If you could redraft, would you take Michael Jordan over Hakeem?

I'd still take Hakeem....had Sampson stayed healthy MJ wouldn't have gotten close to 6 titles in the 90's....Hakeem and Ralph were taking out the Lakers of the 80's.....unfortunately for Hakeem his Robin got injured while MJ's Robin got a chance to play and grow with him....Hakeem didn't get a legit superstar 2nd option until Clyde came in at the end of his career.

 

when considering both sides of the floor I'll have to disagree. Shaq's negative side is his ego, bad work ethic, and of course *gasps* his poor freethrow shooting. People must remember that although Shaq was the catalyst of those L.A. teams he wasn't a finisher, because his freethrow shooting sucked that bad. If I had to build a team around one superstar I wouldn't want my only true great talent to not to be able to be depended on at the end of a game because he couldn't hit a damn freethrow. I believe Shaq might be the most "powerful" player to ever play the game, but when speaking of "dominance" at every aspect of the game I'd say that Kareem, Hakeem, Wilt, Larry, Magic, and Michael were all more dominant than Shaq.

because rings a lot of times depend on teammates, the era you played in, etc.....when comparing a player individually I think it's important to look at individual abilities. Let's just say Kobe Bryant retires without winning another ring, because of his pathetic teammates could you honestly hold that against him? The guy is easily one of the most talented players this league has ever seen.

 

True...but you can't disregard what Shaq does...but he's so good for 1-3 and early parts of the 4th that

 

I agree...I always bring this up also. MJ dropped 55 on the Knicks, dropped 40 in the playoffs and overall avg. 32 ppg during the postseason...there isn't anything "rusty" about those numbers, BUT Horace Grant had gone to Orlando so they were stuck with Dickey Simpkins at PF and you saw what happened....I'll put it like this there are a handful of players who I'd take over Jordan, because I just feel like they "effected" the game more. Don't get me wrong I do believe MJ can and WAS the difference between winning and losing, but I don't think he made those around him better to the extent of Larry Bird or Magic Johnson (who imo is the best player to ever lace them up). Larry Bird took a terrible Boston team to the best record in the league within one year..and this is before Mchale or Parrish came into the picture........MJ would be in my top 5 of all time, but I can't stand people who say that "he's easily the best" because when looking at it from a realistic point of view and breaking down a players strengths and weaknesses you can argue that he wasn't.

 

he changes the game so much....that his power changes the way defense is played on the other team...he takes opposing centers out of the game in the first few quarters mainly because of his bad free throw shooting.

I think all round, he is a little lower than other players....but one big strength is so much better than everyone else's.

I still would take him over some of those players, especially Magic and Bird and probably Russell and maybe Kareem.

Magic was great talent...but hasn't ever played on a below-average team, same as Bird. I think if those two were placed on a team like the Magic in early 90s...they would barely reach 50 games and wouldn't be starring in the finals every year. They couldn't take a bad team deep into playoffs all by themselves unless there were a few others decent players on the rosters...which is why I don't think should be so hard on Kobe and T-mac.

Russell as great as he was and defense he brought...if you judged him stictly on offense he would not be in top 20 or 25...he's smaller and more athletic, but his offensive skill set is not even that of modern day centers, like Yao, Amare, or even Okur. Which is why I think he would struggled with later centers who had more shooting range and more height. He would still be great, but I don't think he run shot gun on the league or even win 12 titles.

 

I agree

I repeat Bird took a pathetic Celtics team to a 60 + win record the very next year, without Mchale or Parrish.....I was watching a taped NBA Classic game the other day and it was game 5 of the '91 Finals. Magic was out there working with a young Vlade Divac, Elden Cambell, Sam Perkins, etc. (because Worthy and Scott were injured) and was still keeping his team in the game....the Lakers ended up losing, because they just weren't talented enough to beat the bulls, but to see Magic leading the way out there with a dismantled/young team was just amazing.....

yeah but he also takes "himself" out of the game (sometimes literally) late because of his horrific freethrow shooting...it's a shame to, because he would really be "unstoppable" if he ever mastered or even was "decent" at that part of his game.

 

Larry and Magic like I said where great players...but they both had they're weaknesses too. They both did not have defensive intangibles, like the big men and M.J. brought to game...so I don't think you can totally demise that aspect of it....M.J. in 1988 was the defensive player...while being the MVP...leading in steals, being one of the leaders in blocked shots and shutting the opposing guards down, nightly. Whole funny thing about that...it was unheard of at the time and is still unbelievable today, because M.J was not a big man. But he was putting up reb and block numbers of an average center.

another thing about Larry and Magic was that they were in world class org., while M.J. didn't see one until the mid point of his career.

One thing...people always attribute to young M.J. and Kobe is that they're ball-hogs...it's true to extent, but when look at their teammates...they're awful....you can't make someone like Dickey Simpkens, Luke Walton, and Smush Parker all-stars. You can't make you're teammates that much better than they are...you can give them more opportunities...but you can't magically help player get to basket or start hitting 3s. For the most part, Bird was in good situation in Boston...in his first year they got new a Coach and healthy Tiny Archibald back from injury, newly acquired Pistol Peete, and returning starters like Maxwell, Cowens, and etc. M.J.'s earlier supporting cast....were names like Woolridge, Dailey, Corzine, and Vincent.

Larry's was far better than M.J..

 

how do you figure they were far better when they sucked the year before, lol? MJ was a great scorer and was a "shoot first" type of player and I'm not knocking him for that, but when it comes to making those around him better that just wasn't his cup of tea. This is why P.J. had to instill the triangle offense and get Scottie Pippen to run it.

 

Woolridge, Dailey, Corzine, and Vincent. Ever heard those names.

 

yeah but you act like Bird had an allstar cast around him...that team won 29 games the year before...29 games.....they were that bad before he got there.

 

he didn't but he decent players....ml carr, dave cowens, nate archibald, cedric maxwell, and chris ford.

2 of those players are HOFs.

 

I dont know why people think the rings is anything you need to say that some player is better than other one.

 

Would Hakeem quit on you feeling bored after 3 championships? 'Nuff said.

Michael Jordan is all about himself. His teammates exist only to be HIS "supporting cast" (I think he invented this term).

 

N-O, NO!

 

Because rings is not an indicator of personal success....its a team game and we were comparing dream to shaq.

There is no way shaq wouldve led that rockets team to the finals. There were so many close games that his free throw shooting wouldve hurt the rockets. SHAQ WOULD NOT HAVE EQUALLY TRASHED ROBINSON LIKE DREAM.
Shaqs road to the finals that year was the celtics, bulls, and pacers, while dreams road was the jazz, suns, and spurs. make your own assumption.

you must have not watched any of dreams games...the guy repeatedly got tripled team, illegal defense was about the only way to contain him.

who was shaqs biggest competition during his glory days? brad miller

dream consistently had to face robinson, ewing, smits, and a young shaq.

 

I chose Dream

 

what............in.................the hell.......................are you......................talking about?

 

I don't know, but he did quit the team over money and went to tarnish the end of career by going to the raptors and riding the pine there and then eventually just fading away.

 

Reminds me of the reply given by the step-dad on that Cinderfella song by Dana Dane back in the day...

"Step dad may I...?
But before I could finish..

______________ _____!!!
He replied."

Anyone remember the response?

The answer is in the picture within my signature below.

 

Michael Jordan quitting basketball to pursue his baseball career, because he "had accomplished all that he could".