Shaq's First 3:02 with the Suns
He jumped (if that's the word) against Pao Gasol on the opening tip. Neither guy controlled uit, but Shaq got the second whack at it and Suns controlled.
First time he touched the ball, he threw it back out to Amare Stoudemire, who hit a 17-footer.
Soon after, he got beaten going back up the floor, and Gasol scored on a layup.
A trip down a bit later, the Lakers dallied around the basket long enough that Shaq hove into the picture, and blocked a shot. Maybe Lamar?
A bit later, Shaq got the ball semi-low, against Gasol, and a fan right behind me shouted, "Back him down!!"
Instead, Shaq tried to turn and shoot, but Vlad Radmanovic stripped the ball before Shaq could elevate it above his waist.
He had an actual shot, maybe the next trip. A jump hook from about 7 feet that he missed badly. But, then, he he couldn't make in L.A., either.
And then he came out. With 8:58 left in the quarter. He had played 3:02.
He sat down heavily on the Suns bench.
Dude hasn't played since Jan. 21, and he hasn't been in shape during the regular season since about 2000.
Phil Jackson before the game suggested it would take Shaq 5-7 games to get into the Suns' system.
Mike D'Antoni, Suns coach, said before the game he thought Shaq would need 8-10 games "to play himself in shape."
Hah.
So far, he looks like an old chubby guy. He can take up space, maybe rebound. But he can't jump, doesn't run much ... hard to envision him making a difference here.