Miami
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
Shaquille O'Neal's left hamstring was a little tender yesterday, causing him to miss practice, and he will be a game-time decision tonight. Though Stan Van Gundy plans to run slightly different offenses during the regular season when Shaq is sitting or out with injury, tonight he will focus on the schemes that take advantage of Shaq's talents, even if the big guy himself isn't on the floor, in order for the rest of the players to get comfortable and integrated with the plays and schemes.
Tonight would have been, and still may be, Shaq's first NBA game as a member of a Florida team in eight years. The crowds that will pack the St. Pete Times Forum are mainly there to catch a glimpse of the big fella, though they will have plenty to entertain them even if he plays few to no minutes. It's the Heat's first exhibition game. Dwyane Wade will be on display. High-flying Dorrell Wright may get some time. Dwight Howard will continue his introduction to the league.
Still, it'll be a little sad if there's no Shaq at all. With all of the controversy that continues to swirl around him, Kobe Bryant, and Phil Jackson, and all of the name-calling and back-stabbing among all of them, it would be nice for a change to hear a basketball story about Shaq, how he grabbed 10 rebounds or handed out 12 assists or did something spectacular.
Hopefully the worst case is that Shaq will be ready to go against the dethroning Pistons tomorrow night.
NEXT GAME
The Heat take on the Magic at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, FL tonight at 8:00pm. The game will not be broadcast on TV so get tickets.
TEAM NOTES
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INJURY UPDATE
Shaquille O'Neal(tender left hamstring) did not practice yesterday and is a game-time decision for tonight.Keyon Dooling(calf) also did not practice yesterday.
Pete Pelegrin ofThe Miami Heatwrites: The Heat might learn tonight how its offense will function without center Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal did not practice Thursday due to a tender left hamstring and is a game-time decision for tonight's preseason game against the Orlando Magic in Tampa.''I'm not sure yet,'' said O'Neal, who did some conditioning work Thursday. ``It's still a little tender. I don't want to do something serious to it. I don't know.''.. Guard Keyon Dooling (calf) did not practice, but forward Christian Laettner did. Laettner said he hopes to go through warm-ups before tonight's tip-off and get some playing time.
The Ledgerwrites: Now he is the Big Victim.For so long, we thought of Shaquille O'Neal as the Big Monster. But it turns out the monster was his former sidekick, Kobe Bryant, according to Phil Jackson's new book.
Jamal Thalji ofThe St. Petersburg Timeswrites: There's so much to see in tonight's Heat-Magic preseason game at the St. Pete Times Forum... It will be Shaq's first game in a Florida uniform since leaving the Magic in 1996.He won three NBA titles with the Lakers, but after a public breakup with the franchise and former teammate Kobe Bryant, was traded to the Heat in a multiplayer deal on July 14.