no i dont mean anything bad lol your reply was something i wanted to see when i started this thread. im giving you props lol
My reflex would be to say Hakeem, but not many people are mentioning that Moses Malone would give Dream a run for his money as the most naturally talented.
Well, I wasn't going to write a novel about it to detail EVERYTHING. But when you talk about how SKILLED he was - how was he able to be so skilled when he began playing basketball at the age of 17? Have you ever seen or heard of that? I promise you the answer is no. Again, the man went from having never played the game of basketball to being one of the greatest players alive in a few short years. And of course, eventually, one of the greatest players of all time. Most skilled players develop those skills playing basketball over the course of their lifetime. Which is why we see very few players enter the league and become considerably more skilled over their careers. Now, as for your criticism. No, a player can't run his fastest when dribbling the ball. But if it wasn't remarkable we'd see big men catching up with point guards on break aways all the time, wouldn't we? But we don't. In fact, it almost never happens. You have to be VERY fast and athletic. And you're absolutely right, being quick alone doesn't result in steals, it does also take timing - which some would argue his a natural instinct at that level. Understanding defense? Yes, he understood that too. But again, it seemed almost natural with Hakeem, because again, we're talking about a guy who began playing basketball in his late teens. Quickness with hands? I think that's redundant. We're talking about quickness, after all, not speed (which is what we were talking about with the Kevin Johnson example). And of course jumping does not equal blocks. There have been lots of great leapers in the NBA. But again, he had timing and he had defensive intelligence. And both of those things were talents in themselves. So, really, you're helping me build my case by pointing those things out. Because while Hakeem had an insane work ethic and got better and better over the years, he entered the league possessing all of these things. And while all great shot blockers possess timing (though defensive intelligence is actual debatable seeing as there are many shot blockers who are actually terrible defensive players), what made Hakeem the GREATEST shot blocker was that he possessed every ability that would help someone in shot blocking. He had height (though not as much as most great shot blockers), he had length, he had timing, he had defensive IQ, he had lightning quick reflexes and he had the ability to jump out of the gym. Is it all clarified enough for your satisfaction? p.s. Drexler was more talented than Tracy McGrady too.
all of this is 100% right but i wasnt comparing positions. tmac being 6'8 and having that kinda length along with all his athleticism puts him at the top, and if you really think about it 6'8 is not much shorter than 6'11 , 6'10 or however tall hakeem was. thats like saying a 6'3 wide reciever is always slower than a 5'10 guy when alot of taller guys have blazing speed. the shaq vs vince carter point was very interesting cause they're both amazingly gifted but in their own way.
Hakeem was the most naturally talented rocket ever, he played soccer, handball before he played basketball, then at the age of 16 he started to play the sport and the next year he was already on the NCAA Final Four. and 8 years later that he started to play basketball he was playing in the NBA Finals!! And you need a lot of athleticism to have the footwork and agilty that Olajuwon have, by being so tall but at the same time with a lot of agility. He played at center, but he still is in the top ten of steals of all-time. and Hakeem didnt have to jump much higher to block and shot. So dont ever compare tmac to hakeem in any aspect of basketball.
you are right, a 5-10 guy may not be faster than a 6-3 guy. but when you are talking about 6-11 or 7 footers, to me its quite different. especially in basketball. the way i see it, a lot of the centers are 'slower' is not solely because they are tall (off course guys like shawn bradley is a different situation), but because they concentrate on strength rather than speed. guys like amare who are tall and damn fast are physically weaker comparatively speaking. The thing with hakeem is that he was damn strong and quick. That i think is what sets him apart. It really is the combanition of attributes that made him great. anyway...just my opinion.
you got a point though. well never know if that 3 or 4 inch differential in a 6'8 to 6'11 guy makes it completley different than a 5'10 to 6'3 guy. its cause there is hardly any 6'8 or taller people and usually the very few one that have that height are in sports( aka basketball)
Thanks for that video, LOVED it. 5:40 is just an incredible sequence of basketball, it's beautiful flow where they're thinking on the feet and just going with the rhythm. That's what imaginative basketball is. All the great ones have imagination, that's what allows them the freedom to do whatever they can think of rather than planning out what they're going to do beforehand and being mechanical.
Dream always had another gear that others simply didn't have. He could exceed himself, have transcendent moments we witnessed that left you in awe, that left his teammates in awe. Heck, Dream left Clyde in awe, a man who was a mind blowing cat on the count his ownself. Moments that were the hard won pinnicle of the art of professional basketball. Yet Olajuwon was so graceful, it almost looked easy. Sometimes it was easy... for him.
hakeem is arguably the most talented player of all time next to lebron james. 7 foot, agile, quick, athletic... we don't see that nowadays. people think KG or dirk nowadays, but hakeem's pure rawness destroys them. tmac is below hakeem just off pure talent. remember, hakeem didn't play basketball till late in his teens
If the op is talking about talent,there hasnt been a player more talented and that includes dream. Now if we're talking about talent,mental toughness, and all the things that make a guy an all time great, then thats another story. I mean, what couldnt he do when he was healthy?We never asked the question with dream because he filled his talent ceiling and stayed there.
Leeb, could you put that in English please? I think you've had quite the Labor Day, bro. Maybe you should take a nap. Tomorrows another day!
There is only one thing McGrady could do better than Dream; dribble. Dream was faster, stronger, could jump higher, was a better shooter, better defender, and better teammate.
Forget T-Mac and his bum ass. I've been on his side for 2 years now on this board. I'm done. Go get eye surgery b****. I'm throwing all his 5 of jerseys in the toilet. I'm done Tracy. Good luck in that crime organized city of Detroit. Maybe you'll know what pain is when they actually shot Landry and he came back that same season. Obviously not wishing he gets shots but just saying. Whatever. Go Rockets.
I always thought he was surprisingly good, all things taken into consideration. I saw him dribble the length of the court during a game and take it to the hoop, more than once. In the halfcourt, he could do anything with a ball that struck his fancy.
