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NBA Basketball Betting News: Shaq Unlikely For Suns Wednesday
Shaq won't be playing tomorrw night for his new team, the Phoenix Suns. (AP Images)
Those waiting for the Big Diesel to make his Phoenix debut will have to wait a little longer.
While Phoenix is scheduled to play Golden State Wednesday night in the Bay Area, Shaquille O'Neal is not.
"I want to be a little more in tune before I step out on the court, because as you watch this team without me, they're like a great flowing machine," O'Neal said after practice Tuesday at US Airways Center. "I don't want to be the kink in the machinery."
There has been widespread speculation that the Suns will not play O'Neal in their lineup until he's become comfortable with the system - regardless of how long it takes. The move makes sense as Phoenix has one of the best records in the NBA and - barring a meltdown of epic proportions - should easily be a Top-4 seed come postseason time.
Shaq hasn't participated in a game since Jan 21, when he was placed on Miami's injured list with a sore hip. But he's seemed spy and mobile in his first two practices with Mike D'Antoni's up-and-down squad, admitting only that he felt "a little winded" after his first practice.
The Shaq trade has not been overlooked by oddsmakers. Currently, Bodog has the Suns listed as 4/1 to win the 2008 NBA Championship.