Horry: Dream better than Shaq

Sounds like he changed his mind at least a little bit. After the championship last year, he was saying straight up that Shaq was better.

 

lol... he knew shaq would hear what he said so he had to cover his a$$.... lol... horry knows whats up

 

Improving? Maybe he's talking about free throw shooting....

 

When it counted, we all saw who was swept.

Prime or no Prime

 

I remember Horry said last year after the championship that Dream was better because he could hit free throws and that Shaq was hitting some clutch free throws so Shaq had the edge now.

I'm sure Horry was referring to Shaq's FT shooting when he said Shaq was improving. But don't think Shaq is improving his free throw shooting. He is plain inconsistent.

 

Shaq is pure size, strength and quickness. He has absolutely no fundamentals unless you call 2 foot hooks and dunks skill (while only shooting +50%). Just by looking at how he shoots free throws, how his shooting action is. It makes you stop and wonder how the guy even knows how to play basketball.
Yet on the other hand, we have Hakeem who didn't even grow up playing basketball and perfected jump shooting. Hakeem created the "Dream Shake" which was an unbelievable move and a tough shot for anyone just to be able to get his shot off. What did Shaq invent? The "elbow/shoulder the defender out of the way and dunk Shaq-fu style".

By far the better "basketball" player was Hakeem but the more effective player would have to be fairly even, edge to Shaq.

 

shaq has never been the ultimate defensive stopper that Dream was. Case closed.

 

this again?

1) don't say shaq doesn't have some skills... you don't see diop performing like shaq ... he's added a lot of weapons and intelligence to his game the last couple of years. he doesn't near as often make bonehead plays u expect from a doofus looking 7' footer

2) i know many of you love hakeem and hate shaq, but please don't just say shaq doesn't have skill / didn't invent something/ just doesn't have the D olajuwon has/ orlando sweep means everything. there are a few ways to dominate in basketball and shaq is the physical oddity 101 on a scale from 1 to 100. no, i'm not saying shaq is definitely better, but i think any comparison that easily puts olajuwon ahead is pure biasm. shaq may not do it pretty, but he simply dominates in so many ways that he is a player at the same level of olajuwon in his prime.

 

I'd bet you could ask Shaq who was better, and he'd say Dream. Now ask him about any other center (aka David Robinson) and he'll says hes light years better than them. But hes always had respect for the Dream, even before he got torched by him the 95 Finals. No matter what the stats per game may show, Hakeem was a complete player- he could post spin, hit jump shots, block, hit free throws, all of that stuff. If Shaq were ever to get sick and lose 30 pounds, Yao would obliterate him. As it is now. he still matches up pretty good.

 

Hey, don't forget that Dream also racked up quite a few steals in his day.

Points, boards, assists, steals, blocks ... Dream had it all. Except offensive rebounds. But when you're the offensive focus, it's hard to get into position to grab offensive boards. Dream is the league's all-time leading shot blocker. What's Shaq the all-time leader in the NBA? Missed free throws?

 

Please tell me all these ways he dominates.... the guy doesn't even have a true center to face off against apart from Yao who is still pending. Hakeem on the other hand got it done against the greats (Ewing, Robinson, Shaq, Smits...) without the physical edge that Shaq has against everyone these days. Shaq may dominate you physically, but I cannot think of any other way he dominates. What would Shaq do if he were 250 pounds? Exactly what Cato does....

 

he got more than you think.... he had a great second jump, thats what seperates the good from the greats

 

Hey, if you want to give him credit for being a good offensive rebounder, I won't stop you. I've got nothing bad to say about Dream, just wanted to point out what I considered the weakest link in his armor.

 

Without prejudice, Stanley Roberts was just as big as Shaq but he did not pan out. Oliver Miller (though not as tall) was over 300 pounds but could not do squart with it. I can go on.......

IMO though, Hakeem has more tools and skills than Shaq. But redefined the position with his shear brute force and dominance. Olajuwon made basketball easy with the ease with which he scored, blocked shots and ran the floor. He was an excellent "thief", rebounder and an "artist" on the court. Some of the reasons why he did not get so much pub was because of his limited communication skill, shy nature, religion and of his origin. But in all he remained a gentleman.

 

I bet you just learn to watch basketball recently. I have watch basketball for 25 years and I can tell you that Shaq is not in the same league as Shaq. Hakeem had to go against Mose Malone, Kareem, Ewing, Robinson, and Parish. Those players got skills and can play with either hands. Who is the second best center right now that Shaq have to go against? Yao? Brad Miller? Kandi? Kurt Thomas? Magloire? Give me a break.

 

What I meant was:

I have watch basketball for 25 years and I can tell you that Shaq is not in the same league as Hakeem.

 

shaq is fast...he has great footwork...knows how to use his body...he is a great passer out of the post. dominates on the offensive end because of his size and touch inside. don't tell me the guy has no skills. you people who say he has no skills are stupid. he is a bad ass because he knows how to use his body.

 

Read my post. I never said Shaq doesn't have skill. All I'm saying is Hakeem in his prime is a better player than Shaq in his prime due to the level of competition in their era.

 

I still can't believe so many on this board are so jealous of Shaq. Say what you want about Dream (he was a masterful player and the 2nd best player in his era) but don't take anything away from Shaq.
Shaq dominates like no other. Say what you want about no competition, but a major part of that is because a lot of the great PFs play thee because they don't want o be matched up with Shaq. Duncan should be a center, but he hides at PF. That takes nothign away from Duncan just the fact that he doesn't want to cross Shaq for 40 minutes a night a few times a year. Look at C-Web he is as big as Dream (maybe Dream is an inch taller) but C-Web hides behind Divac.
Also it was always funny on this board a few years ago people said Dream was greater because of he Championships, now that Shaq has his rings it's because of no skills/lack of competition.

Anyways I'll shut up for now and let the Shaq bashing continue.