7/30/2004 08:07:28 AM|||Shep|||I realize they don't say wicked awesome in Miami, but I felt it was somewhat representative of the transition to the East. This quote from End of the Bench is great:

"We're gonna be straight," O'Neal said. "I was down here the other day working out with the kid from Vanderbilt we got (second-round pick Matt Freije), and I told him, 'I'm gonna come across the block, and if I get doubled, I'm gonna pass the ball to you and you're gonna have a wide-open jumper, or (forward) Udonis Haslem is gonna come down the lane and he's gonna get a dunk, and you're all gonna get big contracts.' He said, 'What do you mean?' I said, 'Just look at the history. Travis Knight. Horace Grant. A.C. Green. ' He said, 'Shaq, you're one of the coolest guys I've met.' "

And that's not even the best of Shaq... I'm so glad I can appreciate him once again.

Fantasy Impact

Shaq is clearly going to dominate. That's about the easiest call there is to be made this season. He's arguably the best player in the league and now he doesn't have to give up the ball to anyone unless he wants to. And since it sounds like he wants to, it seems that he could improve his assist numbers in addition to points and probably rebounds. It would not be difficult to make an argument for taking him first overall. He'll be gone by the end of the first round even in the smallest leagues.
|||109119320871316922|||Shaq is wicked awesome