Saw this video before, it is still amazing to see how the DREAM became an all-round player like this, he the dream encyclopedia for all centers. Have saying that, his weakness seems always be his endurance and his gambling on some defense if as I can remember.
He did gamble at times and was actually a very firey player in his youth. The reason is he often did it all because he had to, early on his supporting cast was devastated by drug scandals, poor coaching and ownership. He had to be both the defensive and offensive anchor and arguably has one of the worst supporting casts for a player in the top 10 and top 15, with the exception of Garnett. But he became an incredible defender and hit his defensive peak in the 80's and early 90's. When he finally had good coaching, a system built around him and decent talent for spacing he won a championship without another all star and hit his offensive peak. If Hakeem had talent around him like Jordan, LeBron or Kareem he would have won many more championships imo and been a consensus top 3 GOAT. All three of those guys did not win a ring without another all star (in some cases multiple all stars at thier peaks) or HOF coach, some missed the playoffs some years in thier prime when forced to do it by themselves. When you hold a microscope to these guys, Hakeem looks even better than many of the percieved GOATs.
Endurance? You mean when could not drink/eat when the sun was up during Ramadan and still dominated nationally-televised afternoon games on Sunday?
To put things in perspective: The only student, from Hakeem's "Center for big men who want to learn how to play like me", that mastered his moves was a shooting guard that went by black mamba
Dream is the best Rocket ever to play on this planet And if we migrate to Mars Or cybertron He’d be optimus prime there If you had said that crap to a 99er and we had those n95 masks left we’d give it to the Utah Jazz fan Cause haters and doubters of dream are the enemy of everyone
These doubters of Dream don’t know Ramadan or have any worldly knowledge The only thing they know are dumb YouTube streamers who fight other streamers And they pay for that and they pay for those new costumes for their fortnite character
Dream would absolutely dominate this era. I’m confident that he (or Yao) could’ve developed a 3 point shot if it was a thing for centers to shoot 3s back then.
Has OP come back to re-re-re-defend his position in the past few pages? Not like Dream did, but like a dumbass poster would?
You never question a first round draft pick who was the MVP both years the Rockets won its only championship. Hakeem brought the championship, he brought results. Hakeem proved he's a winner. Never under estimate a heart of a champion.
Hakeem is the dream centre for any team in the NBA right now. Agile enough to play the switching defence you want. Can create his own shot and can space the floor when asked. Remember Rockets moved Horry from SF to PF to space the floor for Hakeem to work. They were doing this 25 years ago.
He could play even if he didn’t ever score at all just on his defense alone. He was a transformational talent that doesn’t come along very often in any era.
Endurance? The guy literally generated 90% of the offense for Rockets (post or open shots for others) and played nearly every single minute in the playoffs, and lead the defense. I have never seen anyone in the history of NBA win two rings with so much of offense and defense riding on one player's shoulders lol. Endurance? Seriously?? Gamble on defense? Highest IQ defensive player I have watched. #1 in blocks. Top 10 all time in steals as a center. Best help defense. Terrific one on one defense that shut down other team's best players in the post, some of them all time greats.
He was one of the first ever centers with guard skills. You could make the case that maybe Magic Johnson was he first small ball center and point center... but he couldn't shoot. Based on Hakeem's guard like skills, he would have flourished in today's NBA. He most definitely would have developed a different sort of game. He would obviously have a good 3pt shot in today's NBA. One thing that makes me wonder... Durant is a 7 footer right? Could Hakeem be a slightly taller Durant with better defense in today's NBA had he grown up in this era? He had the footwork and the face up game to do it. Could he not even be looked as a center, and be a PF instead?
FYI I only compared Hakeem to Giannis how it might look on the team in an offense of today’s game . Hakeem was quicker, much better footwork, better defender , smarter with the ball and way better shot too .