Pete Newell: Shaq is the most complete center of all time.

Already posted here in a bit more detail a couple days ago.

 

Pete Newell is wrong and Hakeem is the most complete center of time. He even COMPLETED a sweep of shaq a few years back.
Pete offends me.

 

Huh? Hakeem was a better shot blocker, better all around defender, better free-throw shooter, better outside shooter, could hit FADEaways, was more coordinated, was more agile, was quicker, had ten times more moves, was more creative...I could go on forever. The only thing Shaq does better than Hakeem is bang inside, which is primarily due to his freakish size, and its not like Hakeem was a wuss or something. Dream mixed it up inside too.

Say he's the most dominant center of all time if you must, but the most complete? That's one of the most asinine comments I've ever heard. It's Hakeem, hands down.

 

Check out the thread AstroRocket mentioned. Drexlerfan22 said Newel must be on crack... can't argue with that.

 

Shaq more complete than Hakeem-- that's just as bad than the people who say Kobe is better than Mike.

 

lol...shaq the most complete center of all time? ya right. the only reason hes so dominate is cus he's a tall ******. i guess he has a little athletic ability but the main reason is cus hes fat as hell.

 

Look at Hakeem's steals. That's insane. Shaq will never be close to having that kind of agility and speed. For a center to get that many steals is really remarkable. Dream's steals are also rarely mentioned when they talk about well-rounded and complete centers.

I think other people have already commented on his other talents, but Newell has just been star struck by the most recent finals and Shaq's current dominance.

Plus Hakeem never really received or sought out the attention the way other centers did, nor did the Rockets as a team. With out the hype surrounding them the players will probably be overlooked on a lot of peoples lists.

 

I'll try again. Dream is not now a Rocket, Shaq never has been, so that would make this in THE WRONG FORUM!

 

Whatever, dude.

 

The day I call Shaq the greatest all around center is the day he:

1) is able to hit a jumper facing the basket
2) has a decent fade away jumper
3) can hit free throws at least 65-70 percent season after season

But since his only shot is a 7-10 foot turn around baby hook, and he seems to only hit free throws somewhat consistent at certain stretches of playoffs I will never call him the all around greatest centers. Also you have to be able to beat other great centers in championship games and I'm sorry but Smits or Mutumbo don't count. Look at Olajuwon, he took care of Ewing and Shaq. He also schooles guys like Robinson and even Kareem in the 80's. Now that's the greatest all around center. Don't forget he's in the top 5 all time in STEALS. Yea, that;s right. A center top 5 in steals. That's somthing no other center will ever do. EVER.

 

Asks to no one in particular

Shaq...the greatest C of all-time???

Hardly

Shaq....first basketball player sent and locked up in a zoo??

Yes, most definitely

 

Discussion of former Rocket players is welcome in this forum, so yer wrong. Neener neener.

 

Here's Robert Horry on the two:

Shaq vs. Dream

-- Now that Shaquille O'Neal has three championships to Hakeem Olajuwon's two and has surpassed Olajuwon's four-game NBA Finals record of 131 points, Robert Horry, a teammate of both, has had a tougher time walking the line in the annual comparison he is asked to make between the star centers.

Horry has always tried to avoid taking sides. But by the end of the NBA Finals, he seemed to have found a preference.

"I hate to compare the two, because I love the two guys," Horry said. "Dream in his heyday was a monster because he had spins, he had the pump fakes, he had everything. Shaq has all that stuff now, and he's making his free throws. Dream had the edge on him because he made his free throws. But now Shaq is hitting them. Once Shaq steps out and starts making those 15-footers, he's going to be the best.

"I'd have to go with the big guy (O'Neal), just because he's developed his little turnaround jumper off the glass. He's hitting his free throws; he's doing a lot of different things. But it is hard to say, because they'd both have to guard each other, and Hakeem was great at putting big guys in foul trouble."

I usually respect Robert, but this quote has me wondering if he's lost his mind.

Once Shaq steps out and starts making those 15-footers, he's going to be the best.

Shaq might want to master the 5 footer before moving onto 15...

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/1456386

 

I stand corrected, and plead temporary dementia. You are right, of course. At least I used a bunch of smilies!

 

yes and as soon as i add those 55" of vertical to my 10", i'll be able to win an nba slam dunk contest.

i think horry's just caught up in championship fever. he's teammates with shaq now, i mean what does he gain by saying dream's better. that's the only possible explanation i have.

 

How can Hakeem be the best Power Forward of all time? He played center his entire career! Hakeem makes way for no-one.... especially Shaq!

 

Ummm...Hakeem did play in the paint. What are you talking about? That's about all he could do early on in his career, and he was still and All-Star. He's always been able to mix it up inside. But he could ALSO play fifteen feet from the basket. Hit a fadeaway jumper from the baseline with a hand in his face, spin in the middle for a hook shot, face up and take someone to the basket.

And I don't think anybody's saying Shaq should shoot 15 footers, because he can't. The argument here is who is the most complete center of all time. I don't care what Pete Newell's background is, his comment makes so little sense that I'm wondering if he misspoke. Maybe he meant most dominant center of all time, which is still arguable.

 

If it's question of the most dominating of all time, I'd have to say either Wilt of Shaq, but complete, DREAM hands down! He could score inside and out, rebound, pass, block shots, get steals, make free throws, whatever. Shaq is a freak of nature because of his size. On the inside he can score at will, but he has no outside or any game beyond the 7 ft mark. He is a dominating rebounder can't argue there, but he is not near the defensive force Dream was. Like someone already said I don't care who Pete Newell is supposed to be the numbers and facts are not in his favor on this one.