Some players come, and some players go. Heck, some players hang 'em up after a major surgery, but not our Z!!! Even after YEARS of loosing seasons, with scrubs on the team, and many foot surgeries, Z stayed with it, and stayed with the team and city that gave him a chance,..the city and loves him. WE believe in Z, WE believe that he is still a great center, and is the backbone of this team. We love ya Z, and we wouldn't get rid of you for the world.
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972), frequently referred to simply as "Shaq", is an American professional basketball player, rapper, and actor. He is widely perceived as one of the most dominant players in the history of the NBA and one of the most quotable athletes of all time.[citation needed] Currently, he plays at center for the Cleveland Cavaliers. O'Neal has won four NBA Championships, three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one most recently in 2006, with the Miami Heat.On June 25, 2009, O'Neal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Sasha Pavlovic, Ben Wallace, $500,000 and a 2010 second round draft pick.[16]
Player profile
O'Neal's free throw shooting is regarded as one of his major weaknesses.Throughout his career, O'Neal established himself as a formidable low post presence, putting up career averages of 25.2 points on .581 field goal accuracy, 11.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game (as of May 2008).
At 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m), 325 lb (147 kg; 23.2 st)[17] and U.S. shoe size 23,[18] he is famous for his physical stature. His physical frame gives him a power advantage over most opponents, and for a man of that size, he is quick and explosive.
O'Neal's "drop step", (called the "Black Tornado" by O'Neal) in which he posts up a defender, turns around and, using his elbows for leverage, powers past him for a very high-percentage slam dunk, has proven an extremely effective offensive weapon, though it has been limited in recent years. In addition, O'Neal frequently uses a right-handed jump hook shot to score near the basket. The ability to dunk frequently contributes to his career field goal accuracy of .582; he is the second most accurate shooter of all time.[19]
Opposing teams often use up many fouls on O'Neal, limiting the playing time of their own big men. O'Neal's physical presence inside the paint has caused dramatic changes in many teams' offensive and defensive strategies that can be seen over the course of his career. Trying to defend O'Neal, teams put two, or sometimes even three defenders on him, resulting in uncontested shot opportunities for his teammates.[citation needed]
O'Neal's primary weakness is his free-throw shooting. His career average is 52.4%. He once missed all 11 free throws in a game against the Seattle SuperSonics on December 8, 2000, a record.[20] In hope of exploiting O'Neal's poor foul shooting, opponents often commit intentional fouls against him, a tactic known as "Hack-a-Shaq". O'Neal is the fourth-ranked player all-time in free throws taken,[21] having shot 10895 in 1117 games through the 08-09 season. On December 25, 2008, O'Neal missed his 5,000th free throw, becoming the second player in NBA history to do so along with Wilt Chamberlain.[22]
O'Neal has been able to step up his performance in big games, having been voted three-times NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. However, because of his poor free-throw shooting (see below), often he is either placed on the bench, or not called upon to take shots, in the closing moments of games, when free throws become important.[citation needed]
On his own half of the hardwood, O'Neal is considered[weasel words] to be a capable defender, and he was named three times to the All-NBA Second Defensive Team. His presence serves to intimidate opposing players shooting near the basket, and he has averaged 2.4 blocked shots per game over the course of his career. He is a less effective defender at the perimeter, sometimes targeted for pick-and-roll plays by opposing teams.[citation needed]
As a teammate, O'Neal is also noted for his ability[weasel words] to form symbiotic relationships with young, talented guards. Playing alongside O'Neal, talents like Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade blossomed into legitimate superstars. Eventually, his relationships with Hardaway and Bryant soured, but O'Neal has embraced his relationship with Wade, and the two have shown to be fully supportive of each other in their three years together. He has since reconciled with both Bryant and Hardaway.[citation needed]
Leon Powe is the latest "trading deadline acquisition" by the Cleveland Cavs. Danny Ferry thinks outside the box and adds a mid-season replacement before the 2009-10 season even starts.
Leon is recovering from successful microfracture surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament during the off-season and will not be available to play until mid season. But that is just in time for the late playoff run.
He joins Shaquille O'Neal, anthony Parker and Jamario Moon as quality additions to a team that led the league in wins in 2009. 66 wins last year, and now we are significantly better.
BACKGROUND:
Leon Powe, Jr. (pronounced |ˈpou(-ə)|) (born January 22 1984 in Oakland, California) is an American professional basketball player. On August 11, 2009, Powe and the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association agreed in principle to a two-year deal.
[edit] Personal life
Powe grew up poor in Oakland, California. His father left him when he was two years old. When he was seven years old, the family's house burned down and they were homeless for years. They moved more than twenty times within six years. He and his siblings were taken away from their mother by the state of California and put into foster care. Powe's mother died four days before he played in the state championship.[1] His life was featured by ESPN in a segment during the 2008 NBA Finals.
Powe has a one year old son named Leon Powe III. The son's nickname is LP3.
[edit] High school career
Powe attended Oakland Technical High School, where he averaged 27.4 ppg, 14.2 rpg and 3.1 bpg as a senior. With Powe in the roster, Oakland Tech was able to win the CIF Oakland Section Championship and also reach the CIF State Championships in 2002 and 2003. He was named a first-team Parade All-American and the Gatorade California Player of the Year during his senior year. A highly rated prep star, Powe was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American game and became the first Oakland Tech athlete to have his number retired by the school.[2]
[edit] College career
Powe played his college basketball for the California Golden Bears from 2003–2006. Although he was present for 4 seasons, he did not play in his sophomore year due to a serious knee injury. During his freshman season, he earned the PAC-10 freshman of the year, leading the conference in rebounding.
Questions abounded about whether Powe would be able to return to form following his knee surgery but he worked hard and rehabilitated to become a dominant force on the interior as he continued to improve his game. He produced 20.5 PPG and 10.1 RPG while leading Cal to a 20–11 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Powe was named California's most valuable player during a banquet in April 2006. Powe, who also was selected Cal's MVP as a freshman in 2004, averaged 20.5 ppg and 10.1 rpg to become just the sixth player ever to pace the conference in both categories. Named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press, the U.S. Basketball Writers and ESPN.com, he was chosen to the All-Pac-10 team for a second time in 2006.
[edit] Professional career
After his junior year, Powe decided to enter his name in the 2006 NBA Draft. Powe was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round as the 49th overall pick. The Nuggets subsequently traded him to the Boston Celtics. After playing for the Celtics summer league team, Powe was signed by the team to a 3 year contract. Although Powe did not reach the sum of 14 in his per game points, rebounds, and assists necessary to guarantee the second year of his contract, that second year became guaranteed when Boston did not waive him by July 1, 2007. Powe has a similar hurdle of 16 for the sum of the three statistics to guarantee the third year of his contract (2008–09).[3][4]
[edit] 2006–07 NBA season
Powe played as a fourth string center behind Kendrick Perkins, Brian Scalabrine, and Michael Olowokandi in his rookie season. After a rash of injuries submarined Boston's playoff chances, Powe received a limited opportunity to showcase his skills. He proved himself a capable defender who can alter shots and provide interior rebounding. On January 12, 2007, Powe made the most out of his 25 minutes and registered a career-high 12 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors. On April 10, 2007, he scored 19 points against the Atlanta Hawks. Powe finished the 2006–07 campaign averaging 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in just over 11 minutes per game.
[edit] 2007–08 NBA season
Powe shoots a free throw in Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks.On January 29, 2008, Powe had a breakout performance that took place in Miami against the struggling Heat, as he effectively filled in the blank of the absent main contributors Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds en route to a 117–87 blowout victory.[5] He also scored his career-high 27 points in the last game of the season against the New Jersey Nets on April 16, 2008.[6]
One of his most notable performances of the season came in Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 8, 2008, as he scored 21 points, which included several dunks, in only 15 minutes of play in front of a crowd chanting his name[7] en route to a 108–102 Celtics victory.[8][9][10]
Powe during the 2008 Boston Celtics championship parade.
[edit] 2008–09 NBA season
On March 13, 2009, Powe started in place of the injured Kevin Garnett, scoring a career-high 30 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking a career-high 5 shots, in a 102–92 Celtics victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.[11]
Powe spent the end of the season attempting to recover from a right knee strain. He returned in time for the playoffs, only to tear the ACL and meniscus in his left knee in Game 2 of the first round against the Chicago Bulls. Powe continued to play on the torn ACL for three minutes before being taken out. Powe's season ended with the knee injury, and had successful surgery to repair the injury on May 5, 2009.[12] On August 2, the Cleveland Cavaliers offered Powe an offer sheet worth two-year, $1.8 million.[13] On August 11, 2009, Powe and the Cavaliers agreed in principle to the deal with an option on the second year.[14]
[edit] Career transactions
June 28, 2006: Drafted 49th overall by Denver Nuggets in 2006 NBA Draft.
June 28, 2006: Traded by Denver to the Boston Celtics for a future second-round draft pick.[15]
[edit] NBA career statistics
Legend
GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
FG% Field-goal percentage 3P% 3-point field-goal percentage FT% Free-throw percentage
RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game
BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
[edit] Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2006–07 Boston 63 2 11.4 .446 .000 .736 3.4 .2 .2 .3 4.2
2007–08 Boston 56 5 14.4 .572 .000 .710 4.1 .3 .3 .3 7.9
2008–09 Boston 70 7 17.5 .524 .000 .689 4.9 .7 .3 .5 7.7
Career 189 14 14.6 .523 .000 .707 4.2 .4 .3 .4 6.6
[edit] Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2007–08 Boston 23 1 11.7 .493 .000 .667 2.7 .2 .0 .1 5.0
2008–09 Boston 2 0 12.0 .429 .000 .667 4.5 .0 .0 .0 5.0
Career 25 1 11.8 .488 .000 .667 2.8 .2 .0 .1 5.0
[edit] References
^ East Bay Express : Print This Story
^ Player Bio: Leon Powe :: Men's Basketball
^ http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/colleges/cal/15071722.htm
^ B
