According to ESPN, the Phoenix Suns will try to acquire Shaquille O'Neal from the lowly Heat for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. The feeling in Suns land is that Shaq should provide interior defense and much needed size to counter the Duncans of the West come playoff time. Is that going to be fact or fiction? Only time will tell.

O'Neal has never been consistent as a defender; in his peak years on the Lakers, he was a solid interior defender and always tried to alter shots. In recent years, that effort seems to have waned, and it's probably due to his age and durability issues. The Suns must realize they aren't getting the old Shaq, but an old Shaq, and this Shaq isn't the most dominant force in the league. But my biggest concern is how having him lumber around will affect their high-octane offense, the primary reason the Suns are so good.

Admittedly, up-tempo attacks have gotten away with lack of speed at center; the Lakers' Showtime attacks weren't affected by Kareem usually coming up only after the break stopped. But Jabbar could still occasionally join his mates, and he had quicker backups like Mychal Thompson who could spell him. The Suns are notorious for having very little on the bench and for Mike D'Antoni using only seven players at best, so is Shaq up for over 35 minutes a night? That's doubtful; he's been hurt playing in Riley's slowball, and that could pop up again in Phoenix.

And don't forget Shaq's monster contract; if they fail to win the title, they'll be stuck with him for two additional years. They probably made this deal to avoid paying Marion the big bucks he was expecting to demand, but Shaq's contract is even worse. Now the pressure increases tenfold on Steve Nash and Co. to get the job done now. And moreover, you've got Shaq and Grant Hill needing to play major minutes; that's akin to fixing the breach in the Titanic with chewing gum! One breakdown will derail this team.

So, before people say the Suns are instant favorites, let's get real; the Suns still have the toughest conference to get through. The defending champion Spurs, Lakers, Jazz, and Mavs, among others, will give them challenges. And if Shaq doesn't embrace his new team role, the Suns will find themselves in a familiar place in late May and June; playing golf in the desert.