PHOENIX — Shaquille O’Neal practiced with the Phoenix Suns for the first time Monday, showing no sign of the hip injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 21.
“It was different. It was very intense,” he said after the one-hour workout. “I learned a lot. Now I can see why they can go at the pace they play at. When you just do short bursts like this, then you can save it all for the game.”
Just when he will play in a game remained undecided.
“I haven’t done anything in a month, but I’m in pretty good shape,” O’Neal said. “It will probably take me a few more days to get in tune. The good thing about these guys here is they told me when I’m comfortable, when I’m 1,000 percent, then I can join them.”
Phoenix has two games before the all-star break — at Golden State on Wednesday night and at home against Dallas on Thursday.
The first game after the break is at home against Shaq’s old team, the Los Angeles Lakers, his former coach Phil Jackson and his old teammate Kobe Bryant.
“I think it’s going to take a little bit,” coach Mike D’Antoni said of Shaq’s availability to the team. “It’s going to be an adjustment for our guys and for him.”
D’Antoni said the Suns will “not rush him back for any reason.” The coach said he will meet with O’Neal and trainer Aaron Nelson after today’s practice to map out plans.
Phoenix is 2-1 since the trade Wednesday that brought O’Neal from the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.
O’Neal injured his hip diving for a loose ball against Utah on Dec. 22. He returned Jan. 16 but was sidelined again five days later. An MRI showed inflammation in the left hip, shutting him down from all basketball activity.
In going ahead with the trade, the Suns were confident their staff would be able to get O’Neal in playing condition.
“The hip’s feeling pretty good, better than it’s felt in a while,” O’Neal said. “I’m used to just getting injections and going back out there. They told me they have their style, and they want me to stick with it.”
O’Neal said he needs to get back in basketball shape and has to be comfortable with playmaker Steve Nash in a system far different from the one used in Miami.
“I’m not going to rush anything because this is already a fine-tuned machine, and any kink could throw it off,” O’Neal said. “I don’t want to be the negative kink. I want to step in like I’ve been with this team the last three years.”
