FuShengTHEGreat wrote:jaypo wrote:Fusheng- if they had so much more trouble with Kobe, then why did they stockpile big bodies in the offseason just to have fouls to give on Shaq? They signed 1 player to handle Kobe, but stockpiled multiple players to stop Shaq. And you're not factoring in defensive impact. Shaq was the defensive anchor who also had to put up 27 pts, 13 rebounds, and shoot 54% from the field. That team was built to handle Shaq, and they couldn't do it. Kobe scored a couple more points, but if Shaq's primary defender were out injured, it would have been pretty easy for Shaq to score 3 more buckets as well. You seem to think that because Kobe scored more points, he was better. You forget the thing called CONTEXT. Shaq still scored at will, but he did it against tougher defenders in a system designed to slow him down while pulling down more boards that TD, the player that you constantly say outplayed him. And he was responsible for anchoring the defense while Kobe got to hang out on the perimeter and guard second and third string players because his primary man was out! Imagine if all Shaq had to do was to stay on Malik Rose the entire game!
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Feel free to post all these multiple players SA "stockpiled" to deal with peak Shaq for the 2001-02 season/playoffs after they got swept in 01? Only a overrated team like "stacked" Portland was running out to grab a overweight aging unmotivated drug abuser like Kemp to help deal with Shaq.
I dont see anybody SA signed or drafted to matchup with Shaq as impactful or good as Bruce Bowen.....or Manu Ginobili in Kobe Bryants sphere of influence.
Robinson's body couldn't hold up large minutes anymore at his age.....note he missed half the 2002 series and Duncan STILL thoroughly outperformed Shaq in every facet save FG% in that series. So naturally something had to be done about that.
Why shouldn't I think Kobe Bryant was better than Shaq in those LA/SA series on the basis of scoring? I mean.....we saw what happened the 1 times with LA when Shaq was the offensive focal point and leading scorer vs SA didn't we?
A under 50% fg series for Shaq, a resounding SA sweep en route to a NBA title is what happened.
Of course vs those aging cupcake Centers like Sabonis, Rik Smits and even Mutombo (no threat to any elite C at that stage of his career despite winning DPOY on the basis of Shaq's laziness that year in the regular season) Shaq had no problems taking it to another level.
Once again, you keep using 1 series as your example. You are throwing out all the others. And once again, you keep making this a "TD vs Shaq" discussion. So, let's do this again!
Shaq has 1 subpar (for Shaq, anyway) series against a team built to slow him down, and he's garbage. TD, a player that does not play the same position is able to do what every other power forward did against the Lakers (who weren't equipped to handle teams with strong power forward play), and he's the GOAT. Kobe has 1 series in their 5 where he put up more points (against their 2,d, 3rd, and 4th string defenders), and Shaq is garbage. Does that about cover it?
Now the facts. Again. Neither player ever outplayed the other. (Other than a few random possessions). One was a center. One was a PF. I assume that you know this about basketball, but I'm starting to wonder! The SPURS and the LAKERS went head to head on a number of occasions, and Shaq was the best player/focal point of the Lakers while TD was the focal point of the Spurs. The Lakers always got torched by PF's- CWebb, Sheed, KG all had their way with the Lakers' defenders (as well as the PG's- Bibby, Hudson/Cassell, Stoudamire) because their defensive strengths were Shaq and Kobe- C and SG. It was rarely a C or a SG that went off or lead a team against the Lakers in those years. Conversely, the Spurs were built around the "twin towers" whose strengths were in post defense. I.E.- they were equipped to slow down strong post players (Shaq). While he played subpar compared to his peak production in a few of those series, he still put up over 20 and 11 in each of them.
Why don't we talk about head to head for a minute. Let's talk about the 99 WC 1st round- a series the Spurs won. KG outplayed your hero. Or how about the WCF? Sheed outplayed TD in that series, and DRob put up more of everything than TD in that series. I rarely hear you mention that sort of thing. Or how about in the 05 WCF when Amare Stoudamire destroyed TD head to head and dropped 37 ppg on him? AND THEY PLAY THE SAME POSITION! That is an example of head to head domination.
One last note- I love how you say Shaq only won because he played "old aging centers". But before he even reached his peak or prime, he went toe to toe (and even put up better numbers) that the best 2 way center ever (Akeem). And you don't think that in his peak/prime, he could have done that to anyone other than "old aging centers"? Your arguments are made out of pure hatred for Shaq. I would love to know what the man did to you to garner so much hatred. Every post you type is some kind of hatred about him.
