So I've heard that Shaq would be ineffective if he faced someone that could defend and score. Ladies and Gentlemen, I direct you to Pat Ewing, DRob, Zo, and Akeem. As you WILL see in the head to head matchups, Shaq as a rookie held his own, and as he progressed, he started to pull away. Hell, in the 95 finals in his 3rd year on the biggest stage in the NBA, he washed out Akeem. And Akeem is probably the best 2 way center ever. So much for Shaq not being able to handle centers that score!!
Fusheng, you don't have to accept anything. It's not your call whether or not those things would happen! But history shows that he was able to impose his will against all the greats he faced, whether it be indiviual players or team defenses. Shaq has faced the following players: Akeem, DRob, Chief, Smits, Ewing, Zo, Shawn Bradley, Bol (the only NBA player ever to kill a lion with a spear), Sabas, Deke, Wallace, Yao, and Dwight. And he has been able to score at will on all of them as well as hold his own at defense. Deke and Wallace were defensive specialists that were incredibly strong. And Shaq was able to cram it on them constantly. Akeem, Zo, Ewing, and DRob were all great 2 way players, and Shaq had no trouble at all against them. Smits, Sabas, Bol, Bradley, and Yao are all much taller, and Shaq had no problems with them. Howard is more of a physical specimen than all of those other guys, and Shaq, even over the hill, still held his own against him. We're not talking about scrubs. And he faced most of those guys very early in his career and did damage to them before he even entered his prime. So do I think a bigger, stronger, smarter, and more experienced Shaq would have put up even better numbers against those same prime HOFers? Of course! Why wouldn't I? It's asenine not to think a better player would do better. And prime Shaq was better than 1995 Shaq.
Maybe our ideas of "crush" are what got your underwear all bunched up. Regardless, I don't really care. Using the information available and after watching the career of Shaq since high school, I'll sleep very comfortably at night believing that Shaq is #7 all time and would impose his will on anybody he faced, including Wilt. And I'll sleep even better knowing that Fusheng is losing sleep because he's upset that a man he hates is #7 no matter how much he whines about it!!
Die93 wrote:Hakeem 92-95>Any Center in history, He mastered the position
Akeem did master the position. He was probably the most skilled 2 way center ever. But I disagree that Shaq had no competition. You DID see him go against other HOF centers in his prime. See my list above. Akeem, Drob, Ewing, Zo, Deke, Dwight. I'm pretty sure all of those guys will be in the HOF eventually. And they all faced Shaq at some point in their respective primes. However, Shaq wasn't in his prime when he faced any of them but Deke and Zo. And he still was unable to be contained! So what makes anyone think that a better version of Shaq would do any worse against them? He was already scoring at will on high efficiency, rebounding, and blocking shots.
The thing many people misconstrue is that more skill or talent does not automatically make a player better. Smits had more skill than Shaq. Was he the better player? No.
Shaq 00-02 is right after but he had no competetion, id love to see him against Other GOAT centers in their prime. Its kindoff my gripe with MJ also, he was great but he had no competetion at the SG for most of his career.
Hakeem>Kareem>Shaq>Wilt>Russell
