The refs? And I don't give all the credit to Wade, but to say he didn't carry that team past the Mavs is ludicrous. Shaq was hardly dominant...he was really mediocre for that matter. You can argue that Shaq made his life easier, but it's still crazy to think that Wade wasn't the main reason for them winning that title. And I'm not putting Bynum as our key to success against the Suns (sorry if it sounded like that), but I'm just saying that he betters our chances if he's healthy. Regardless though, you give Shaq and co. too much credit in Phoenix. Sure Shaq is motivated, but they still don't have anyone to guard Kobe and Amare can't guard Gasol. You also can't discount the fact that our squad will likely be a fresher squad because of the fact that we have a deeper bench and might have a chance to rest our starters near the end of the season, depending on how everything unfolds.
I thought Alonzo had more impact than Shaq in the Finals. Shaq was the difference in that Bulls series though. He killed that small lineup of theirs, but he didn't have much left in the Finals.
