Good Shaq article by Jackie Mac

www.espnboston.com

Will,
Thanks. The link to the article itself is

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/columns/story?columnist=macmullan_jackie&id=5620537

AK

Thanks Sinus, for providing the actual link, I got a bit careless in providing the info. Good looking out!

Where to start? Where to start?

First, with the messenger. I personally respect Jackie MacMullan's insights at least as much as those of any writer. She's not easily conned by a pr-conscious player. So I have to give a lot of credibility to what she said Shaq said.

Perhaps the best news is the fact that seven core team members plus Erden have already been doing court action. Sounds as though they're raring to go and in pretty good shape already. Particularly good when applied to KG.

What's next? Shaq is trim and focused. Sounds like a possible double whammy to me. Almost as though he's obsessed with winning a championship. He's never been my kind of guy, but he certainly sounds like my kind of Celtic.

His comments about anticipating being an element of the "bench mob" suggest he's not simply saying the right things when he indicates he's amenable to bench duty.

Sounds as though Marquis has a fan, which is just the sort of confidence-builder I'm sure he could use.

I wonder how Semeth has been operating in the scrimmages. I bet that mix of players wasn't threatening any fast break records.

The perfect appetite-whetter. Thanks Jackie, and thanks for posting this, guys.

Sam

When I saw Shaq a couple of months ago I had posted that Shaq looked like a large athletic man and seemed to be in very good shape.
I am glad to hear that he just wants to do his job and go back to his house without having many distractios in his life.
If he was on Miami right now, I doubt he would be anywhere near as focused on his goal of winning a championship because of the circus around the team and living in Miami. From this article, he seems to have an all business mentality.

Shaq weighed in at 345 pounds yesterday, a weight he plans on maintaining.

345? That's trim?

Paul Pierce played pickup games with him says he's moving well. Better than last year when he was 325? Hard to reconcile (which is a polite way of saying "my bullshit meter is pegging off the dial"), but IF true, then a 345# player moving well can do significant damage coming off the bench.

He's laid off hamburgers, fried chicken, macaroni and cornbread to get in shape. Oh, the sacrifices these players make for a measly $2M/year. Still, that puts him halfway to the "Ray Allen Diet". Ray hasn't eaten a hamburger since he was 19 years old. http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports-sentinel-sports-now/2010/05/22/nba-boston-celtics-ray-allens-secret-to-a-long-nba-career-is/ How does 2% body fat sound to you, Shaq?

http://www.necn.com/09/27/10/A-day-of-Shaq-sights-and-sounds/landing_sports.html?blockID=319677&feedID=4945

bob

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bob,

There were rumors of Shaq being 380.
He hasn't been 325 in a long time.

tjmakz wrote:bob,

There were rumors of Shaq being 380.
He hasn't been 325 in a long time.

TJ,

Wikipedia lists Shaq at 325#
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O'Neal

nba.com, which probably has not been updated since last season, lists him at 325#
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/shaquille_oneal/

Here's an article by Fanhouse, dating back to when he was with the Cavaliers last year, that lists him at 325#
http://nba.fanhouse.com/players/shaquille-o'neal/847?selectedTab=gameLog

If he looked like a 325# duck, ran like a 325# duck and played like he was a 325# duck, he probably was a 325# duck. Now, he's a 345# duck.

bob

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bob,

There were many rumors that Shaq had topped the scale at about 380 lbs at one point.
The link is from a sports illustrated article from 2002 where the writer estimates Shaq's weight between 345-380.

Why do I always have to defend the Celtics players?


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/jack_mccallum/news/2002/06/12/insider/

tjmakz wrote:bob,

There were many rumors that Shaq had topped the scale at about 380 lbs at one point.
The link is from a sports illustrated article from 2002 where the writer estimates Shaq's weight between 345-380.

Why do I always have to defend the Celtics players?


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/jack_mccallum/news/2002/06/12/insider/

TJ,

That article was written in 2002, as you pointed out. My references were from the 2009-2010 season. If he's 345 now, then he's heading back towards the stratospheric weights of when he was in his prime. He's not in his prime anymore.

Keep defending the Celtic players though. It does my heart good to see it.

bob

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Ray Allen is in good shape but he does not have 2% body fat.

2% would not be a good number for him anyway.

swedeinestonia wrote:Ray Allen is in good shape but he does not have 2% body fat.

2% would not be a good number for him anyway.

swede,

I was quoting that article, that claimed he has 2% body fat.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports-sentinel-sports-now/2010/05/22/nba-boston-celtics-ray-allens-secret-to-a-long-nba-career-is/

bob

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It is total bogus though

Bob,

I agree with TJ -- Shaq hasn't seen 325 in a long time, a very long time. I believe the 345 figure, for several reasons:

-- He's a legit 7'1", and just look at the size of him at that height.

-- Look at him compared to any other player in the league. His bulk dwarfs them, even guys like Perk and Glen Davis who aren't that far from 300 (or, in Davis's case, may be over it).

-- Draft Express (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Shaquille-O-neal-3796/) says he was 303 lb. and 7'1" as an incoming rookie. Do a quick search to look at pictures of him during his rookie year. He is much bigger now.

I've been guessing that he's been 360 for the past few years.

Outside

This, from a 2008 article about Ray Allen:

For Allen, whose pregame meal always consists of chicken and rice, that means maintaining 4% body fat, and working out year-round, including during the season when most players are simply trying to survive the debilitating 82-game schedule. To put it bluntly, he simply will not allow those four pounds to return.

bob

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Even 4% I find hard to believe but it it possible.

Lower is not better necessarily and it is one of those things they seem to throw around to impress people. Kind of how they are supposed to put on 25 pounds of muscle or whatever in the offseason. It does not happen. They might put on 25 pounds of weight but that amount of pure muscle in a few months is what I would call impossible unless you are using steroids and/or very undertrained/malnutritioned.

4% is doable all year around and with his supposed discipline I guess it might be true. I am not so sure that low is optimal for performance though but somewhere around there is possible.

2% on the other hand is getting very close to impossible and lethal other than for short periods of time, if even that.

Avery Bradley's body fat, per draftexpress, is 4%.

Shaq, at 345 (much less 380) is 65# heavier than Andrew Bynum or Perk and 80# heavier than Dwight Howard. I wouldn't want that much leaning on me for long and those are starting centers. If Shaq comes off the bench, he'll be leaning on backups. Ratliff is 235#. Zaza Pachulia is 265#. Brendan Haywood is 265#.

I'm ok with Shaq weighing 345# as long as he has some mobility at that weight. I'm just skeptical.

bob

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Outside wrote:Bob,

I agree with TJ -- Shaq hasn't seen 325 in a long time, a very long time. I believe the 345 figure, for several reasons:

-- He's a legit 7'1", and just look at the size of him at that height.

-- Look at him compared to any other player in the league. His bulk dwarfs them, even guys like Perk and Glen Davis who aren't that far from 300 (or, in Davis's case, may be over it).

-- Draft Express (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Shaquille-O-neal-3796/) says he was 303 lb. and 7'1" as an incoming rookie. Do a quick search to look at pictures of him during his rookie year. He is much bigger now.

I've been guessing that he's been 360 for the past few years.

Outside

outside,

So all those references from last year where he's listed at 325# are all wrong?

Could be misinformation. Wouldn't be the first time I've been snookered.

bob

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Hi,
Who cares if Shaq 325# or 345#. As long as he stays committed and healthy, I believe, half of his jersey will be on the rafters next June.

AK

sinus007 wrote:Hi,
Who cares if Shaq 325# or 345#. As long as he stays committed and healthy, I believe, half of his jersey will be on the rafters next June.

AK

sinus,

Not enough room for the other half of that jersey, huh?

bob

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I agree Sinus. I don't care if, when he stands on the scale, it disintegrates. When I read about him finishing on three fast breaks in their scrimmages, I sit up and take notice. When I read about his apparent determination to beat the rap of being too slow in defending the pick and roll, I sit up and take notice.

All those situps are threatening to get MY weight down to 325.

Sam

Sam wrote:I agree Sinus. I don't care if, when he stands on the scale, it disintegrates. When I read about him finishing on three fast breaks in their scrimmages, I sit up and take notice. When I read about his apparent determination to beat the rap of being too slow in defending the pick and roll, I sit up and take notice.

All those situps are threatening to get MY weight down to 325.

Sam

sam,

I've been trying to find where someone said that Shaq was finishing fast breaks in scrimmages. Do you have a link?

Yes, that is quite notable.

bob

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Shaq on a fast break gives a new definition to "the pain train is coming". I would like to see someone try to pick up an offensive foul on that

I've always been a big fan of Shaq as a sports personality. His HOF career leaves no doubt as to what type of player he has been. When the rumors first started that he might sign here my first thought was every writer and commentator has to kick down to Shaq because he will cause their careers to skyrocket. His quotes are priceless. Let's hope that all the talk about what kind of shape he is in is true and that his attitude will be just as good in June as it is now. I have no doubt it will. This is going to be a great season, just like last year was. Only this time they finish.

Bob,
I meant the number: 36 divide by 2.

AK