Shaq injury

[MavsFanFinley]

O'Neal leaves game with strained calf muscle

November 22, 2003

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal left in the third quarter of Friday night's game against the Chicago Bulls because of a strained right calf muscle.

It wasn't immediately known if O'Neal would return.

O'Neal had 15 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes when he sat down with 7:19 remaining in the third. Trainer Gary Vitti worked on O'Neal's leg for a few minutes before O'Neal left the court.

[LRB]

Sounds like the wheels are starting to come off the diesel.

[Shaq Attack2]

Originally posted by: LRB
Sounds like the wheels are starting to come off the diesel.

True. He has maybe 3 dominating years left. Still, he was awesome in today's game before the injury. He caught and dunked this alley oop from Kobe today, man, Shaq was so high in the air that he probably could have touched the top of the backboard, it was incredible.

[Simon2]

Without Shaq, there's no way the Lakers beat the Mavs.

[mavsfanforever]

Originally posted by: Simon2
Without Shaq, there's no way the Lakers beat the Mavs.

I would not conclude that yet. Mavs have looked great at home and have still been pathetic on road. It does make the defensive plan much more simple when Shaq isn't playing. I still think Lakers are a playoff team even without Shaq. But I can assure you that they will not win a 7 game series against Mavs, Spurs or Kings without Shaq in the lineup.

I am still not sure mavs can beat the lakers at Staples Centre even without Shaq.

[Simon2]

Originally posted by: mavsfanforever

I would not conclude that yet. Mavs have looked great at home and have still been pathetic on road. It does make the defensive plan much more simple when Shaq isn't playing. I still think Lakers are a playoff team even without Shaq. But I can assure you that they will not win a 7 game series against Mavs, Spurs or Kings without Shaq in the lineup.

I am still not sure mavs can beat the lakers at Staples Centre even without Shaq.

That's what I was saying. The Lakers don't beat the Mavs in a 7 game series without Shaq.

[Shaq Attack2]

Without Shaq there are no Lakers. They'd win maybe 50 games in the regular season and exit in the second rounds of the playoffs.

Haha, actually they did that last year. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

[WayOutWest]

Lakers without Shaq don't crack fifty and they don't get out of the first round. Lakers would have to completely redesign their offense because Kobe's not a big enough post presence, he's still mostly perimeter and Malone isn't the post presence he once was.

The Lakers suck enough at the triangle with the LUXURY of a dominant post presence, they'd look horrid without it even with Payton and Malone.

[dirno2000]

Originally posted by: Shaq Attack2
Without Shaq there are no Lakers. They'd win maybe 50 games in the regular season and exit in the second rounds of the playoffs.

Don't tell that to the "Kobe is God" crew at Lakerstalk. If I didn't know better I would think the Lakers could win it all with Kobe and five pretty good high school players

[Murphy3]

It's really good to have a couple of level headed lakers fans that visit the board on a regular basis.

[Shaq Attack2]

Originally posted by: dirno2000

Don't tell that to the "Kobe is God" crew at Lakerstalk. If I didn't know better I would think the Lakers could win it all with Kobe and five pretty good high school players

Tell me about it. Unfortunately the majority of posters on Lakerstalk honestly think Kobe is unquestionably the next Jordan and could lead GP, Karl, and the rest of the Lakers to a title this year without Shaq. In addition, most Lakerstalk posters would claim it would be easier for the Lakers to win a title with Kobe, GP and Karl than Shaq, GP and Karl.

Originally posted by: WayOutWest
Lakers without Shaq don't crack fifty and they don't get out of the first round. Lakers would have to completely redesign their offense because Kobe's not a big enough post presence, he's still mostly perimeter and Malone isn't the post presence he once was.

The Lakers suck enough at the triangle with the LUXURY of a dominant post presence, they'd look horrid without it even with Payton and Malone.

Possibly. I could see Kobe doing very well if the triangle were run through him with GP, Karl, and Devean hitting open jump shots. Though Kobe has never been a great passer, so maybe not.

It's really good to have a couple of level headed lakers fans that visit the board on a regular basis.

Thanks, we try. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[Max Power]

Originally posted by: Shaq Attack2

Possibly. I could see Kobe doing very well if the triangle were run through him with GP, Karl, and Devean hitting open jump shots. Though Kobe has never been a great passer, so maybe not.

Would Karl and GP be Lakers if Shaq wasn't there?

[Shaq Attack2]

Originally posted by: Max Power

Would Karl and GP be Lakers if Shaq wasn't there?

I mean hypothetically, if Shaq couldn't play the rest of this season (because of an injury lets say) forcing GP and Karl to play only with Kobe and the rest of the Lakers.

But no actually, GP and Karl have said they came to L.A. for Shaq and Kobe, but if I were a betting man I'd bet they both came here mostly for Shaq. A team of average players and Shaq is a title contending team when you add GP and Karl. Kobe is just a very big bonus and clutch shooter with the triangle running through Shaq.

[WayOutWest]

Originally posted by: Murphy3
It's really good to have a couple of level headed lakers fans that visit the board on a regular basis.

Thanks Murph, I feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside now.