Shaq's Future

[Mitch Henessey]

Shaq's future with the Cleveland Cavaliers is kind of up in the air. The Diesel is getting older, and he's not the force he once was. Shaq really can't be the 1st option on any team, because the days of him being a wrecking machine in the paint are pretty much over. O'Neal will be available when free agency season gets underway, so I'm wondering what's next for one of the NBA's all time greatest players?

Should Shaq be considering retirement? As I said earlier, the big man is starting to get older, and he can't stay healthy enough to make a real impact on any team. Shaq might draw some double teams every now and then, but he can't be counted on to carry an offense.

Depending on what happens with LeBron James, Shaq might not want stay in Cleveland. We all know Shaq is about wanting to win championships, and if LeBron leaves, then Cleveland's chances of winning a title won't be good at all.

What do you think about Shaq's future?

 

[hatehabsforever]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the big man retire. I really believe that LeBron is leaving Cleveland (likely to Chicago) and therefore, on a scale of 1-10, the chances of Cleveland winning a championship anytime soon are -2. So Shaq won't want to be a part of this team, who likely won't even see the playoffs again for the forseeable future. And at this stage of his career, I just don't see any contending teams knocking on his door to avail of his services.

If presented with the options of playing on a non-contender or simply retiring, he'll choose the latter. And rightly so.

However, if I'm wrong and James does return to Cleveland, I fully expect to see Shaq back there again for one more season and one more shot. Unfortunately for Ohio sports fans, however, I don't think I'm wrong here.

 

[gd]

Don't think he's coming back to Clevland, at least from what I've heard. And really, why would they want to bring him back? Didn't bring nearly enough to the table. Liabilty on defense, nothing more than slightly above average on offense, and he's had injury and weight issues. Why would anyone really want him for a significant amount of money, other than the fact he's Shaq?

Definetly should be considering retirement, but I don't think he will. Definetl will end up somewhere at some point next year. I'm guessig he'd only want to go to a contender, but I'm not sure where he'd fit? Dallas maybe? Who knows, just a guess, really.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Being in the UK I dont watch much NBA, but do enjoy catchin the odd game every now and again. I went to a few games when Manchester had the Manchester Giants basketball team.

Now it seems to me that Shaq has been around forever, so how old is he? Is he regarded as an all-time great in the NBA like Jordan or Bryant?

 

[tripolie atche]

im from dallas so im hearing that Shaqs #1 choice is to play for the mavs (although ive been hearing the Shaq to DAL rumors ever since he was a laker lol) but i wouldnt be surprised if he did end up in DAL because this time around he's an unrestricted FA & im sure mavs fans would agree that an almost 40 yr old Shaq is better than Damp ever was in his prime (if he ever had one XD)

however an issue is that DAL is way over the cap ($15-$20 mill over) & obviously they would have to do a lot to get under it

 

[Mitch Henessey]

im from dallas so im hearing that Shaqs #1 choice is to play for the mavs (although ive been hearing the Shaq to DAL rumors ever since he was a laker lol) but i wouldnt be surprised if he did end up in DAL because this time around he's an unrestricted FA & im sure mavs fans would agree that an almost 40 yr old Shaq is better than Damp ever was in his prime (if he ever had one XD)

however an issue is that DAL is way over the cap ($15-$20 mill over) & obviously they would have to do a lot to get under it

Yeah, the Shaq to Dallas rumors have been going around for a while, but they would have to do some work to get under the cap. If the Mavs could make this happen, then there's a chance Shaq could play for Dallas. Also, he would be upgrade when compared to Dampier. Dampier is not capable of making a real impact in the paint. Shaq might not be as dominant as he once was, but he could draw a double team every now and then.

Now it seems to me that Shaq has been around forever, so how old is he? Is he regarded as an all-time great in the NBA like Jordan or Bryant?

Shaq is 38 yrs. old, and yes, he is regarded as an all-time great NBA player. He's a four time champion, and when the Los Angles Lakers won their three NBA titles from 2000-2002, he was the most dominant player in the NBA. But the thing is Shaq is getting old, and he's not the force he once was. Also, he can't stay healthy for an entire season, and he can't be the focal point of any offense any more. But at the same time, Shaq wants to win championships, so it'll be interesting to see what happens with him during this NBA off season.