Despite playing more regular season games than he has since 2001, Shaquille O'Neal was hobbled through much of the playoffs. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
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That gentle breeze you're feeling from the West is a collective sigh of relief from Lakers brass. Had the Heat actually beaten the Pistons and advanced to the NBA Finals, it would have contributed to an even longer summer in Los Angeles. Seeing Shaquille O'Neal back in the Finals, but in a red-and-black uniform, would have prompted yet more second-guessing over the immensely one-sided trade that will forever be remembered as the Lakers' Babe Ruth blunder.

In hindsight, Lakers owner Jerry Buss said the trade was necessary, not just to keep Kobe Bryant, but because Shaq was nearing the twilight of his career and was earning too much money to justify his frequent injuries and unwillingness to keep in shape.

To his credit, the Diesel proved a lot of doubters wrong. At age 33, he whipped himself back into prime condition and appeared to rediscover the hunger he had been lacking since the 2000-01 season (the last time a chiseled Shaq appeared in an NBA uniform).

But truth be told, his 23 points and 10.4 rebounds per game during the regular season (numbers any team would gladly take) were among the worst production of his career. He appeared in 73 regular-season contests, the most since '00-01, but played a career low 34 minutes per game. And in the playoffs, where an often disinterested Shaq used to kick it up a notch, he missed two games to injury and averaged a paltry 19.4 points and 7.8 rebounds -- career lows by far, and numbers that suggest he's a shell of his former dominant self. His game has changed noticeably too: Shaq's reliance on the dunk has been far greater than in recent memory. And while that may be like saying Russell Crowe is relying more on his fists these days, we've seen a lot less of the baby hook shots and short-range jumpers Shaq used to employ, finesse moves that used to make opponents wonder how a 360-pound behemoth could pull them off.

It doesn't take a genius to see that Shaq isn't the same player he was six years ago. But what will stick in the Lakers' craw this summer is the fact that Shaq helped a team which, outside of Dwyane Wade, probably had the least amount of pure talent of any squad O'Neal ever took this deep into the playoffs. Even a Shaq in the twilight of his career can create enough problems for defenses to create open shots for the likes of Eddie Jones, Damon Jones, Keyon Dooling and Udonis Haslem.

There's no doubt that Miami's landing of the Big Fella was a no-brainer. He brought the Heat to the brink of the Finals -- a place they haven't been since '97 -- and created buzz and excitement on Biscayne Blvd. unprecedented in the 17-year history of the franchise.

What will be more interesting from here on out is to see how Shaq will respond next season, when he'll be in the final year of an $88.5 million contract extension the Lakers signed him to in '00. If he and Heat owner Micky Arison can't agree on an extension this summer, Shaq will be playing for a new deal in '05-06. That, more than a change of scenery, probably will be better motivation for the police officer-to-be to produce. Of course, he'll be making $30.5 million -- a king's ransom Buss is thankful he won't have to pay.