Shaq's almost 35, there's only so much he can do at this point of his career. Maybe if he worked hard like Jordan or Malone he could still be a force at this age, but Shaq has never liked to work hard.
If Wade comes back with a few weeks left in the regular season and plays himself into shape, then the Heat might be a force. It really doesn't matter, the Least is so freaking' terrible.
Glad you can see Dirk is clearly the front runner in the MVP race. A lot of people are coming around, but most media members are still going to give it to Nash. They look at Phoenix without Nash as proof that he is the MVP, without taking into consideration the fact that Nash doesn't really have a true point guard backing him up and the system needs a playmaking point guard.