After watching Stansbury's teams in which only one player is a good point gaurd, I went "ball-handling" heavy in my lineup...
McHale could by my GM though, for sure.
McHale could by my GM though, for sure.
Tuesday question- your NBA starting 5 since 1980
- Thread starter Coach34
- Start date
The problem with Shaq is that he became a liability on the court if your team was down 3 or 4 points with less than 2 minutes left on the clock.
It is simply a problem that can't be overlooked. He was a career 52% free throw shooter. That is just a problem. If Shaq is on your starting five, he can't be on the floor in the last few minutes of a game.
No one is going to convince anyone here.
It is simply a problem that can't be overlooked. He was a career 52% free throw shooter. That is just a problem. If Shaq is on your starting five, he can't be on the floor in the last few minutes of a game.
No one is going to convince anyone here.
PG Magic Johnson - John Stockton
SG Michael Jordan - Kobe Bryant - Dwayne Wade
SF Larry Bird - LeBron James
PF Kevin Garnett - Tim Duncan - Dennis Rodman
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Shaquille O'Neal
Also considered:
Julius Erving, but his best years were before 1980
David Robinson
Isiah Thomas
Steve Kerr, three-point specialist
Christian Laettner, if only because he's someone accomplished to being the odd-man out on a dream team.</p>
SG Michael Jordan - Kobe Bryant - Dwayne Wade
SF Larry Bird - LeBron James
PF Kevin Garnett - Tim Duncan - Dennis Rodman
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Shaquille O'Neal
Also considered:
Julius Erving, but his best years were before 1980
David Robinson
Isiah Thomas
Steve Kerr, three-point specialist
Christian Laettner, if only because he's someone accomplished to being the odd-man out on a dream team.</p>
of his career. Old Drexler (or young Drexler for that matter) was nowhere near the help that Shaq had with Kobe or Wade. I'm still waiting for you to justify how Malone is better than Duncan or come up with one thing that Shaq could do better than Olajuwon. Hakeem was a better shooter, more clutch, a vastly superior defensive player, just as good a rebounder, and just as good a passer. Plus, you could could play him in the final 4 minutes of a close game.
Shaq was a huge liability at the FT line. I still remember a game in Baton Rouge when they were the huge favorites over us. We played 3 different centers on him (including David Domingue who becamea solid player for us but at the time was a FR who didn't play). They fouled him 14 times and we won the game.</p>
from Patdog:
Olajuwon shot 51% for his career and averaged 21.8 ppg.
O'Neal shot 58% for his career and averages 24.1 ppg.
Shaq could not be guarded in the post- Hakeem could
As far as Malone, Timmy could be a better player...but that wasn't the question I asked- I just asked who your starting 5 would be...And if Duncan is better, it ain't by much
Olajuwon shot 51% for his career and averaged 21.8 ppg.
O'Neal shot 58% for his career and averages 24.1 ppg.
Shaq could not be guarded in the post- Hakeem could
As far as Malone, Timmy could be a better player...but that wasn't the question I asked- I just asked who your starting 5 would be...And if Duncan is better, it ain't by much
dominant for a long time. But he could be guarded by fouling him. Olajuwon's FG percentage was obviously lower because he could shoot out to 18 feet, thereby freeing up space for his teammates. He was an effective scorer in more than one way. He could fit into more than one style of ball. He could play alongside another 7 footer (Sampson) early in his career and win because he was multi-dimensional. Shaq was always a lane clogging space-eater who could only play one way. That one way usually worked, but it also limited his team.
It's damn near a miracle he got that team to the Finals when you look at their starting lineup. They put some "names" on their team this year but their "names" were Shaq (now the oldest player in the league and still making $20 million) and Jamison (aka KG's *****). It's a testament to LeBron's greatness that he got the best record in the league with that roster 2 years in a row.. it's definitely not a championship roster.
People act like MJ/Bird/Magic/Kobe were squeezing blood from turnips. MJ didn't start winning until Pippen grew a set of balls and decided to be a great player. Bird played with 3 other HOF players (maybe more than that). Kobe won with Shaq in his prime.. then he couldn't even get outta the 1st round of the playoffs.. then they get Gasol and he's contending again. LeBron has never played with another great player. Barely even another really good player.
People act like MJ/Bird/Magic/Kobe were squeezing blood from turnips. MJ didn't start winning until Pippen grew a set of balls and decided to be a great player. Bird played with 3 other HOF players (maybe more than that). Kobe won with Shaq in his prime.. then he couldn't even get outta the 1st round of the playoffs.. then they get Gasol and he's contending again. LeBron has never played with another great player. Barely even another really good player.
PG - Magic
SG - Michael
SF - Larry
** you can make an argument for Stockton, Isaih Thomas, Clyde Drexler, and Kobe I suppose
PF - Duncan (although Malone makes a strong case for himself; as does Barkley)
C - Shaq
** to me the C position is the hardest to pick. I had to go with Shaq because he was just so big that no one could stop him. Hakeem, Ewing, Mourning, and Robinson are all right there. Then Walton, Kareem, Bill Russell and Wilt would be there and maybe above Shaq, but in my head I have them as 70s guys?
SG - Michael
SF - Larry
** you can make an argument for Stockton, Isaih Thomas, Clyde Drexler, and Kobe I suppose
PF - Duncan (although Malone makes a strong case for himself; as does Barkley)
C - Shaq
** to me the C position is the hardest to pick. I had to go with Shaq because he was just so big that no one could stop him. Hakeem, Ewing, Mourning, and Robinson are all right there. Then Walton, Kareem, Bill Russell and Wilt would be there and maybe above Shaq, but in my head I have them as 70s guys?
Neither could Karl Malone. I think Kobe is better than Lebron right now and Im a huge Kobe fan but if Lebron and Kobe switches teams, Lebron has a ring and Kobe likely loses to Boston in 7. Im not going to knock Lebron because he hasnt won a ring yet. Karl Malone seems to be making a lot of lists to have not won one either.
<span> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vAFSM1zcaPU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="never" height="385" width="480" ></embed> </span>
Bet you thought I was going with the Mark Jackson posterizing, didn't ya?
AA - full of surprises
Bet you thought I was going with the Mark Jackson posterizing, didn't ya?
AA - full of surprises
so is Patrick Ewing.. they were on championship caliber teams but just never got it done. Karl Malone because of Jordan (and failing to come through in the clutch). Ewing because he never came through in the clutch (and also because John Starks completely shot them out of Game 7 against the Rockets). LeBron has never been on anything close to a championship caliber team so far. You can start judging him on his next team because he'll likely be playing with another legitimate great player.. either Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade, or Chris Bosh (maybe even 2 of them). If he ever gets to a play with a dominating big man, fugeddaboutit.