Phil
Retired
Joined: 03 Aug 2001
Posts: 10007
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 Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 8:07 am Post subject: May 27th: Shaq, "I'm the Last Center Left" |
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Scaled Back
As the "last center left," O'Neal doesn't play as much or as powerfully as at 34
By Jerry Crowe, Times Staff Writer
May 27, 2006
MIAMI — The Most Dominant Ever dominates no more.
Not like before, anyway.
Shaquille O'Neal, who averaged career lows of 20 points and 9.2 rebounds during the regular season, is at 19 and 9.3 in the playoffs.
A Detroit columnist this week called him old and fat.
His 34th birthday 2 1/2 months behind him, his conditioning still suspect, the Miami Heat center sits out, on average, more than a third of every game.
Runner-up to Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns in most-valuable-player voting last season, his first with the Heat, O'Neal wasn't even part of the MVP discussion this season, when injuries robbed him of 21 games and his playing time was cut.
"He's definitely choosing his spots more," Ron Harper, O'Neal's former Lakers teammate and now an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons, said at practice this week. "I mean, he's not the same guy. Father Time caught up to him some. He picks and chooses his spots, but when he wants to do what he wants to do, he's going to do it. He can still score the basketball, and his defense still changes up the game." |
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