If Shaq wasn't 7'2" 320lb and was Hakeem's size 7'0" 255lb, how do you think he would do. I think that Shaq's greatest asset is his size and power, he doesn't have a finesse game at all. he would be mere ordinary player without his size and strength. In a NBC interview, he claims to hve 50 post moves on either side of the basket but I don't buy it. I see 2 moves-a back down and dunk and a spin with a jump hook of the glass. That's pretty much it, although he has variations of those two moves. Shaq would probably average maybe 12 to 15 points and 8 rebounds maybe 2 to 3 blocks a game. Imagine if Hakeem was Shaq's size and still had his quickness and footwork. Hakeem would be absolutely unstoppable. I was thinking 40 points a game, 15 boards, 5 blocks at least. ------------------ "See they pick and pick and pick. Man they picked me to death." -Steve Francis on the Utah Jazz
A 7'2"(without Shaq's bulk) Dream would be scary. He'd have at least another 500 blocks to his name... ------------------ WE WILL WATCH THEM FALL... Next year
Hakeems not even 7 feet tall. he is only 6'10". And shaq would not be what he is rite now without his bulk and height. he would be another bryant reeves. ------------------ Fun Police Says: 1. Stupid threads are not FUN! 2. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure are not FUN! 3. Stupid BBS names are not FUN! 4. Conduct yourself in a FUN way! The Fun Police are Watching. Vote for the Rockets & Have FUN or be Assimilated.
His NBA.com profile list him at 7'0, as do many other documents like that. However, I've seen him matched up against other 7 footers, and he is not quite to their level. He's about 6'10, as Rockets03 said. ------------------ Looking for next year's Dan Langhi? Draftsource.net ClutchTown.com 4th Friday of August= Rocket Day 1999-Steve Francis 2000-Maurice Taylor
I think if you took away Shaq's size differential he would still score in the low 20's. However, I don't think his game would improve much over that. I say this because he hasn't shown the discipline needed to improve his weak points (free throw shooting) from year to year. Dream would always come back the next year with his weak points having been corrected or vastly improved. I think Shaq has convinced himself that, because he is so much bigger than anyone else in the league, he can just rely on that exclusively. To some extent he is right, but as we all saw this last year, teams will find a way to exploit his weaknesses. Enter the hack-a-shaq. If he will go out & spend the entire off season working on his free throw shooting,... Man, I don't even want to think about that. Because of his size, no one could stop him. ------------------
Um, guys, according to Bob Costas, Shaq would still be an All-Star if he were only 6-foot. I think that pretty much ends this argument.
I didn't really think it was an argument Nobody thinks that Shaq would be any good if he wasn't as big as he is!! When he loses a bit of his athleticism he'll be in trouble - can anyone say Stanley Roberts? ------------------
Hottoddie, Shaq does practice his free throws extensively. Many shooting coaches have coached him, but it has to do with him breaking his wrist as a kid. The way the bones grew back won't let him get arc on the ball consistently, so no matter how much he practices he will never be a 70 percent or higher free throw shooter. His wrist may be a little looser on some nights, that is why you see the 8 for 10 nights he has rarely. And how would Shaq score his 20 points without his size. No more offensive rebounds in traffic and power dunking. People won't clear out of the way cause he is coming through the lane. And he will have trouble backing it in far enough into his range which is 6 to 8 feet or closer. ------------------ "See they pick and pick and pick. Man they picked me to death." -Steve Francis on the Utah Jazz
Hey LiLStevie3, I didn't know about the broken wrist, but with his free throw shooting being such a glaring weakness, wouldn't it make sense to practice shooting free throws with his other hand? I know that he would struggle with it for a while(although with his free throw shooting, who would notice), but if you do the same thing over & over your mind & body will adjust. With the kind of money that these guys make, it wouldn't hurt them to make the extra effort. Just don't suggest this to him. We need him to have a weakness in his game for us to exploit. You're right about his shooting range. If you have a center with quick feet & a little size to put a body on him before he gets within his shooting range, you can stop his game that way. Dream used to be the perfect man for that. Unfortunately, age is catching up to him & slowing down his quickness, which is what made him so special. ------------------
Bob Costas is a bigger DUMB ASS then Peter Vescey. Hakeem when standing next to Horry looks actually smaller. He is barely bigger than Eddie Johnson . But I dont Hakeem would have been better if he was taller. He relied on quickness and his body fit him perfectly with what he tried to do on the court. ------------------ Fun Police Says: 1. Stupid threads are not FUN! 2. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure are not FUN! 3. Stupid BBS names are not FUN! 4. Conduct yourself in a FUN way! The Fun Police are Watching. Vote for the Rockets & Have FUN or be Assimilated.
Okay, I have to tell you this sounds like a lame excuse. If he had problems with his wrist that prevent him from getting any rotation on the ball, then how would he ever have been able to develop a hook shot? I know you're probably just citing something that you've read in the past somewhere, but it sounds like either Shaq or someone else was just making an excuse for him. It's much more likely that his free-throw woes are psychological. In one of the umpteen million articles that I've read on the subject in the past, his coach said that he actually hit a good percentage of free-throws in practice. If that is true, then this doesn't seem to be logical, if his in-game free-throw woes were due to wrist problems. ------------------
What if Steve Francis was as big as Shaq? ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know.
I don't know about that D0D. It would make for an interesting matchup though. ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know.
if steve francis was the same size as Shaq would he have the mobility and athleticism of the current Steve Francis (mini-Steve) or would have have the hops of the current shaq or would he have the hops of the dream sized shaq??? ------------------ Discombobulation Imminent
Smeg, Since we're dream casting, he'd have the mobility & athleticism of the current mini Steve. On that same theme, what if Mugsey Bogues was as big as Shaq? WOW! Lightning in a bottle. ------------------
A tad hard to imagine, like a combination of Gary payton and George Mursean. ------------------ Discombobulation Imminent
What if BobFinn actually posted something worthwhile? ------------------ Fun Police Says: 1. Stupid threads are not FUN! 2. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure are not FUN! 3. Stupid BBS names are not FUN! 4. Conduct yourself in a FUN way! The Fun Police are Watching. Vote for the Rockets & Have FUN or be Assimilated.
