10 Feet High

Reports are that Shaquille O’Neal may miss the rest of the regular season with a sprained thumb, which he sustained on a hard foul from Boston’s Glen Davis in a recent game. Shaq has been a valued addition to the Cavs this year, helping them dominate the Eastern Conference and pummeling the Lakers, particularly big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. His interior presence has aided a Cleveland team that struggled against physical big men, such as Dwight Howard in last season’s playoffs. So why is this injury going to help the Cavs?

Shaq is 38 years old, which for his body and legs may as well be damn near 50. The beating he has taken over his career, especially as he’s slowed down and put on weight, is one that cannot be overstated.

In all honesty, what would having him in the line-up for the rest of the regular season accomplish? The Cavs are 8-1 without him and already have a stranglehold on home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference Finals, holding a six-game lead over Orlando with just 20 games to play. The biggest issue may be home-court through the Finals, as LA is just two games back (including the tie-breaker).

But by allowing his body to recuperate and his legs to refresh, Shaq will give Cleveland a healthy and legitimate center come crunch time. When the Finals come, Shaq will be fresh and strong enough to play the minutes necessary to abuse the Laker posts just as he’s done this season.

Since becoming a Cavalier last summer, the big fella has seen a resurgence in his play, anchoring the middle while averaging 12 points, 7 rebounds, and more than a block per game. He has been a dramatic upgrade from year’s past when Cleveland’s best interior options were an inexperienced Anderson Varejao, an aging Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Joe Smith.

It may seem a blow to Cleveland now, but Shaq’s sprained thumb was the ultimate blessing in disguise. At some point, they will have to rely on guys like J.J. Hickson and Varejao, who is one of the crucial elements to this team with his relentless energy and hustle. With Shaq out now, it gives them an opportunity to get significant minutes, so that when they are called upon they will deliver. In an easy win over the Knicks Monday night, this young and impressive duo showed how valuable they can be, combining for a staggering 31 points and 19 rebounds.

(Hickson is showing Cavs fans why Danny Ferry took him in the first round back in the 2008 NBA Draft, and why I thought of him so highly coming out of NC State)


In last night's win over the Nets, Hickson flourished, going for 20 points and 13 rebounds in the start.

Assuming he keeps in shape – this is a rather big assumption but one we can make considering how much we know Shaq wants another ring – the rest he will accumulate over the next two months will ultimately provide Cleveland with its best opportunity to capture Mr. Larry O’Brien himself. The Cavs really only need him for the Eastern Conference semis and on, so he has plenty of time to heal the ailing thumb.

The trade deadline has come and passed, but come playoff time the acquisition of a healthy O’Neal may be just enough for LeBron James to get ring No. 1 in his seventh season, which would be three years sooner than it took Michael Jordan to earn his first championship in Chicago.

I’m just saying.