NBA Rumors: Steve Nash Would Ensure Miami Heat Dynasty

Even at 38 years old, Steve Nash remains one of the best point guards in the NBA. The Miami Heat are still desperately seeking a point guard who can ease the burden on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

While it would take a lot to actually get a deal done, Nash did not dismiss the idea when asked about it during an interview on The Dan Patrick Show on Thursday.

He said that if James were to call and ask him about coming to South Beach, he would "listen":

I love what they are doing there. Obviously, a lot of people don't like them because they put all that talent together. But they're professional, they play hard, they play together, and the coaching staff has done a great job.

It's not like Nash is saying that he is going to run to South Beach after the season is over, but the allure of winning will probably control where he plays next season.

There was some talk of Nash being traded before the deadline this year, because the Phoenix Suns are not going to the postseason. They are entering a rebuilding phase, and Nash is in the final year of his contract.

Nothing ever came of those rumors, but this offseason Nash will have a big decision to make. The Suns would love to have him back, obviously, but he will likely not be competing for a title with them anytime soon.

Bringing Nash to the Heat would not only make them even bigger title favorites than they have been for the last two years, but he would all but guarantee that they would become the next great dynasty in the NBA.

James and Wade need the ball to be effective, as does Nash, so it could be a big cluster that might turn some people off. But Nash would actually open up the offense more than it has been.

Nash wants to be a table-setter. He is going to put them in the best position possible to put the ball in the hoop. That will save their legs when they get to the postseason, which will make them more lethal.

Nash would have to take a major pay cut to play with the Heat. According to ESPN, they only have about $3 million to spend on free agents. That will likely be as much of a factor as winning in any decision Nash makes.

The Heat should pursue Nash as hard as they can and hope that he will take the bait, because the possibilities with him in Miami are endless.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1125523-nba-rumors-steve-nash-would-ensure-miami-heat-dynasty

Suns' Hill undergoes 'successful procedure' on knee

PHOENIX (AP) -- Grant Hill has undergone what the Phoenix Suns labeled a "successful procedure" to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

The team said in a news release announcing Friday's 30-minute procedure that, if Hill's rehabilitation goes well, he should return before the end of the regular season.

The medial meniscus tear was discovered when the 39-year-old forward underwent an MRI on Thursday. He had been sidelined for two games because of inflammation in the knee.

Hill is the NBA's second-oldest player, one day younger than Portland's Kurt Thomas. He is averaging 10.7 points per game and is considered the Suns' best defensive player.

Shannon Brown has started in Hill's absence.

After his earlier career was decimated by injury, Hill -- in his 17th NBA season -- has been remarkably durable since coming to the Suns in 2007. He missed only one game in 2009-10 and two in 2010-11. He and 38-year-old teammate Steve Nash were held out of the second game in the two instances that Phoenix played on three consecutive nights this season.

Entering Friday's schedule, the Suns, with 15 games to play, were two games behind Utah, Houston and Denver. Those three teams are tied for the seventh and eighth spots that will be the final two playoff berths in the Western Conference.

After losing to the Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday, the Suns are off until Sunday, when they are home against the New Orleans Hornets

Source: http://www.nba.com/2012/news/03/30/suns-hill.ap/index.html

LA Lakers: 30 Team Previews In 30 Days

2009-10 Statistics

Finished 57-25, first in Pacific Division, first in Western Conference

Postseason

1st Round: Defeated Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2

2nd Round: Defeated Utah Jazz 4-0

Conference Finals: Defeated Phoenix Suns 4-3

NBA Finals: Defeated Boston Celtics 4-3

Additions and Re-Signings

Matt Barnes via free agency, Steve Blake via free agency, Theo Ratliff via free agency, Shannon Brown via re-signing, Derek Caracter via draft, and Devin Ebanks via draft.

Losses

Jordan Farmar via free agency and Josh Powell via free agency.

Revenge has never felt so good for the LA Lakers. After being ousted in 6 games in the 2007 NBA Finals by the Boston Celtics, the LA Lakers made it back to the NBA Finals to gain redemption against the team that had embarrassed them 2 years prior.

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Will Shaquille O’Neal take Boston Celtics to another championship title?

NBA: Will Shaquille O’Neal takes Boston Celtics to another championship title?

The Los Angeles Lakers is a team that is cherished by the basketball nation and is given the highest regard for procuring the top most elite players and nurturing them into world class championship winners for more than 50 years. Till date LA Lakers have remained a consistent franchise, reeling in more fans by the end of each year. It is a franchise with such a strong aura that whoever enters it does not want to leave.

However there were those who took the daring step and opted out; Shaquille O’Neal is one of those audacious players. According to media speculation he wanted to leave the team because he did not like sharing his stardom with fellow team mate Kobe Bryant which led to a heated brawl between the two.

He departed from the LA Lakers to join the Miami Heat along with superstar Dwyane Wade, although he was able to lead the team to win a championship title adding to his 4th title. He soon left the team after an alleged feud with the head coach Pat Riley in 2008. Basketball purists believe any chance Shaquille O’Neal had of building a dynasty was finished after he left the Lakers.

Shaquille O’Neal has suffered since he left the Lakers, joining Miami Heat followed by 2 other teams, Phoenix Suns and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The All-Star could have teamed up with LeBron James and win another championship ring, unfortunately the opposite happened. Shaquille O’Neal scored only 11.5 points per game in this year’s playoffs making his lowest score average ever.

Shaquille O’Neal hit the free-agency market this year after the playoffs; the once remarkable player was now a desperate player who nobody wanted to sign. The ‘Big Diesel’ is now 38 years old and is hungry for another title, rumours had it he wanted to go back to the Miami Heat and join the freshly formed All-Star trio including Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

The 7’1” big man was struggling to a find a team this season that will welcome him aboard and give him the same respect he once got in the Los Angeles Lakers, but nobody seemed interested in the aging star. However two days ago something happened that no sports analyst or basketball pundit had predicted, Shaquille O’Neal was signed on by the legendary team Boston Celtics. He was given a 2 year contract worth $3 million, proving the fact that Shaquille O’Neal is extremely concerned about his legacy and the fact that his former teammate, now rival Kobe Bryant has one more Championship title than him.

Accepting a minimum wage contract, putting his ego aside is as likely as the world is going to end in 2012. An ego so big that he left 2 teams because he could not cope with his former teammates, an ego so big that has left him delusional thinking he has another shot to the title.

Shaquille O’Neal has once again created hype in the NBA; his presence in the Boston Celtics has led many to believe he could now actually embed his name deeper into the league. With Kevin Garnett returning to the team after a successful knee surgery followed by star veteran players like Paul Peirce, Ray Allen, experts say the Diesel actually has a shot at winning another title.

It is no secret that Shaquille O’Neal is the oldest player in the league and deteriorating as days go by. Nevertheless, it is a fact that he once was one of the top most scorers in the NBA, and was also one of the most dominating centers in the NBA history. Basketball pundits say you never know the old fiery Shaquille O’Neal may get back into action and grab the Boston Celtics reigns taking them to the upcoming championship. The MVP recently told press he still has a year or two left in him, that statement will be proven true or false in the upcoming match vs. Miami heat which takes place on 26th October 2010. So fasten your seatbelts NBA fanatics because it is going to be one hell of a battle.