The Suns continue to pursue several avenues in an attempt to fill their 13^th roster spot. And in addition to bringing in four free agents – three with NBA experience – they could have an interest in swinging a trade for a low-salaried veteran. One player who could interest the Suns Denver’s Yakhouba Diawara, a 6-7 shooting guard/small forward who is good friends with fellow Frenchman Boris Diaw. He’s a defensive specialist with limited offensive ability who might give the Suns another perimeter defender. After playing college ball at Pepperdine, Diawara played professionally in France and
Italy before signing with the Nuggets in the summer of 2006. He’s averaged 3.0 points and 1.2 rebounds in 38 games this season after producing 4.4 points in 64 games last season.

 Phoenix does have a trade exception, obtained in the Kurt Thomas trade, that they can use in any deal.

 Suns continue to pursue several avenues in an attempt to fill their 13^th roster spot. And in addition to bringing in four free agents – three with NBA experience – they could have an interest in swinging a trade for a low-salaried veteran. One player who could interest the Suns Denver’s Yakhouba Diawara, a 6-7 shooting guard/small forward who is good friends with fellow Frenchman Boris Diaw. He’s a defensive specialist with limited offensive ability who might give the Suns another perimeter defender. After playing college ball at Pepperdine, Diawara played professionally in France and
Italy before signing with the Nuggets in the summer of 2006. He’s averaged 3.0 points and 1.2 rebounds in 38 games this season after producing 4.4 points in 64 games last season.

 Phoenix does have a trade exception, obtained in the Kurt Thomas trade, that they can use in any deal.

 The Suns had four players with at least 20 points Wednesday. They shot 52 percent from the field, outrebounded their opponent decisively on both the offensive (16-11) and defensive (33-23) boards, shot 80 percent from the line — and still lost. 

 That’s been happening to the other guys for the last three years. Teams padded their stats and left the building with a smile — and a loss. But the there is a new sheriff of speed in town, and nobody does it better these days than the Warriors, who beat the Suns for the third straight time by going smaller and playing faster than Phoenix wants to. 

 “They do what people said we started better than we do,” guard Steve Nash freely admitted. “We have t adjust to that, not try to outrun them because that favors them.” 

 Without Shawn Marion, the Suns are woefully weak on perimeter defenders beyond Raja Bell and it was glaring against the Warriors. Monta Ellis toyed with Nash, Leandro Barbosa and anyone else to gave guarding him a shot and his 37 points and nine rebounds were too much. He never left the floor Wednesday – can you blame him? 

 The Suns aren’t beating anyone among the West elite these days (5-11 against the other eight teams in or sharing a playoff spot) but some of those matchups could improve with Shaquille O’Neal in the middle. But against the Warriors, Shaq would be under attack. Who is O’Neal going to guard, unless Don Nelson is silly enough to put Chris Webber on the floor? O’Neal would get his points, but chasing down Al Harrington or Stephen Jackson? No thanks. 

 Phoenix has lost to the Spurs, Hornets and now Warriors in the last two weeks and the schedule only gets tougher. After the Mavericks tonight, the Suns face – in order – the Lakers, Celtics and Pistons after the All-Star break. And they still have to break in O’Neal during that time. Yikes. The Suns are only a half-game out of first place in the West, but they are only four games ahead of Denver, Golden State and Houston – the three teams tied for the LAST playoff spot.  Fasten your seat belts, these last 30 games are going to be rough.

3

Steve Nash has talked the talk when it comes to ecology and helping the environment. And beginning tonight against the Mavericks, he’ll walk the walk in a shoe made up of, well, recycled shoe materials.

 Nash will debut his new Nike “Trash Talk” shoe – modeled after his current model, the Zoom BB II Low – which will be the first shoe made from manufacturing waste/scraps of other Nike shoes.

 “Any opportunity to promote the environment and preserve our planet is a step in the right direction,” Nash said. “I think people will love the shoe, and hopefully wearing it I can inspire others to try it out as well.”

 But even though the shoe  is made of scraps, will still set you back $100 to buy a pair.

 The Suns still don’t have Shaquille O’Neal but are facing a Washington team with just nine healthy players. tonight.

 Caron Butler (hip) and Antonio Daniels (ankle) have joined Gilbert Arenas on the sidelines, leaving Washington with an starting backcourt of DeShawn Stevenson and Roger Mason tonight. The Wiz have lost six straight and are averaging only 89 points over that run, so tonight won’t be anything like last year’s 144-139 overtime classic here when Arenas exploded for 54 points including the game-winning 3-pointer.

 As for O’Neal, it looks like the best bet for his debut is Thursday against Dallas. The Suns haven’t ruled out Wednesday in Golden State and there is still a chance he won’t play until after the All-Star Break. But nationally televised, Valentine’s Day  ”Love Shaq” with the Mavericks might be the call.

 *Pat Riley, telling the South Florida Sun-Sentinel about the adjustment period awaiting Marion in Miami: “He has been playing a style out there, a shot every seven seconds. Man, it’s going to be hard here. He’s going to think we’re playing in concrete boots or something…”

 *The 32 free throws without a miss in one game was one shy of the franchise record, set Dec. 23, 1980 against Detroit. Stoudemire 15-for-15 from the line was two shy of the record by an individual Sun – Paul Silas was 17-for-17 way back on Jan. 10, 1971 at Atlanta… 

 *Suns fan Aarin Beavers from Youngtown hit a 3-point shot worth $7,777 Friday, the first winner of the season in the Casino Arizona Lucky 7 Shootout… 

 *Friday was the 16^th anniversary of Cedric Ceballos winning the NBA Slam Dunk championship in Orlando with his infamous “Hocus Pocus” blindfolded slam… 

 *The Suns will have a team in the Shooting Star competition at the All-Star Game again this year with Amare Stoudemire joining Suns broadcaster Eddie Johnson and Cappie Pondexter of the Mercury.

The Suns are dead-last in the NBA in offensive rebounds (400), offensive rebounds allowed (690) and offensive rebound differential (290). That facet of the game reared its ugly head again in Wednesday’s 132-130 double-overtime loss to New Orleans, when the Hornets turned 15 offensive rebounds into 23 second chance points despite playing without starting center Tyson Chandler.

 But coach Mike D’Antoni expects the addition of Shaquille O’Neal to help the Suns in both categories – not so much because of his individual rebounding, but the space he takes up inside that will deter opponents who attack the boards.

 “If we can just move up to top 15 (in each category), that’s going to mean three or four buckets a game either way,” he said. “We don’t lose many games by more than that. So if we can maintain what we’ve done, improving there alone could push us over the top.

 “Shaq knows all the tricks, when and how to make contact with people. It only takes a little nudge here and there to make a difference under there.”

 Think Steve Nash hesitated when approached with the idea of having O’Neal as a teammate? Think again.

  A Suns official recounted the initial conversation with the two-time MVP.

 “Steve, we’re thinking about getting Shaquille O’Neal and …

 “Do it.”

 “But we’re going to have to give up …

 “Do it.”

 “OK, but these are our reservations …

 “Do it.”

 Nash wanted this change. He was weary of carrying the team on his 185-pound shoulders and the downcast, defeatist attitude that pervaded a locker room of a team that had the best record in the West. The last thing the Suns want to do is waste the energy of their star.

 “Even though he was playing at a high level, I sensed he was frustrated,” general manager Steve Kerr said. “He needed something like this. We all did.”

 But Nash didn’t jumping into the change blindly. He studied some film of O’Neal’s most recent games this season and bluntly told Shaq that he didn’t see the necessary fire and desire.

 O’Neal told him “Don’t worry about what you see on film. I’ll show you what I have when I get there.”

Early Wednesday morning, ESPN.com reported that Shaquille O’Neal has indeed become a
Phoenix Sun, pending the passing of a physical this morning in the Valley.

 O’Neal is expected to arrive from
Miami via private jet and head immediately to the physical.

 The Suns have postponed their morning shootaround from Wednesday morning to 4:45 p.m, expecting that players will change hands during the day.
Phoenix will send Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Heat in exchange for the 14-time All-Star, who turns 36 next month.

 It is unlikely O’Neal would play for
Phoenix right away. He’s missed the last six games and has played only four times since Dec. 27 due to injuries, although there are indications that he might have missed the games more out of a lack of interest than any truly debilitating problems.

 I don’t know which news is worse for the Suns — that the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis today or that they were able to dump Kwame Brown on the Grizzlies in the deal.

 Just when it looked as though Phoenix was putting Los Angeles in its rear view mirror again, the Lakers pull the trigger on one of the most lopsided trades in recent NBA memory, getting Gasol (19 points, nine rebounds and much more consistent than Lamar Odom) for Brown, Javaris Crittenton and two first-round draft picks that likely won’t be worth much now that the Lakers have reasserted themselves as a player in the Western Conference.

 How will the Suns match up against a starting lineup of Gasol, Odom, Andrew Buynum (if he comes back healthy from a knee injury) Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant. Who do you leave open on a double team? Who does Grant Hill guard on the front line? What happens when Amare Stoudemire goes to the bench again with early foul trouble?

 If you don’t want to deal with those questions, try these: How many days until the trading deadline? Will Suns owner Robert Sarver rethink his stance and take on some luxury-taxed salary to get an extra big man? Or will Phoenix stand pat and convince themselves that a team that isn’t as quick or cohesive as it used to be can still navagate the Western playoff waters that continue to be more shark-infested?

 The Lakers aren’t going away now. New Orleans is legitimate. All that talk about the Spurs fading were answered Thursday night, when they beat the Suns without Tony Parker, without the newly acquired Damon Stoudamire and without playing a good game. Then you toss on Dallas, with or without Jason Kidd and a pool of five other teams (Denver, Golden State, Houston, Portland and Utah) who will fight for the right to make the first round of the playoff miserable for the top dogs.

 Things change fast in this league. On Tuesday night, the Suns looked sleek and formidable. Then the Spurs and Lakers made moves, the Suns wobbled and fell over in the fourth quarter Thursday and all eyes are suddenly on the Suns to see if they  can up the ante themselves.