Two observations Around the basket is much faster and more violent when Shaq and Olajuwon played. Dwight Howard is having a MVP type season. He is clearly the best player on the team Harden isn't even close.
I think there's some truth here, but his post-game has improved a lot over a pretty short time. I think he can get there eventually, but I agree that we are still a shooting team (who hasn't been shooting well), and we need to add another effective shooting/scoring option to Harden and Parsons.
It's funny last time rockets were on TNT n lost they said rockets wouldn't win a championship n dwight wasent a good center. Tired of people basing there opinions on just one game. Next game rockets might lose to the worst team in basketball. Seems like fans and critics really like to stRt judging rockets from there loses. Everybody loses including the miami heat they have lost to scrub teams. Every team has bad nights and remember just because the "scrub" teams have bad records there all nba players who can play.
the game has changed completely -- Shaq averaged those numbers before the zone defense rules were allowed in the NBA. If Dwight saw single coverage the way Shaq did he would put up better numbers - maybe not as high as Shaq of course but instead of 20-22 I would imagine it would be around 26 or so. This also effects rebounding too - on defense if you are only concerned with guarding your man - it makes boxing out a lot easier and getting rebounds. I am not saying Dwight is good as Shaq - not even close but for Shaq to criticize him for not putting up the same numbers when the rules have changed completely is unfair to Dwight. Webber brought up that point last night as a guy who played a good number of years before the rule change and after the rule change. Shaq had his most dominant years prior to the rule change - afterwards even though age and injuries caught up to him a bit you can see his last season in LA and in Miami that there was a huge drop off even though he was in his late 20s/early 30s then. If you look at the huge scoring nights Dwight has had- its usually the nights when he is guarded one on one - if 80% of the teams in the NBA did that Dwight would be easily averaging 25+ a game, but no they front and shade and double even before the catch. Dwight can average 14 rebounds I believe but really right now as long as the TEAM is rebounding well I dont care how many Dwight has - he'll usually will lead the team in rebounding anyway.
Pretty sure zones were allowed to stop Shaq. He still ate them up and continued producing at an impressive rate relative to his age till the day he retired. Shaq would dominate ANY league, zones are more effective against poor passers like Dwight who cant beat you with their playmaking.
One of the main reasons Dwight doesn't score 25 a game is that he can't shoot. Even Shaq was a better shooter than Howard. When Shaq led the league in scoring in 99-00, he took 7.7 jump shots a game, mostly from close range. Dwight takes 2 a game right now.
Wow and he's averaging 18+ points. So if he shot 6 more jump shots (from close range) he would average 23 points if he shoots 40% and that's not including extra free throws. Sounds like he is doing the same as Shaq base on your logic except he is sharing to Chandler, TJones, and Harden. This team doesn't have offensive issues and Dwight can score below whether you guys want to believe it or not. Defense, team needs defense and Dwight isn't the issue.
28/14 would be entering elite, GOAT (per position) talk. I think we all understand Dwight is awesome and a perennial All-Star but it would be a mistake/misguided to enter him in the Hakeem,Shaq, etc.. conversation.
The problem is, Dwight shoots about 28% on jump shots. Shaq wasn't great, but he still shot at least 35% on those shots.
Zone defense is allowed in NBA starting 2001. All it takes is 2 years and Shaq goes from averaging 27ppg to 22 and and continue dropping. You can't says age is the ultimate factor as Shaq is only 29 at year 2001.
