San Antonio coach says trades turn up pressure on Spurs

By Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The trades that sent Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers and Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns have turned the pressure up on the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, their coach said on Friday.

"It's tough for everybody," Gregg Popovich told reporters about the competition in the Western Conference before his team's game on Friday against the New York Knicks.

"Its been tough, but this makes it tougher on everybody. It's a good thing, it's really great for the league. It will drive the coaches crazy, but what great competition."

Popovich said he thought the Suns made a worthy gamble by dealing Shawn Marion to the Miami Heat for aging center Shaquille O'Neal, but could not understand how Los Angeles wound up prying Gasol away from the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Lakers acquired the 27-year-old Spanish center without giving up a key player, as Memphis freed up salary cap space and got first-round picks in 2008 and 2010 in the swap.

"The move is great for LA," said Popovich.

"What they were thinking in Memphis is beyond comprehension. There should be a law, a trade committee that can scratch off trades that make no sense."

The race in the West was tight even before the trades.