that.
The moral of the story is that they were able to survive without Shaq and ended up having a great season. Miami should be able to do the same thing, and that’s what’s happening now that Shaq is out 4-6 weeks after having knee surgery to repair torn cartilage. We’re at the point in his career where this is not surprising at all. So Dwyane Wade is going to have to do a little more. He can handle it. The East is worse than ever, which is shocking considering that there are talents like LeBron, Dwight, Bosh, Vince, Joe Johnson, Redd, the list goes on. There isn’t a single great team in the East now that Detroit lost its heart. Miami will be fine.
That’s my opinion anyway. I thought that their goal would be to ride the season out and try to stay healthy for the playoffs. It’s possible that losing Shaq so early will actually motivate them to play harder. Did you ever think that an injury to Shaq would have such little impact? Am I wrong about this?
21 Responses to “Shaq is out 4-6 weeks”
Nov.18 at 12:45 am
Fire_Isiah says:
Shaq has done nothing this season anyway even if he was playing i am not that sure that he would have an impact like he has before. There is no question that Shaq is slowing down and the heat now have other options like Udonis Haslem, who learnt how to score over the summer.Dwayne Wade always steps up when he needs to and Toine, GP, J Will and James Posey waill need to score more which should be no problem really as they all know how to from past seasons with lesser teams. (well maybe not Posey but I can dream) The Heat will be fine. Shaq missed games last season and what happened? CHAMPIONSHIP. The only way the heat will get worse is if they hire isiah, which won’t happen seeing as the knicks won’t get rid of him DAMMIT
Nov.18 at 12:46 am
mavs-cavs fan says:
its time for shaq to retire. we dont need big oafs like him anymore. dwight is the real stuff!
Nov.18 at 1:22 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Shaq isn’t required until March or April anyway.
Nov.18 at 2:04 am
Marcel Mutoni says:
in other news: water still wet.
Nov.18 at 4:23 am
Logan says:
they are in trouble if some other old guys like Zo and Walker go down…
Nov.18 at 8:23 am
ziad says:
well, i wish shaq from the start never left o-town! and penny never got injured, so i could heve seen a couple mor series between o-magic and c-bulls! any way, back to now, shaq if he did “nothing” according to some jurks, his presence was enough to intimidate the others!
ok!
when you have a post player, an inside player in the paint that creats oportonities to the peremiter my freinds! and with 2 on him almost every time he is in the paint, that helps the power forward in this case haslem to get open! look at horace grant back in 1995-96, he was having career seasons over there, and robet horry, in the lakers, or acgreen, even grant again!
ok!
stop dissing the big fella, he is the only true center that the US has,rather he is the best center ever!period! dhow is a power forward, not a true center! ok!
i see that in the coming weeks the heat will face serious troubles!ok!
that is that!
i want him to be back, i want shaq to return to kick ass, and to brake china wall in two! man, life in the nba with out shaq is not the same!
here is what i think…………peace to the shaq deisel!
i am out like the heat with out shaq!enough said!
Nov.18 at 9:55 am
TKJC says:
blah blah blah blah Shaq is old blah blah blah injury blah blah blah Wade will step up blah blah blah rest in the regular season blah blah blah blah blah blah healthy for the playoff blah blah blah blah blah blah blah still end up making the Finals blah blah blah blah
Nov.18 at 11:46 am
Tetet says:
Well Shaq, you had a great run. Not that Im saying that your gonna retire now or something. There’s just a kid in Orlando named Dwight that is waiting for the “most dominating” title. he got next
Nov.18 at 1:29 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
With Shaq out, the Heat are going to have to get big minutes from Mourning. There is the possibility that Mounrning will breakdown due to the extra minutes and poundings from the L’s top big men. If Shaq AND Alonzo go down the Heat are in real trouble.
Nov.18 at 3:36 pm
Mike says:
The Nets got the East locked down now. VC will get his first MVP and Jersey will advance to the Finals! Thank you Shaq.
Nov.18 at 3:51 pm
Patrick says:
The heat have a one way ticket to a second round exit this year. The East is weak right now, but i think alot of these teams are still forming, and will have their shit together come spring (Bulls) The cavs are killin it as well. My pick is taht the chosen one is going to lead his team to the finals. but i could see the bulls outlasting the heat as well. The pistons are old news. The nets are a pipe dream. The heat have already climaxed. Dwyane Wade is going to go the way of grant hill, penny hardaway, jerry stackhouse, and vince carter as failed attempts to replace God.
Nov.18 at 7:02 pm
apaul says:
Zo doesn’t have enough left in his tank to play more than 15 minutes night after night and the whole team is creaky. Not to mention Shaq will be trying to rehab his knee at age 34 or whatever while weighing as much as a pachyderm. Their wheels will come off. Patrick is way too quick towrite off DW though.
Nov.18 at 7:56 pm
Ron says:
Man I hope Zo’s kidneys can hold up with the extra minutes he’ll be logging. with most teams playing smaller, faster lineups Riles might be able to make it playing Tione in the middle and Posey at the 4 spot.
Nov.18 at 8:40 pm
BETCATS says:
are u high? Walker could never shimmy his way to the center shot. He would be the only dude listed at C for positon who has had 100000000000000 3PA as a career stat
Nov.18 at 11:08 pm
Dblizzy! says:
Shaq was looking pretty sorry this seson anyway. This injury means he’ll probably gain even more weight since he won’t be doin shit. So far Wade has shown that he can’t carry the team by himself. the got man handled by the knicks last night.
Nov.19 at 1:18 am
Love & Basketball says:
It’s true, right now I can’t see a clear favorite in the East. I’ll stick with my pick of Cleveland though..Wizards aren’t looking all that bad either, but I dont see them making the finals. As for Shaq, its looking more and more like Yao is the Center of attention in the NBA now… http://loveandbasketball2.blogspot.com
Nov.19 at 5:52 am
Fire_Isiah says:
Everyone needs to settle down if Zo goes down the heat still have a dominant center Michael Doleac!!!!! Who needs a centre when you have ‘Toine and Udon? Well most teams really but the heat have enough talent to pull through. For a while at least. I am sure Isiah would trade eddy curry for 3 apple pies anyway and there you have it a center for Miami. That man needs to be fired DAMMIT
Nov.20 at 12:05 pm
matt garza says:
with shaq out the heat are now in some trouble. D-wade really relies on the big guy. shaq is one reason wade gets to the hole so easy. if shaqs man doubles off then he just dumps it to shaq but now with shaq out they will double wade and he is gonna struggle scoring. the heat resigning alonzo was huge because he is as good as shaq. (just not as big). the rest of the guys are really gonna have to step up if the heat wanna defend their title. j posey is gonna have to go do his thing as well as haslam. the heat are gonna struggle for a lil but they will get back on track if these guys step up and help wade.
Nov.20 at 2:07 pm
Cheryl says:
i doubted this team last year, and after the championship, i vowed never to doubt them again. riley will pull a motivational rabbit out of the hat and move these guys to bring it every night. and they have a young stud on the team itching to show the league what he can do. the heat will be fine and will be one of the top four at the end of the season.
Nov.20 at 2:08 pm
Cheryl says:
the kid’s name is Dorrell Wright, for those that don’t know… (the other DW!)
Jan.20 at 9:56 am
Whitley says:
I LOVE SHAQ and i can’t wait for him to get his injury together so i can see him back on the court. I don’t think the team is going to be in too much trouble because they are close and a strong team so i think they will be fine. They will win the championship once again!!!!!!!!!1