I'm of the belief the true impact of Shaquille O'Neal as a Cleveland Cavalier won't be known for another six months or so.
If the Cavs are on the verge of an NBA Championship, the trade for one of the best big men of all time, was well worth it.
But the playoffs aren't next week. So we can have fun with numbers. And according to one stat, the Cavs are better off with when Anderson Varejao is on the floor.
According to plus/minus stats, the Cavs are a plus-216 with Varejao on the floor and are minus-1 with the Big Shaqalier (that's the new nickname, right?) on the floor this season.
Before I go any further, here's an explanation of +/-:
The AutoTrader.com +/- stat shows the power of teamwork. It's a way of showing the best-engineered/best combination of players on the court. The +/- stat is a statistic that looks at the point differential when players are both in and out of the game, to see how the team performs with various combinations. The +/- stat can look at a variety of combinations including the best two player, three player and even five player combinations for each game.
Am I big believer in this stat? Not yet. It's hard to be when this stat also says the Cavs best lineup this season has been without Shaq and Mo Williams. Possible? Yes. But I'm betting Williams, not Daniel Gibson, is who the Cavs will have on the floor late in games if they had to choose.
And it doesn't take stats to see the Shaq that will be in Arco isn't the same Shaq that tormented the Kings on his way to three championships with the Lakers.
He's averaging career lows in points (10.3) and rebounds (6.9). His scoring is down more than seven points a game from last season, but he's also playing a career-low 23 minutes per game.
"I think that Shaq is still a presence and a force out there," said Kings coach Paul Westphal. "He may not have as many minutes every game and night in and not out as he has at one time. But he knows how to play. And he's out there to win and he's a handful."
One thing O'Neal could do tonight is get the Kings and their thin frontline into foul trouble.
Tonight isn't the night for Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes to pick up cheap fouls. Not that either is as strong as Shaq, but if they can't play, that leaves someone such as Kenny Thomas or Jon Brockman to deal with O'Neal.
And even in his 18th season, Shaq can abuse the Kings if someone six inches shorter than him is defending him in the paint.
From The Bee
Kings relive wild comeback victory over BullsBy Sam Amick
Kings notes: Team searches for ways to defend King JamesBy Jason Jones and Sam Amick
Front and center again, Maloofs show they careBy Ailene Voisin
From The Cleveland Plain Dealer
As Delonte's game improves, this could be a very good West trip for Cleveland CavaliersBy Brian Windhorst
TONIGHT'S GAME (By Jason Jones)
Kings (13-14) vs. Cavaliers (21-8)When: 7 p.m.
Where: Arco Arena.
TV: CSNCA.
Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).
Kings update: Falling behind by 35 points wouldn't be a good idea tonight against one of the NBA's best teams. The Kings have been good at home (10-3) and will look to feed off what should be a good crowd. Beno Udrih leads the Kings' bench players, who have been key in the team's improvement this season. Reserve Ime Udoka had a season-high 17 points in Monday's win at Chicago.
Cavaliers update: Cleveland is 1-1 on its current four-game trip that ends with the Christmas game against the Lakers. LeBron James leads the team in scoring and assists. James had 51 points in his last game against the Kings, on March 13, 2009. He also had nine assists in that game. The Cavaliers have won six in a row against the Kings.
Probable starting lineups
Kings
No. Player Pos.
13 Tyreke Evans G
18 Omri Casspi G
5 Andres Nocioni F
34 Jason Thompson F
31 Spencer Hawes C
Cavaliers
2 Mo Williams G
18 Anthony Parker G
23 LeBron James F
21 J.J. Hickson F
33 Shaquille O'Neal C
