Shaq fires back at Stan Van Gundy

Well we knew Shaquille O'Neal would not go quietly into this good night. Before Phoenix's game with Miami, O'Neal fired back at his former coach.

Stan Van Gundy accused O'Neal of being a hypocrite after flopping on a Dwight Howard spin move. It was obviously a flop and O'Neal was caught in his lie.

But O'Neal, in all his disgust and anger and egotistical musing, brought up an interesting criticism of Van Gundy. Something Orlando fans should maybe consider from a grisled and successful veteran like Van Gundy.

"I know for a fact that he's a master of panic, and when it gets time for his team to go in the postseason and do certain things, he will let them down because of his panic," O'Neal said. "I've been there before, I've played for him."

O'Neal played for Van Gundy for one season in Miami. Van Gundy led the inexperienced Heat to the conference finals where they got two minutes from beating the Pistons and going to the finals to face the Spurs. It was clear with a young nucleus of Dwyane Wade and some nice role players that this team would contend for years to come.

Then they blew it all up, bringing in Antoine Walker, Gary Payton and Jason Williams to replace Damon Jones and Keyon Dooling among others on that team.

Van Gundy was resigned at the beginning of the next season and Pat Riley led them to a title.

I hardly think this is enough physical evidence to make us believe Van Gundy panics in big games. But there is always some truth in anything that is said. And maybe this is true, maybe this is not.

The whispers from experts that the style Van Gundy has Orlando playing cannot survive in the playoffs -- see Phoenix. Everyone believes the Magic mus acquire a real power forward to be a true contender. I tend to agree with that belief.

But to say Van Gundy cannot coach in big games is premature. He has picked the perfect style for this Orlando team and has helped them transcend their expectations and even their talent level.

We will see how far it goes. But Van Gundy might be the best coach in Magic history.

And Shaq is not great at making friends with the people he deserts.