Shaq "I'm still in the class of Hakeem and David Robinson"

Shaq is what I would like to call Vick-esque. He will help you win games but he isn't a complete player at his position. Tell him to step about 15 feet from the basket and make a jump shot or to shoot 70% from the line.

 

He wasn't complaining about his missed FGs, just the FTs.

 

You're reading his statements like they were combined, like one followed the other in sequence and defined the previous. The AP writer didn't include them together in a single quote, and it's quite possible that Shaq intended something like

"I can't believe I made a B on that test, I should have aced it. For one thing, I should have known the answer to question #9."

Not that one question would have made the difference on your test between a B and an A, but it was a factor in why you didn't meet your goal. You're reading things too narrowly. Shaq perhaps felt that he should have taken more shots, shouldn't have missed the ones he got, should have made his free throws, etc. But of course he singles out the free throws, because that's what's been his achilles throughout his career and it was particularly glaring last night.

 

a. it is a slap to put hakeem in robinson's class.


b. it is a slap to put hakeem below the big 3.


c. it is not a slap to say he is on par with hakeem. i tend to think they are both very equal and who you think is better probably has to do with what city you live in.

shaq has been a beast of a scorer and rebounder (even moreso than hakeem) throughout his career. who cares if he can't hit a 15 footer, why should you when you can dunk?

hakeem was a beast of a defender (much moreso than shaq) when it comes to steals and blocks throughout his career. perhaps the best of all time or at worst #2 behind russell. shaq likes to be lazy on D.

shaq has 3 titles to 2 for hakeem. but shaq essentially has never played on a team without a lot of talent and had kobe for his superprime while hakeem had diddly squat for a long time then finally got some decent role players and then a very good but not kobe-level drexler for about 2 years during his super-prime.

everywhere shaq goes the team seems to be a contender (which wasn't always true of hakeem but then you have to go back to the talent thing). shaq has been swept like 4 or 5 times on talented teams. when the going get tough, shaq gets going the other direction it seems. hakeem was on teams that came back from big series deficits b/c hakeem had a bigger drive to win, imo.

shaq is probably a better Quarters 1-3 player and Hakeem is definitely a better 4th Quarter player. you could give it to him at any time for a big shot and you never had to worry about him getting fouled. if shaq doesn't have the clutchest player with possibly the biggest drive to win in the game in kobe bryant on his team, does he ever get a title?

so i don't know. i tend to think hakeem should be favored (since the offense vs defense is pretty much equal) for taking a starless supporting cast to a title and for being a fourth quarter player who also carried the team in the first 3 quarters, but shaq's absolute offensive domination from year 1 (he not only changes the entire defense but his offensive rebounding can just kill you) is impressive as is his career winning percentage and the 3 titles. so whether you're in LA (or just will fall for the most hyped team like the bulls or the lakers) or whether you're from houston probably will determine who you vote for. i'd give a tiny edge to hakeem but have no problem with a draw.


now as for hakeem versus russell? playa please. i'll take the guy who dominated both ends of the court, thank you.

 

Hakeem would take Wilt and Russel.......Hakeem is qucker and more talented

 

you are a homer

 

shaq once said that russel is in his own league. He didn't tend to catch him. his ultimate goal is to surpass Chilt and Kareem to become no. 2 in the history. That is just his opinion.

 

talent-wise, it is really hard to say hakeem is better than wilt. I think no one is better than him.

 

shaq just likes to talk, anyways i think he's mainly talking about rings. really the only disrespect was including robinson in the same sentence with dream and other then spers fans everyone knows thats a joke.

i think chamberlain will probably always be the most dominant center ever, i think of him like babe ruth in baseball. shaq has earned his spot next to dream and i think both of them are as good as russell and kareem. if anything on an individual basis russell should be below all four of those guys. i know he won 11 rings but he also had hall of famers coming off the bench.

 

I mean wilt.

 

I"LL TAKE SHAQ OVER HAKEEM ANYDAY OF THE WEEK.

YOU GUYS ARE NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF HOMERS ON THIS BOARD.

WILT > SHAQ > RUSSEL > DUNCAN > SABONIS > HAKEEM > JABBER > ROBINSON > etc. > etc. > etc. > etc. > etc. > etc > etc. > etc. > etc > EWING > WALTON > etc. > etc > etc > GREG KITE.

 

No kidding, none of those guys, even Robinson, were taken out late in games because they couldn't be counted on to make FTs.

P.S. Shaq is the only player, I can ever remember, has is considered dominate but has never taken a jump shot.

 

Hey, you go ahead and take Shaq. I just hope you have a stud perimiter player on your team, because if the game is close in the last minute, you won't be able to give the ball to the big fella because he turns into a liability. Sorry, but IMO, you can't be the best of the best if I can't count on you WHEN THE GAME IS ON THE LINE.

If the game is tied in the closing seconds, I can give Dream the ball and have him hit a game winner. If we are barely ahead in the closing seconds, I don't have to remove Dream because he can hit his free-throws.

Considering that both players could not be stopped on offense, Dream was a better rebounder (Shaq has NEVER led the league), a much better defender and played against much better competition, I will pick Dream any day of the week. Be honest...a team with Dream and Kobe won't win a title? What if you took Shaq off the Magic finals team and put Dream on it....you don't think they win the title? 2 titles going through the best at your position (Ewing, Robinson and Shaq) and other HOF combos (KJ and Barkley, Stockton & Malone) with little help (best player is a past-his-prime Drexler) vs 3 titles going against scrubs (can ya even name the centers they faced during the 3-peat) with Kobe...yet Shaq is better? Shaq could not dominate an over the hill Robinson in the playoffs (Kobe was killing the Spurs), yet he is better than the man that steamrolled him while he was the MVP (with Rodman as a sidekick). Use your brain....

 

I would take Hakeem or Duncan over Shaq anyday.

Now Robinson, thats another story.

 

Duncan > Hakeem?

 

I'd take Hakeem over Wilt and Russell

imagine if Hakeem played in the days of Wilt and Russell...man

 

while i agree with everything else, i don't see this as true. shaq is at 12 rpg and if you chop off hakeem's career through 13 seasons (where shaq is at) i think it comes out just below that, and hakeem played in a higher rebounding era in the late 80's than shaq plays in now. otherwise, having kobe and not being clutch is right on.

 

OK. You're either kidding, have something against Dream, or are a huge r****d!

"Sabonis>Hakeem?" Hakeem is much better than Duncan, but that is beside the point since Duncan is a PF anyway.

BTW, Russell was not better than Dream. I equate Celtics championships with Russell to the Comets Championships. Yeah they were good, but there were only like 9 other teams in the league. Russell had no offense, and is overrated IMO.

The only ones that can put up an argument are Wilt, and Jabbar!

 

I don't even know where to start with Shaqs comments...First he lumped Robinson with Hakeem. I mean did anyone see what Dream did to Robinson in '95 the day that the admiral won his MVP?? That was absolutley sick. And to say that Hakeem isn't up there with Jabar or Russell or Chamberlin is stupid. Okay so Wilt scored a hundred points on a bunch of 6'5 caucasian males...does anyone honestly think that he could've done that with today's atheletes defending him?? Secondly, if you wanna talk about skill, Hakeem has 10 times more than Shaq will ever have. I will concede to Shaq that he is probably one of the most dominant players to play the game...i mean the guy weighed nearly 400 pounds at one time of course hes gonna throw it down on some people. But Shaq could never in his wildest dreams achieve the footwork that Dream had. Dream and MJ probably had the best footwork of any basketball players ever. PERIOD. Those are probably some of the most ignorant comments Shaq has ever made he needs to go look at some old footage and see who schooled his ass in the 1995 finals.

 

hakeem and jordan are the two most complete players ever. agree? disagree? not necessarily the two best, but most complete.