Age Is A Number Shaq Seems to Ignore

38 years old and with 18 years of NBA experience under his belt you would think that Shaq would have gotten somewhat bored with the regular season. Some expected him to try and coast through the 82 game grind just like Rasheed Wallace had done last year but Shaq has other plans. Playing with great intensity Shaq has been a pleasant surprise for the Celtics. His play has been very good and his averages of 12 points 7 rebounds are above what a lot of people were predicting for him. His recent performance of 25 points 11 rebounds against New Jersey proved that when called upon he can deliver a game changing performance. With the injury plagued Jermaine O’ Neal still out because of a knee injury Shaq’s number has been called on and he’s responded. One of the major problems thought to arise with the addition of Shaq was his affect on the defensive side. With the pick and roll being a major part of the NBA there was the obvious concern of Shaq being able to defend it well enough for the Celtics to get by. So far his pick and roll defense has been enough that there isn’t a negative impact on the team, his presence in the paint though has been outstanding. We now an “ enforcer” as he likes to call himself and there must have been at least a dozen times when a little guard began to drive to the paint but stopped or took an a bad shot because he saw Shaq. Our rebounding woes of last year seem to be getting better and now that we have Shaq grabbing over 7 boards in 20 minutes of play we should be fine once Perk returns.  One of the key assets Shaq brings to the team that people don’t realize is all the fouls he collects. People are quick to point out the hundreds of free-throws he’s missed but if you look closer it’s clear to see how many free-throws he’s produced for the team. Last year one of the major reasons the Celtics didn’t take a lot free-throws was because they never were able to rack up a lot of fouls per quarter and they didn’t force teams to go over the limit. This year even though he has missed a lot of free-throw Shaq is helping the Celtics get over the foul limit and players like Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are reaping the benefits.  Though there are the obvious concerns of his age and if his body can hold up the Celtics are enjoying Shaq for now and hoping that he can continue this play into the playoffs.