It has been a tough couple weeks for Phoenix Suns’ General Manager Steve Kerr. Right before the trading deadline, he traded away perennial all-star Shawn Marion in the prime of his career for an aging, out-of-shape Shaquille O’Neal. It seemed a curious move at best, and the struggles of the Suns since the move seemed to bear that out. Both the local and national media were quick to attack Kerr claiming that he not only cost the Suns a chance a title this year but also put the teams’ future in jeopardy.  The Suns have been a lowly 3-6 since acquiring Shaquille O’Neal from the Miami Heat through Sunday. Despite the criticism directed towards him, it may be Kerr who has the last laugh.

Sunday’s game against los Spurs de San Antonio is a perfect example of why los Suns de Phoenix acquired Shaq. The road to the NBA title still runs through San Antonio and as things stood before the trade, the Suns did not match up particularly well. Before the trade, the Suns had to run up and down the floor because they did not have the defensive prowess to win in the half-court set consistently. Kerr traded for Shaq because he felt it would finally give the Suns a dominant defensive force in the low block to go against the top centers in the West, specifically Tim Duncan.

On Sunday, Shaq showed the defensive presence that Suns fans had been waiting for. He held Duncan to 17 points on 6-19 shooting from the floor while adding 14 points but more importantly 16 rebounds of his own However, it was not just Shaq. The Suns as a team turned up the defensive pressure, holding the defending champs to 87 points despite all season long giving up well over 100 points per game.

The biggest difference with Shaq in Phoenix is that he has something to play for. He is motivated. Just ask the fans sitting courtside when Shaq dove into the crowd after a loose ball. There is no chance hell Shaq would have done that had he still been playing for the bottom-feeding Heat. A motivated and in-shape Shaq is a scary thing. Once upon a time he was the most dominant player in the game. While his skills have certainly diminished, he still has the ability to create match-up problems for any opponent. If he stays motivated, he could be the missing piece to the Suns’ NBA title puzzle.

Remember this is not the first time people thought Shaq was over the hill. He often had motivation and weight problems in both Los Angeles and Miami. However, when it came down to playoff time, he was always rejuvenated. The Suns are hoping the Big Cactus can find the fountain of youth one more time in the desert.

There is no doubt that Kerr and the Suns took a giant risk by trading Marion for O’Neal. They gave up a proven asset. By making this trade, the Suns style of play changed from run-and-gun to more of a half-court set. If this change in philosophy backfired, it could have ruined not only the championship aspirations but also the playoff aspirations for the Suns in the ultra-competitive West. So far, the results have been mixed at best. But Sunday’s performance by Shaq with his new team was certainly reason to be excited. You could see what Kerr had envisioned when he acquired Shaq from the Heat. Plain and simple, he did not believe his team had the right parts to win the title with Marion, and it is hard to argue considering the Suns’ recent playoff performances. To have a chance at winning the title, they needed the ability to play in the half-court set and they had to improve their defense. Kerr made the best possible move to accomplish both. Only time will tell whether the Suns will win the title but at least now they have the pieces to do so and you have to give Steve Kerr credit for that.