Hakeem never had the talent around him that Duncan has had. Look at old film- they all feared Hakeem at both ends of the floor. Hakeem played Center so Ralph could play point forward. Two of the greatest teams in history - '86 showtime lakers and '86 Celtics did not know what to do with him. Just think Sportsfan (Spurs fan)- if Duncan had been drafted by the Celtics- he might never have even sniffed at a ring. Hakeem is more versatile and did a lot with less to work with. You can enjoy yourself in the finals Spurs fan- they should sweep the Cavaliers
I know I've posted this several times, at one time or another, but Pat Riley, one of the best coaches in NBA history, whether you like him or not, and the coach of the Lakers, made the focus of the defense in that series to "Contain Akeem!!!" If you were watching it, they showed him in the locker room before one of the early games in the series, and that's what he wrote on the blackboard. That was it. Contain Akeem. A second year player who bumped an All Star center out of his position and was just killing them, a team coming off of multiple championships, and one that grabbed the next 2 championships after that season. A great team, the Showtime Lakers. They didn't know what to do with him. With all due respect to the goofus, he simply doesn't know a damn thing. He should go back to House of Pancakes and give us a break.
It is amazing that Hakeem had such an impact as second year player. Dream could run, jump, and was as strong or stronger than anyone on the floor. I've never seen another player with that much raw strength play with such finesse. Power with incredible quickness...... That was cool to witness!
First of all, JVG is a Knicker, not a Rockets. He just happened to coached the team for four years. So, you cannot label him a "traitor". But I don't agree with his argument. Duncan plays PF, so the players guard him, or be guarded by him usually are not as strong as the centers. Plus, he always had a good team, the opponents usually don't double him as much because his teamates can score as well. Second, Duncan is argubly the best PF in the history of NBA, because that's how he plays. He spend more time guarding PF, and be guarded by PF, so it's hard to make the comparison. As good an all around game as Hakeem had, but you have to give Shaq the nod here. The guy's pure strength simply over power everything else you have. There has never been anyone as dominating as Shaq, except Wilt. Hakeem might have a couple better years, but over the course of their respective careers, Shaq wins out.
My memory is fumbling, but wasn't that "Contain Akeem" chalkboard thingy from the pre-game of game 3 in Houston? Dream tore me up in game 2. I was jumping up and down and high-fiving my uncles and cousins (Mother's Day) but I was thinking ok, I knew about the "P" word, but what Dream did was redefining what I knew about bb, and I had to convince myself that this was the guy I saw at UofH those years. Game 5 is entrenched in my memory. Ralph had prevented Dream from getting thrown out of oh, 40 to 50 games in 2 years, but in that game Dream prevented Ralph from getting thrown out. Then, of course, Dream got booted, lol. Even before Ralph hit "the shot" my jaw was on the table all night. Ah, '83 makes me cry, but '86... the pain will never go away.
this website's obsession with the JVG ties to NYC are downright hilarious... FIRST OF ALL, JVG is neither a Knick or a Rocket, he's a professional NBA coach/analyst who started his career in NY and last coached in Houston... maybe he'll go behind the broadcast booth again, maybe he'll coach another team again.. maybe the people here can move on and focus on the future instead of continuing to bash JVG after he has left the team and think they know the inner thoughts and motivations of those involved with the Houston Rockets
It could be. That would make sense, since LA won game one, and it would have taken until game three for Riles to go ballistic about the guy. How many times have you read people here, over the years, carry on about Akeem not having a jumper early in his career? The guy was scoring from all over the place in that series. He was in a zone, and stayed in that zone for the next decade. I would love to get that series on DVD. Pure, unadulterated Classic Rockets Basketball.
While I find this debate rather fun, if a bit meaningless, why not accept a few things? First: Yes, Tim Duncan probably goes down in history as the best powerforward of all time, yet truth to tell he’s played center ever since Robinson left the team. The opposing center guards him, and he guards the opposing center—more often than not—except in times of mismatches. He anchors his team's offense in the low-post and lives and dies there, occasional 15-ft bank-shot notwithstanding. Just because the coach places his name next to an “F” on the starting line-up sheet doesn’t mean much when he plays him as a center in all other respects. It walks like a duck, talks like a duck . . . The comparison of Hakeem to Duncan and vice versa is an apt one, as far as position is concerned. Second: Obviously, Hakeem is the superior defender, freakishly athletic and possessing super-fast hands and feet. However, I’m seeing a lot of people here write Tim Duncan off as defensively irrelevant. In truth, Duncan is probably the league’s star low-post defender and has been wrongfully underrated as such for far too long. His decision-making on defense is superb, both in help and single circumstances, and he's probably the best in the entire league at blocking a shot without fouling, whether in traffic or not. And lastly, why do so many people here—and everywhere, for that matter—feel the need to compliment one by trashing the other? It’s this kind of mentality that, in my view, needlessly devolves the discussions here, be they academic or otherwise.
nice post. And your spot on about TD defense, he really is a good defensive player...i cant remember which game it was but he completely dominated the 2nd half on the defensive end in one of the games v utah.
I think most posters acknowledge that Duncan is a great player and will likely go down as one of the all time greats. What people are contesting is whether he is a better big man than Dream.
You can't say that. If Jordan didn't retire then the makeup of the second three peat team might have been totally different, and the bulls may have never won those years.
As I mentioned before, I consider Tim Duncan a center, so the debate to me at least has its purpose. That being said, though I feel he’s the best player in the league today—and has been over the past 6 or 7 years, if not more—I just can’t place him higher than Hakeem, though I do, ultimately rate Duncan over Shaquille. (So if I were tabulating my own ‘‘Top Five All-Time Centers’’ list, I might be compelled to slip Duncan in at 5, with Chamberlain, Russell, Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem rounding it out, respectively.) In his own way, Tim Duncan has carved out a legacy during his career that equals, if not handily surpasses, Hakeem’s. Since his selection with the number one pick, the San Antonio Spurs have the highest win percentage of any North American major professional sports franchise (this, taking into account all the first-half coasting for which the Spurs are famous—all while remaining somewhat consistent and never disrespectful to the spirit of the game and competition—is especially noteworthy). If all goes well over the course of the next couple weeks, Duncan will have won 4 titles in 9 years, a stupendous achievement, one which spells the superfluous and overused letters of d-y-n-a-s-t-y. And the 1999 and 2003 teams are radically different beasts (though the latter shares the nucleus of 2005’s and 2007’s). All this while undisputedly being the mitigating factor for success. Yes, the Spurs as an organization have not suffered from the bad luck that Hakeem’s Rockets possessed for so long. Yes, the Spurs’ timing was ripe for conquering, and even then only achieving the ultimate prize intermittently, though while never failing outright. And yes, personnel, personnel, personnel . . . Yet, we’re not comparing franchises here, are we? One plays with what one is given; the opportunity is either taken or not. Perhaps this discussion should wait a number of years later, when Tim Duncan finally winds down and joins Hakeem in the Hall of Fame. Then at least time will have played its part when we can further compare mantles and continuity to that of individual prowess and initial impact. And of course, Tim's not near done yet. PS: I miss Hakeem!
I used to think the Spurs were a classy organization but Bowen's dirty play and Horry's thuggery against the Suns have changed that opinion. I still respect Duncan but I think the Spurs being respectful of the spirit of the game has taken a hit.
Man watch some '80s playoffs games. Horry's check was nothing. Nash acted most of that. Bowen sucks though.
In '03 Parker was 20; Ginobili was a rookie off the bench - behind a second year Stephen Jackson, and David Robinson was 38 years old! 6th man was Malik freaking Rose! Hakeem never won with that WEAK of a cast.
Hakeem is the best Rocket of all time. Duncan is the best Spur of all time. And Jeff is the best Van Gundy of all time.
