no biggie, they just worded the question wrong. It should be: "Who would you draft in the '80s, if you had to do it all over again". 1. Michael Jordan 2. Hakeem Olajuwon distant third 3. David Robinson There is NO REASONABLE GM that would take Malone ahead of Hakeem. NONE! There are more who would consider picking Hakeem over Jordan than Malone over Hakeem.
There are reasons why Karl Malone is up on that poll over Hakeem first is that the Jazz have still been playoff contenders over the past few years while the Rockets have been rebuilding so the national TV audience still sees Malone. (when was the last time the Rockets were on NBC?) The second is because Malone has been whining about the lack of respect that he has been getting from the NBA. So to make up for it I think he gets promoted a little more than he should. The third is because he is outspoken on issues that have nothing to do with b-ball like gun control and bball. Wasn't he one of the guys who said the sodomites are after him? Unlike Hakeem who has mostly left his playing and on-court demeanor talk for him Karl has been out there looking to grab attention when he can and therefore more people know his name and presume he is superior than someone like Hakeem. This isn't surprising because hype is too often confused with ability. ------------------
KD, all of that may be true, but the poll is asking who the best player other than Jordan was. It isn't asking who the best citizen or nicest guy is. Strictly in terms of being a basketball player, Isiah Thomas has a resume that can legimately be considered comparable to Hakeem's. Now, I don't think it's strong enough to say it's better but I can see where others would think so. Thomas is an *******. You've listed several damning anecdotes and there are others you could have included as well. But that's not the point of the poll, in my opinion. I mean, Charles Barkley's an ******* too, but because I liked him as a Rocket, I wouldn't argue that his behavior should disqualify him from that poll. I think it's the same thing with Thomas. Total ass, but one of the best players of the 1980s. Heypartner: exactly. If you start from scratch and draft Hakeem, you know damn well you can surround him with a bunch of role players and win a championship. He proved it in 1994. With Malone, what do you know? That if you get him AND get one of the best point guards ever to play the game, you'll win 55-65 games a year and he'll score a lot of points. He has no rings to show for it. Who the hell would draft Malone over Hakeem when the evidence strongly indicates that Hakeem is capable of winning a title while Malone is not? I mean besides Hot Rod Hundley. ------------------ BK: "Hey coach, great season. Thanks!" Rudy: "Thanks guys, appreciate the support." This really happened. [This message has been edited by BrianKagy (edited April 18, 2001).]
I think those Detroit teams in the 90's had great chemistry and alot of talent. Rodman, Mahorn, Laimbeer, Edwards, Aguirre, Dantley (before Aguirre), Dumars, Johnson. A deep team with players who knew their roles. I think if you switched Isiah/Laimbeer with Dream/Smith, the Detroit team would have won anyway. I don't think the Rockets would have on this switch. I know Isiah was very complementary towards Hakeem when the Rockets won though. But, did Bird/Magic really win alot when Michael was in his prime or when the Bulls were complete ? ------------------ "norm, would you like to buy an indian scalp ? This deal isn't gonna make or break me Norm, so don't jerk me around." Harry Carey "Norm, if I had a mohawk scalp, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
Well, I was not trying to argue on the poll. I watched too little of him to rank him on the poll. I am sure he was great on the court. I just dislike Isiah off-court so much that every time the name is mentioned, I have to say something bad about him. ------------------
KD, totally understandable. gr8-1, that's a gr8 question. Thomas and the Pistons came along immediately after the Lakers repeated in 1988. Detroit basically struggled for years to get past the Celtics in the East, and then once they did, the Lakers had lost enough of their edge that the Pistons were able to handle them. ------------------ BK: "Hey coach, great season. Thanks!" Rudy: "Thanks guys, appreciate the support." This really happened.
Straight up!!Does 2 NBA ring make sense? Hell ya!!!! ------------------ Rudy T. will find and fulfill Rockets destiny.
I hate it when people use rings as the measure of a player. John Salley has way more rings than Barkley, but I think you would have a hard time convincing anyone he is a better player. Rings are about team talent and chemistry. Russel had many more rings than Hakeem, Chamberlain, and Kareem, yet I think at least Wilt and Kareem were better centers. It is very difficult to compare players, especially those who play different positions. About the only thing that you can do is look at statistics. I hate Kung Fu Karl as much as the next rational human being (read: Rocket Fanatic) but the numbers say that he has been a dominating force for 10+ years, and may become the most prolific scorer of all time. That is why he is at the top of that list. I personally think that the well rounded games of Barkley and Olajuwon should place them above everyone else, but I do not get to be the arbiter of who is the best. Oh well. ------------------ "Of course, thats just my opinion, I could be wrong" -- Dennis Miller
That's because they're not comparable players in terms of stature. Malone and Hakeem are two of the 50 best players in NBA history; when comparing them, championships are a valid category. ------------------ BK: "Hey coach, great season. Thanks!" Rudy: "Thanks guys, appreciate the support." This really happened.
Isiah and the Piss-tons didn't really go through MJ either. When the Pistons were atop the East, MJ was not nearly the player he was going to become when he would win 6 titles. The Bulls had several playoff appearances, and had no real chance of advancind to the big dance anyway. Sure, if you were caught sleeping, the Bulls of old could screw around and steal a game from you. But the Pistons were good enough that they didn't have letdowns like that. Same with Magic.....Magic played the Bulls ONCE in the finals and LOST. Magic never won a title against MJ. So he didn't go through MJ either. But I understand Isiah and Magic had a love affair (so to speak), and I understand that. ------------------ HEAD KNIGHT: We are now... no longer the Knights Who Say 'Ni'. KNIGHTS OF NI: Ni! Shh! HEAD KNIGHT: Shh! We are now the Knights Who Say 'Ecky- ecky- ecky- ecky- pikang- zoop- boing- goodem- zoo- owli- zhiv'.
i hate to say any of this. but we beat karl malone and the jazz twice in 94 and 95 to go to the finals and win the title. jordan wasnt playing. karl malone and the jazz beat us twice in 97 and 98 to go to the finals. but they lost to jordan. perhaps if jordan wasnt playing malone would have two rings? in that sense in terms of rings or at least getting to the finals, malone and hakeem are equal. maybe the competition just wasnt as great when our beloved rockets won their two rings as opposed to the jazz. so if you take that into account, and then you look at how good karl has been for so long, and hakeem's drop off. and malone becoming the most prolific scorer. i just have to say malone is the better player. i know this is all blasphemy. i love the rockets and hakeem. and i wish all of this wasnt true. losing to the jazz in those 97 and 98 series hurt more than anything else ive experienced as a sports fan, but im just being realistic and subjective. malone is better than olajuwon. ------------------ make it stop.
"Better" is as much a subjective word as "favorite". Let's try to look at it using statistical science. (1) Overall stats (mean): Malone has a higher overall mean in his career. Malone is more consistent through out the years because he stays healthy longer. I will give him the Healthy Baby Award and he can write a book on "How to Stay A Big Bully Until Mid-Age". (2) Consistency (variance) Hakeem is a more consistent performer in every game, i.e. he won't disappoint you in crunch time. To put it more precisely, Malone is more consistent if your sample size is the whole career. Hakeem is more consistent if your sample size is any particular year. (3) Peak value: No need to elaborate, Hakeem at his height is far better than Malone at his height. Only MJ is comparable. Do I prefer Malone over Hakeem in my team? Sure no! Why do I want someone who is consistently one step from the best? Malone should be awarded for staying healthy (by elbowing people). If that is a measure for greatness, well... I will rather have a player who gives 110%, beyond his physical limitation. Someone like Kevin Johnson.That is the touching part of NBA, or else we are just watching a bunch of millionaires performing routines every night like what we do in our offices. ------------------
Didn't Dream dominate Malone in one playoff series ? Was Malone checking him back then ? ------------------ "norm, would you like to buy an indian scalp ? This deal isn't gonna make or break me Norm, so don't jerk me around." Harry Carey "Norm, if I had a mohawk scalp, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
I can't stand Karl Malone, he is one of the most overrated players in the game. Olajuwon was the best player drafted in the 1980s if you don't count Jordan, and maybe even if you do. ------------------
Only a total idiot would say that Karl Malone at his best is better than Hakeem at his best. Holden, you actually think the Rockets would have 2 rings by now if you swithced Hakeem and the FAILMAN??????? -Good grief, look at the playoff STATS between these 2 guys. Hakeem, much like MJ, stepped his game up SEVERAL NOTCHES WHEN IT COUNTED. Malone CHOKED. PERIOD. The Jazz had EVERY chance to beat the Bulls. -That's totally asinine for anyone to say Malone is a "better player" than Olajuwon. Hakeem is considered by most the best defensive player in NBA history possibly and Malone never amounted to jack on the defensive end of the court. ------------------ Get Cato out of there...
To me, you have to dominate on BOTH ends to be one of the very best to ever play. That eliminates Isiah pretty quick. It's also why I have Hakeem ahead of Bird and Magic. ------------------ "It's like saying there isn't enough offense in football, so let's go to three downs." --Rudy T on zone defenses in the NBA
The Freak, EXACTLY. Hakeem dominated on offense and defense. Hey Holden, was Malone also a better defender than Hakeem? ------------------ Get Cato out of there...
