Sometimes I think Shaq is trying to impersonate Clay/Ali. MD is fine. MDE? It's the "E" I don't like.
watch the series again because you didn't watch the series if you don't think hakeem completely outplayed shaq. it's not always about stats, hakeem made shaq look helpless in the key moments of the series.
Dude, everything is not always about the "numbers". Try watching the games. Hakeem was abusing Shaq when it mattered, and most importantly, he controlled the paint offensively and defensively. The series was not close, Shaq admits he got it handed to him.....what more do you want? The best way to play Shaq is to make him play defense. If he scores 30 (as he usually will), it won't matter if he gives up 30 right back to the opposing center. That's why Houston had success against him, because we at least made the center match-up even (actually more than that). Teams today can't do that (hence 3 straight championships). At least he realized he got the title by default (i.e. other centers getting old or retiring).
Dream dominated Shaq so many times it was almost funny. He dominated Shaq every game up until around 99' first round playoff series. Shaq still admitts this to this very day. After all, he did say that it was Dream's throne before he took it, not Jordan's throne, Barkely's throne, Malone's throne etc..............IT WAS DREAM'S THRONE!!!!!!!!!!
I HATE Shaq, but I admit that he has been the most dominant ever and has ALTERED the way how basketball was being played. Shaq proved that the most important way to be dominant on the court is BEING A MONSTER, literally! I am always angry when I see Shaq just hits the defenders on the ground "skilfully" and then slams it home and draw a ridiculous foul! After watching basketball for a couple of years, I still don't understand why our basketball rules allow this to be happened! No matter how hard a player practise shooting, passing, dribbling, jumping, etc, it's somewhat useless if u are not strong enough to hit other players on the floor. Shaq shows everybody that the most important thing in basketball is to be as strong as a MONSTER and roars everybody to fall on the ground, and then STUFF it! Though skills like passing and jump hooks are really helpful to Shaq to win the championship, Shaq told us that you can still dominate on the court if you are that strong despite your lack of BASKETBALL FUNDERMENTALS. This is pretty absurd, huh? We cannot expect Yao to be a monster, he is only a basketball player. No matter how good he will be, he can just do what a good basketball player can do: shooting, passing, rebounding and defense. You gotta admit it: he can never be DOMINANT! Remember, comparing Yao and Shaq can never be fair.
Hakeem outplayed Shaq, yes, dominated no. In one game Shaq had 26 points 15 boards and 9 friggin assists. That's not being dominated. Robinson was dominated, not Shaq.
Don't expect too much from Yao Ming! Its going to take another two seasons of learning. The only way that this can be speeded up is if the Rockets bring in Moses Malone to teach Yao Ming the footwork, positioning and general NBA savvy. These things wont just happen naturally they have to be taught! Otherwise Yao Ming will for ever be known as the tall soft Chinese Center who averaged 15 pts and 9 reboundts through his short NBA Career.
LOL. True, and who else made them so talented? Brian Shaw? Dennis Scott? Horace Grant? Nick Anderson?
"This is the 11th season in a row (every year he has been in the league) that Shaq has averaged 20+ pts and 10+ boards. That's one year shy of the longest streak in NBA history held by Wilt and Kareem and Hakeem at 12 seasons. However, it doesn't stop there. By putting Shaq's scoring and rebounding totals into context for the era he plays in he has already surpassed Wilt and Kareem and Hakeem because Shaq has played in an era where far fewer shots are being taken. In Shaq's rookie season NBA teams averaged 172 FG attempts. At that time that was the lowest average of any season since 1954 when the shot clock was introduced. It's also an average that has not been matched in the past 10 years. Fewer shots mean fewer points and fewer rebounds. As a result, 20/10 means more in Shaq's era. In Wilt's era 217 shots were attempted in a typical game. Each team averaged 115 points and 64 rebounds. In todays game teams average 95 points and 42 rebounds. So to adjust for the different eras let's count the seasons in which Shaq, Wilt, Kareem and Hakeem's per game averages of points and rebounds have been 25% or higher of the averages of all teams in the league. Here are the results: Wilt did this seven seasons. Kareem in six. Hakeem in three. Shaq beats them all. His averages of rebounds and points have been 25% or higher of the team league averages in TEN SEASONS out of his eleven years in the league."
Shaq's an azz... I agree, right now, he is the MD, but ever... Only time will tell, but like Shaq said, it's only one game...
Shaq is going to have a better career than Hakeem had. I think that's pretty obvious. I think it's also pretty obvious, that Hakeem had a better peak. He was just as good as Shaq offensively, and much better on defense. Hakeem spent the early part of his career trying to figure how to play team basketball. He spent the latter part of his career in decline. But there were about 3-4 seasons in which he was better than any other player I've ever seen.
You guys are blaming Shaq being an azz after his classy comment about the Dream? Or maybe it's because he just destroyed your darling Yao Ming in a very important game for the Rox? ....... They are showing the stats comparison between Yao and Shaq in the thrid quarter and it was like 27 to 4 or something like that in the scoring column. "Comparison? There is no comparison!", says Bill Walton.
Well said, I couldnt agree more. Shaq's defense (team and individual) is decent, not spectacular. You could almost argue that in their respective primes, they were both equally dominant offensively, even though Hakeem played finesse and Shaq is power. But when it comes to defense, I just dont see Shaq come close to Hakeem's intensity. Hakeem has to be the most dominant defensive force ever along with Bill Rusell. BTW, I dont buy the "Shaq has more rings then Hakeem theory". Shaq, when he has won the rings has done it with Kobe, a combination of best big man and best guard in NBA at the time. How many rings do you think Jordan and Hakeem together would have had? In any case, I like Hakeem, Shaq, Kobe, and Yao. They are/were all fun and great players (Yao might be great one day) in their own right and I am glad I get to see all of them in my time.
Actually, Horace Grant was one of the best non-spuerstar PFs in his prime. Nick Anderson was a solid shooter. Penny Hardaway, as much as I don't like him, was very talented and could dominate a game before he got all those inguries.
Why the hell are some people comparing Yao Ming to Hakeem? Especially Hakeem during his prime? That's ridiculous. Yao was extrememly outplayed trying defend Shaq one-on-one. Who wouldn't be? The best center today and a ten year veteran dominated a rookie last night. Big friggin deal. Even Big Ben Wallace can't play Shaq one-on-one during the whole game. (Didn't Big Ben get backed down by Yao and got stuffed in his face? Isn't that more embarassing, getting stuffed on from a rookie on the reigning Defensive Player of the Year?) The media and unrealistic people out there were hyping this Shaq-Yao duel. Who really thinks a Tim Duncan rookie, Ben Wallace rookie, or David Robinson rookie could guard Shaq of today. Just think about it. They'd get destroyed too. Let's not lose perspective folks. He's going to have his ups and downs and will continue to do so. But from the type of person he is who strives to get better and not be full of himself, I have not doubt a 25-26 y/o Ming wil be a much improved version. He has played in every darn game this year. Now people are making suggestions on how he can improve his game/physique/ and everything else. If he had that perfect physique and all those skills right now, he'd be the greatest b-baller in the history of the NBA. At 22 y/o? Let's be realistic! This isn't NBA 2K3. Fans of the Bulls and the Warriors have more more complaining/worrying to do about their rookie situations. And don't forget the Kings and Mavs needed at least 2-3 years of playing together before things got going.
