Jaivl wrote:Like last time, I'm gonna leave my tentative votes and explain later or tomorrow.
1) 1995 Shaquille O'Neal (+5.75)
2) 2003 Tracy McGrady (+5.00)
3) 2011 Dwight Howard (+4.50)
4) 1996 Penny Hardaway (+4.25)
5) 1995 Horace Grant (+2.50)
Don't think McGrady is as much of an outlier as it's painted. His scoring is definitely an outlier compared to 2002, stronger efficiency on bigger volume, but, like Kawhi Leonard 15 years later, that increased load is balanced with a decreased performance on defense (Tracy was never the same caliber of defender, but he started his career as a defensive role player and was always a strong wing defender). The comparison to Kawhi also holds in their overall impacts, about the same for me, and stronger than #3.
Howard is obviously not an offensive engine. Orlando's offenses during his three-year peak correlate more with their roleplayers' performance than with Howard's own evolution. 2010 is by far the best offense of the bunch, and that's the year Howard scores and o-rebounds less, but also the only year that Lewis, Carter, Nelson and Redick are all fully healthy. Excellent finisher that demands a decent amount of attention and adequate enough passer as to not be a black hole, but not proficient enough to really exploit said attention. Not close to the rest of the top 4 in that side of the ball.
Not close to the rest of the top 4 in defense, obviously. Always a monster defensive rebounder (both in individual numbers and more importantly, impact on the team), great explosive rim protector with decent range. But in my eyes, a clear step below the very greats of his era (Duncan, KG, Wallace), similar to Gobert in that end.
Clearly better on that end than Shaq, whose 1995 season would turn out to be his strongest healthy year until 2000. Still, Shaq is not yet his fat and lazy version. Explosiveness and size let him have a good chunk of impact near the rim. He does not lean on Grant either, as he had already shown he could sustain a decent defense without him or much perimeter help in 1993 and 1994. Offensively, of course, a wrecking ball. The passing Howard lacked he had in spades (we would have to travel to 1993 to see a similarly limited version), so he can take full advantage of his much, much superior gravity. Of course, also a much better scorer, with the sought-after combo of high volume, high efficiency (even accounting for his free throws) and high resiliency (as long as he could safely receive the ball). The difference on defense is big, but the difference on offense is much bigger.
1996 Penny is a no-brainer at #4. I don't know. Grant... is the best of the rest, I guess? Maybe Vucevic can get a mention.
This place is a cesspool of mindless ineptitude, mental decrepitude, and intellectual lassitude. I refuse to be sucked any deeper into this whirlpool of groupthink sewage. My opinions have been expressed. I'm going to go take a shower.
