PHOENIX -- At what point is Shaquille O'Neal's not being the story still a story?

This was supposed to be the occasion of his return to Phoenix, yet he was an irrelevant part of the Cavaliers' impressive 109-91 victory over the Suns. So on back-to-back nights the Cavs proved they could lose to Dallas with only one field goal from Shaq and beat the Suns with only one field goal from Shaq. In other words, the astrology charts could have just as much bearing on Cleveland's success as Shaq's line in the box score.

Is it time to just accept this and move on? That's too tough to absorb. I'm just not mentally prepared to do this. That means the NBA won't be the same NBA.

You can make legit arguments for Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan as the player of the decade, but Shaquille has to be the NBA presence of the decade, the unparalleled story-generator and needle-mover. But the smallness of his numbers is starting to loom larger. Three points and five rebounds in 19 minutes Monday night. Five points and three rebounds in 17½ minutes the night before. Career-low averages of 10.6 points and 7 rebounds per game. References to his age instead of references to his status as a superhero or alien or whatever else is superior to ordinary humans.

He isn't even as "quotatious" (to use a word he invented for himself) anymore. He doesn't do much talking to reporters before games these days. When I approached him in the visitors locker room in Phoenix, he declined a pregame interview request.

"I'm 38," he said, already rounding up to his next birthday in March. "I don't do that [stuff] anymore. Talk to the younger players."

Afterward, there wasn't much to say.

His introduction to the US Airways Center crowd wasn't noteworthy, met with some boos and nowhere near the amount of cheers that greeted LeBron James. His initial stint in the game lasted six minutes before he picked up his second foul. The Cavs played much of their best ball when he was out, which included the entire fourth quarter that Cleveland won, 27-16.

The Cavs were LeBron James asserting himself early, Mo Williams providing consistent support, Delonte West being effective off the bench, J.J. Hickson grabbing rebounds ... just about everyone other than O'Neal. Maybe they won't be able to beat the big frontline of the Lakers on Christmas without a better game from O'Neal. But on Monday night, the Cavaliers handed the Suns their first home loss of the season, and Cleveland is the only visiting team to win in Phoenix (doing it twice) in 21 games going back to last season.

"It's nice to come back to a place you've been and win," O'Neal said, even if he mostly observed.

This didn't feel at all like some of his previous returns and it sure didn't warrant a spot on the Christmas Day slate of games. Then again, everywhere else he could stake a claim to unprecedented accomplishments in franchise history: the first NBA Finals appearance for the Orlando Magic, the only three-peat run among the Lakers' 10 championships in Los Angeles, the lone championship for the Miami Heat.

At least he didn't burn bridges when he left Phoenix, unlike his prior departures. There were a fair amount of white and orange No. 32 jerseys in the stands, proving if nothing else that he did move product out of the team store while he was here.

Other than that, not much to show for his time in Phoenix. Nothing close to a championship ring, which he promised and didn't deliver.

When the Suns talked about Shaq in the days and hours leading up to their reunion, they sounded like they were describing an unpopular relative who just passed away. They don't want to speak ill of the dead, but they don't exactly miss him.

"We definitely went inside a lot to him," Amare Stoudemire said. "That was one particular way to play. Now we're playing differently. We're an up-tempo, everybody-gets-the-ball sort of play. It's definitely different out there on the basketball court."

Coach Alvin Gentry disputes the notion that bringing in Shaq was like tying a washing machine to a racehorse. He points out the Suns still led the league in scoring and 3-point shooting last season, and they averaged 117.7 points per game after Gentry took over for Terry Porter at the All-Star break.

Still ...

"We wanted the floor more open," Gentry said. "That really isn't a negative toward him, it's more what we wanted to do."

They seem more comfortable having Channing Frye shoot 3-pointers rather than planting O'Neal on the low block. They've also found suitable replacements for O'Neal's considerable off-court presence. Jared Dudley has taken over as the team's top Tweeter. And Steve Nash, as demonstrated in this teamwide rendition of "All Night Long", has proven as adept at making music videos as Shaq.

Shaq seemed surprisingly middle-of-the-road when looking back on his season-and-a-half as a Sun. No nostalgia, no animosity.

"I did what I was asked to do," he said. "I realize that I'm older. That probably limited me a little bit."

At least he managed one more All-Star appearance while he was in Phoenix. When he came back, he just looked a little more limited.

J.A. Adande is an ESPN.com senior writer and the author of "The Best Los Angeles Sports Arguments." Click here to e-mail J.A.

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By Nick Friedell
ESPNChicago.com

Del Negro

How do you blow a 35-point lead?

In the third quarter?

Against a team that you have been completely dominating all night?

Those are the questions the Bulls have to answer now. Those are the ones that will haunt them for the foreseeable future after the Kings came back to stun them 102-98 on Monday night.

And, ultimately, those are the questions that could cost Vinny Del Negro his job.

"It's tough," the embattled Bulls coach said after the game. "We had it going pretty well in the first half. We just stopped being aggressive. Stopped moving the basketball in the third quarter, I thought. It kind of just got contagious.

"Then, in the fourth quarter, we couldn't get any stops when we needed to. Gave [the Kings] too many points. And we went cold. But we weren't aggressive ... we didn't play together. Very disappointed, obviously. We're not good enough to take a minute off, never mind a half. Just not good enough."

Not good enough at all.

To read the entire blog, click here.

ESPN.com writers and TrueHoop Network bloggers chatted with fans and gave their in-game opinions throughout Monday night's slate of games -- all in Daily Dime Live.