Shaq Traded to Cavs

Lebron and Shaq will be teammates in Cleveland in the 2010 NBA season.

The Cavaliers have agreed in principle to acquire Shaquille O'Neal from the Suns for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, an NBA source confirmed late Wednesday night.

Phoenix also will receive a second-round pick in Thursday's draft and cash. The deal was first reported by ESPN and Yahoo! Sports.

O'Neal has been on the Cavaliers' radar since February, when Cleveland had discussions with Phoenix about acquiring the 15-time All-Star center before the trading deadline. The Cavs' struggles in the Eastern Conference finals against Orlando -- specifically with Magic center Dwight Howard -- increased the urgency for Cleveland GM Danny Ferry to seek out a center who can defend Howard one-on-one.

He found an answer in the 37-year-old O'Neal, a four-time champion who had a resurgent year with Phoenix last season, averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in 75 games, his most appearances since 1999-2000. The acquisition of O'Neal doesn't hurt the Cavs' plan to pursue a top free agent in 2010, either: O'Neal's $20 million salary comes off the books after next season.
The deal for O'Neal is the latest move by Cleveland in its attempt to build a strong supporting cast around LeBron James, who can become a free agent in 2010. Last offseason, the Cavaliers bolstered the backcourt by dealing for Mo Williams. The point guard had an All-Star season but struggled in Cleveland's six-game loss to Orlando.

Neither Wallace or Pavlovic is likely to play for the cost-cutting Suns. Only $1.5 million of Pavlovic's 2009-2010 contract is guaranteed and the Suns will likely cut him to save $3.5 million. Wallace was contemplating retirement after the season and the deal to Phoenix -- a team with no chance to win the NBA championship next season -- may push him out the door. If the Suns can negotiate a fair buyout of his $14 million contract, Wallace will likely take it, saving Phoenix owner Robert Sarver several million dollars in the process.

Of greater concern is how the Shaq trade affects Phoenix's ability to extend the contract of Steve Nash. The two-time MVP, a free agent in 2010, has said he will wait and see what moves the Suns make before deciding whether to re-sign. Phoenix GM Steve Kerr met with Nash and his agent, Bill Duffy, in New York last week.

With acknowledgment to: Cris Mannix, SI.com

Lakers vs Magic NBA Final series: Game 2 scouting report

Kobe Bryant overwhelmed the Orlando Magic with his 40-point career high explosion in Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals. Kobe has morphed into his young age game with the mind set of a seasoned MVP basketball player in this game, giving the Lakers a 100-75 win to lead the Final series 1-0. Dwight Howard and the Magic were not able to contain his 48-minutes basketball brilliance on both ends of the court. The Black Mamba flirted with a triple-double registering 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assist.

Orlando's players now understand what that is all about, as they can now appreciate the differences between a conference final and the Finals. It would be easy to say their poor shooting from the perimeter was the reason they got killed in Game 1, but it was their 15-of-54 shooting from inside the arc that doomed them. Stan Van Gundy clearly has some adjustments to consider, but the biggest message he will give his guys is: "Fellas, we just have to make some shots."

Adjustments

Orlando Magic

When Orlando has struggled offensively this postseason, normally it was a result of too few touches for Dwight Howard. That lack of touches allows the opposing defense to keep its basic structure, and against the Lakers, this became a problem. But it wasn't the only issue the Magic had on offense.

• In addition to not establishing Howard enough early in the clock, the Magic players seemed tentative in many of their actions. Guys held the ball for too long, again allowing Lakers defenders to stay in good spots. Players jogged to set screens too often, unsure of what exactly the ball handler wanted. This shortened the clock on many possessions, a fatal blow against a team with the length of the Lakers. And the ball handlers didn't attack off screens once they were set, rarely getting penetration and forcing the Lakers into breaking out of their standard defense.

• The three keys in terms of execution for Orlando's offense are: feed Howard repeatedly, move the ball quickly off screens and dribble drives to try to get paint penetration, and finish paint shots.

• Rashard Lewis has a tendency to try to finesse drives to the basket instead of attacking with toughness to draw the foul. It would be wise for him to do the latter. He has attacked the basket on many drives this postseason. But it just so happens that they all came before Thursday's Game 1. When Orlando runs ball screens to drag Andrew Bynum off Howard, Pau Gasol moves to Howard and Bynum switches to Lewis. If the Magic are patient, they can isolate Bynum on the perimeter. But they have to move the ball quickly to prevent the switchback first before they slow it down and take advantage of the mismatch. Recognizing is the key.

• Tony Battie's lack of an outside shot allows Gasol to hang back and zone up inside. Orlando needs to space better opposite the ball, and when they get a ball reversal they can drive at Gasol, who will have more ground to cover. Too often Orlando's perimeter player was rotated too much toward the center, allowing one defender to cover two near the middle of the floor and the wing. Flattening to the corner with one shooter and placing the other higher on the wing can earn easier corner 3s.

• Howard is best when facing up Bynum or Gasol, but he needs to attack more quickly after he gets the ball. Attacking toward the middle is his best option, as it allows easier kickouts when L.A. sends defenders down to him. If he goes baseline, it needs to be fast and explosive, so the second defender doesn't have time to get down there. L.A.'s length inside is a factor here.

• Defensively, the Magic did not play with either force or urgency and got killed in the paint. Before worrying about guarding Kobe, they first have to build a stronger wall around the rim without relying solely on Howard's shot-blocking talents. Using quicker feet, stronger forearms, harder fouls and smarter rotations, they can accomplish this.

• Orlando is content with a high volume of shots from Kobe Bryant, as long as they aren't putting him on the foul line as well. But they may have to send a double-team at him, as they did with Paul Pierce in the Boston series, if they sense him going into "Mamba mode."

• Look for increased emphasis on the Magic's defense after dead balls and coming out of timeouts, as they did not lock in immediately and gave up quick points coming out of breaks. Their failures in these situations were clearly a result of the bright lights of the Finals stage, and these situations are sure to be addressed in their preparation for Game 2.
  
  The best defensive statement the Magic can make in Game 2 is a few hard fouls early in the game to let the Lakers know they are in for a fight.

Los Angeles Lakers

• When Gasol has to get back to protect the paint to slide over to Howard, someone has to find Lewis when he runs to the corner. Gasol can't protect the rim and close out Lewis.

• Despite all of the attention given to Bynum, Gasol and Lamar Odom for their individual defense on Howard, the Lakers' defense of Howard started well before he ever touched the ball. Lakers perimeter defenders made contact with Howard in transition and at the start of his rolls to the basket after a ball screen. By doing this, they not only attempted to impede his progress, but also crowded him and let him know he was surrounded by gold jerseys. Watch out for this to continue in Game 2.

• Each of Howard's individual defenders played him differently in Game 1, and this rotation of adversaries, designed to prevent Howard from getting into a consistent rhythm, will be on display again in Game 2.

• Bynum will be content to allow Howard to catch the ball and then back off to allow Howard to face up and come right at him. Bynum will attempt to hold his ground at the rim. His fouls in Game 1 came on slapdowns and reach-ins when Howard beat him off the dribble.

• Gasol attempted to deny Howard the catch, beating him to spots and then trying to deny and front. Gasol then used his quickness when Howard made the catch, playing him tighter and drawing two offensive fouls. With Howard expected to be more aggressive in Game 2, Gasol will once again look to anticipate Howard's power moves to the basket and draw the charge. Odom will play behind and defend him straight-up.

• Once Howard made the catch and began his move in Game 1, Lakers help defenders were digging in the lane, cheating toward Howard and reaching and crowding him as he made his move. Look for this to continue in Game 2, with an occasional double-team thrown in to keep Howard guessing.

• Trevor Ariza and Luke Walton will continue their tag team on Hedo Turkoglu. They will try to take away the middle on his catches and attempt to steer his drives toward the baseline and the corner. Tukoglu's only 3-pointer in Game 1 came on an overaggressive drive help by Ariza in the first quarter, so look for Ariza and Walton to shade him a little closer in Game 2 to prevent a possible 3-point barrage.

• The Lakers' offense in Game 2 can't depend on Bryant's acrobatics, so expect to see an early emphasis on getting the ball inside to Bynum and Gasol. Bynum's size and offensive skill make him a handful for Howard. The Lakers will try to put Howard in position to defend and risk early foul trouble.

• L.A. got 15 offensive rebounds in Game 1, eight of those coming from Bynum, Gasol and Odom. Look for the offensive glass to be a continued point of emphasis in Game 2, especially if Howard is in shot-blocking mode.

• With the Magic likely to increase attention on Bryant in Game 2, the Lakers must get crisp ball movement and good offensive spacing, which will then allow L.A. shooters to spot up for 3-point shots on ball reversal. The Lakers only took nine 3-pointers in Game 1, so look for the Magic to test L.A.'s 3-point shooting ability in Game 2.

Scouting Prediction: Magic wins in Game 2.

With reference to David Thorpe and Mike Moreau of Scouts Inc.

LA Lakers vs Orlando Magic: Another Magical NBA Finals Upset?

With the LA Lakers vs Orlando Magic NBA Finals series to set off on Thursday, many NBA and basketball pundits will have different analysis of this series on how the teams will win the championship. The basketball world has anticipated a Kobe-LeBron match up in the finals.

However, Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic mystified everyone as they defeated the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, 4-2, and reach the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history. A magical run for a team that was not expected to reach the second round of the playoffs because of the injury to its superstar pointguard Jameer Nelson, a mid-season player trades, and a tumultuous playoff outburst from Howard against his coach, Stan Van Gundy.

The LA Lakers were expected to reach the Finals at the start of training camp with most of its players returning to play for Phil Jackson. Everyone is healthy including center Andrew Bynum, who recovered from an injury sustained during the regular season. Kobe Bryant was able to play on both ends of the court and brought so much energy to his teammates.

The Lakers (65-17) is the second best team in the NBA for the regular season. Nevertheless, the Kobe and his teammates were like a bunch of kids bullied by the neighborhood thugs. Ron Artest and the Houston Rockets played the Lakers until Game 7 of their semifinal round in the playoff. Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets were roughhousing the Kobe and his teammates in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers beat the Nuggets 4-2 to reach their 30th NBA Finals appearance in franchise history.

As for the Magic, coach Stan Van Gundy shouldn’t be worried that the Lakers own the homecourt advantage in the best-of-7 series that will follow the 2-3-2 format. After all, Orlando bumped off Boston and Cleveland without the homecourt edge. There is a slight twist, however, in that the Lakers will host Games 1 and 2 then, if necessary, Games 6 and 7, meaning the Magic will host Games 3 and 4 and if necessary, Game 5.

In a tight Finals duel, it’s extremely difficult to win three games in a row even at home. That means to win the title, Orlando may need to win twice on the road assuming the Lakers steal one on the Magic’s court.

But if you ask Dwight Howard and his troops about the challenge of winning twice on the road in the playoffs, they’ll probably say it’s no big deal. They did it against Philadelphia in the first and Boston in the second.

In the 76ers series, Orlando lost Game 1 at home but took out Philadelphia, 100-98, in Game 4 and 114-89, in Game 6, both on the road. In the Boston series, the Magic socked it to the Celtics in Game 1, 95-90, and did it again on the road in Game 7, 101-82. Along the way, the Magic lost Game 4, 95-94, at home so Van Gundy’s squad isn’t exactly invulnerable at home.

The Lakers are 12-6 in the playoffs so far with two losses at home. They lost Game 1 to Houston, 100-92, and Game 2 to Denver, 106-103, both at the Staples Center – indicating a weakness to defend their homecourt in the early stages of both series. Against Orlando, it’s vital for Los Angeles to win Games 1 and 2 before the series swings to Magic town.

Like Orlando, Los Angeles is tough on the road, too. The Lakers beat Utah once on the Jazz court, Houston twice on the Rockets court and Denver once on the Nuggets court. The icing on the cake was Los Angeles’ 119-92 demolition of Denver in Game 6 on the Nuggets floor to seal the deal.

The Lakers’ championship experience will be a huge factor in the series. Jackson and the late Red Auerbach are tied in the NBA honor roll with most titles by a coach at nine apiece. If LA beats Orlando, Jackson will become the all-time coaching leader with 10 championships. In all, Jackson has coached in 11 Finals, losing to Detroit in 2004 and Boston last season. This is his 12th Finals appearance as a coach.

For Bryant, it will be his coming out party as he tries to win his first ring without Shaq O’Neal watching his back. He came close last year but the Celtics, not the Lakers, were destined to win. This time, destiny is calling the Lakers.

For sure, it won’t be easy sailing for the Lakers. Last year, LA couldn’t get the job done against Boston because the Lakers had no antidote for Kevin Garnett. Now, big Andrew Bynum is in harness and he’ll definitely contribute in making life a little difficult for Howard in the middle.

How to address Howard is Jackson’s challenge. The Lakers start with Pau Gasol at power forward and Bynum at center so they’ve got a pair of bigs to keep Howard busy. But Gasol is a finesse operator, not a banger, and Jackson might give burly D. J. Mbenga, who played for Dallas in the 2006 Finals, a crack at testing Howard’s strength. Bynum is too raw and foul-prone to consistently provide Howard a threat on both ends.

Another Jackson problem is Rashard Lewis who has excellent three-point range for a 6-10 “small” forward. Trevor Ariza, a tough defender, will be given the task to shadow Lewis no doubt. Orlando’s other forward 6-10 Hedo Turkoglu is also a sharpshooter from the perimeter but Gasol or Lamar Odom or Luke Walton should be able to locate him.

The bench will play a major role in the series. Van Gundy’s shock troopers include the vastly-improved Mickael Pietrus, guard Anthony Johnson, 6-11 Marcin Gortat and hardly-used veterans Tony Battie, Adonal Foyle and Tyronn Lue. But the Lakers second unit of Odom, Walton, Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown and Sasha Vujacic is far superior.

Orlando hasn’t played in the Finals since the O’Neal era in 1995 and that appearance was forgettable as the Houston Rockets crushed the Magic, then coached by Brian Hill, in four straight.

Bryant will be unstoppable in the Finals because the Magic won’t be able to hold down his teammates. If Orlando throws a double or triple team on Kobe, expect the other Lakers to show what they can do. Orlando just isn’t deep enough to match up man-for-man and in the end, Bryant will dominate either by scoring or passing. Besides, Jackson is too smart to lose to a Finals newcomer (Van Gundy) with the odds stacked in his favor.

It will be a game played between a team out to redeem themselves and another young team playing with destiny to clinch their first ever NBA Finals championship trophy. The series could be over in five.