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02-20-2022, 10:03 PM | #301 |
El Gato Gordo Loco
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Earth
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That was a pretty cool ending. Difficult guarded shot in an unguarded game.
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Posts: 46,637
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02-20-2022, 10:04 PM | #302 | |
El Gato Gordo Loco
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Earth
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Quote:
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Posts: 46,637
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02-20-2022, 11:14 PM | #303 |
Perpetual Mediocrity
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Posts: 49,527
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02-21-2022, 06:21 PM | #304 |
The Beast Inside Your Head
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
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Posts: 25,945
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02-22-2022, 09:44 AM | #305 | |
MVP
Join Date: Nov 2020
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Quote:
Placing every PF ahead of Karl Malone is where I take issue. ESPN couldn't resist their political correctness when viewing Malone from an objective lens. Also, there's little argument for Shaq over Hakeem. I never understood putting Shaq higher. |
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02-22-2022, 10:13 AM | #306 | |
Sauntering Vaguely Downwards
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, Mo
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Quote:
But the question his how much you have to adjust for era. I really can't find fault with how anyone answers that. Regarding Shaq v. Olajuwon - I don't think there's any question that Olajuwon was more 'skilled'. But it's just impossible to overstate how physically dominant Shaq was, especially at his peak. His combination of size and athleticism made him simply an impossible question to deal with. Olajuwon was unquestionably a more aesthetically pleasing player to watch. And if you'd have taken his skills and put them in Shaqs body you'd have essentially broken the sport. But Shaq HAD that body. And he used it damn well. Moreover, he was a gifted passer and had amazing feet in the post. Shaq was very skilled in his own right, he was just able to manifest that skill in a more physically imposing way. I don't mind Shaq being ahead of Olajuwon. |
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Posts: 61,060
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02-22-2022, 10:26 AM | #307 | |
MVP
Join Date: Nov 2020
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Quote:
Hakeem was miles better defensively. Look at his all-NBA defensive team accolades, plus defensive player of the year. Shaq didn't have the same effect on the defensive end. Not saying he was bad defensively, but he wasn't on Hakeem's level. Also, despite Shaq's dominance, it's not like he won scoring titles every year. He scored 29 per game three times in his career. Won two scoring titles. Yes, his free throw shooting cost him more scoring titles. Point is, his physical dominance didn't result in otherworldly numbers. |
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02-22-2022, 10:42 AM | #308 |
In Search of a Life
Join Date: Oct 2007
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KCC is somewhere punching the air.
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Posts: 49,667
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02-22-2022, 10:52 AM | #309 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Red state
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Quote:
Since you brought up Penny Hardaway, Akeem had Ralph Sampson during the Rockets' 1985-86 run to the Finals. The Twin Towers. Sampson averaged a double-double that year. What about Clyde Drexler in 1994-95? Drexler took a team to the Finals in Portland. |
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02-22-2022, 10:57 AM | #310 | |
Sauntering Vaguely Downwards
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, Mo
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Quote:
I don't disagree that Olajuwon was a better defender. He was - but as you said, Shaq was a very good defensive player in his own right. It wasn't merely with blocks, but simply having his presence in the paint could neutralize guys, especially in the big man era he played in where they were still looking to try to bang guys in down low. Olajuwon was undeniably a craftier, more skilled defender, especially as a help defender given his reach and mobility. But strictly as a man defender, I think Shaq was Hakeem's equal. And his impact on the defense was significant, if not as obvious as Hakeems. Offensively Shaq was simply a more efficient player. He scored more PPG on fewer shot attempts. He was Olajuwon's equal as a passer and was slightly more effective as a defensive rebounder given his tendency to be posted up nearer the basket than Hakeem would've been on shot attempts. Now Hakeem was at/near his peak for longer than Shaq was because Shaq simply didn't take care of his body as well as he should've. But the Orlando/LA version of Shaq was a step beyond anything Olajuwon did. And to say "well he wasn't THAT much better than Olajuwon offensively -- he only scored 29/gm 3 times..." is a tad disingenuous when making direct comparisons. Let's put it on more apples to apples terms. The best scoring season of Olajuwon's career would've been the 6th best of Shaqs career. His 2nd best would've been the 8th best of Shaq's career. And it just kind continues down the list. Literally every single rank-order of their career (best vs. best, 2nd vs. 2nd, etc...) give a decided advantage to Shaq. All by more than a opint, most by more than two and many by 3-4. And again, all of this was done on fewer shots per game. Shaq was definitely a better offensive player than Olajuwon and likely by enough to make up for Hakeem's edge on defense, IMO. |
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Posts: 61,060
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02-22-2022, 11:04 AM | #311 |
The talking stonehead
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Blue Springs, MO
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Somewhere Luca Doncic is crying to a referee for being left off the list.
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02-22-2022, 11:05 AM | #312 | |
El Gato Gordo Loco
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Earth
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Quote:
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02-22-2022, 11:08 AM | #313 | |
Sauntering Vaguely Downwards
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, Mo
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Quote:
I won't asterisk it or anything, but I think it's hard to give any extra credit for it either. |
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02-22-2022, 11:09 AM | #314 |
Special Teams ACE!!!
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Where the hell is SNR
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02-22-2022, 11:15 AM | #315 |
El Gato Gordo Loco
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Earth
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Posts: 46,637
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