Slam's 500 Greatest NBA Players.

[FedEx227]

No real gripes at all with that top 10.

 

[FirstTimer]

Shaq is too high for my tastes.

I've always felt that Olajuwon was the best center I ever saw play.

 

[FedEx227]

Shaq was pretty damn dominant though. He was unguardable in his prime.

 

[FirstTimer]

Shaq was pretty damn dominant though. He was unguardable in his prime.

True, I just think Olajuwon was better at the actual game though.

Better all around player IMO.

Shaq was so big and so athletic though that it wasn't fair at times.

 

[Atlas]

the Logo should be higher... :shifty:

 

[FirstTimer]

Shaq in the Top 5 just looks REALLY odd to me.

 

[FedEx227]

I totally agree that Hakeem skill wise and what he could do on the floor was 100 times more talented then Shaq. Still though, he was literally unguardable by 99.9% of the league in the late 90s-early 00s.

 

[ralaw]

1. Jordan
2. Wilt
3. Oscar
4. Magic
5. Shaq
6. Kareem
7. Russell
8. Duncan
9. Bryant
10. Olajuwon

 

[FirstTimer]

I guess when I was watchign Shaq I never got the impression I was watching the 5th best player in NBA History. Granted Shaq's "prime" was during a time when I lost a good amount of interest in the NBA as a whole..so my perception could still be skewed..however...still...Shaq as the 5th best player ever? Damn..

Where's Dell and a Top 10 list when you need him?

 

[FedEx227]

Shaq was a beast, even in the mid 90s... he led the Magic as a 22-year old to the NBA Finals. He was the most dominant player for a good number of years absolutely unguardable as a motivated member of championship Lakers teams and cemented his legacy helping to bring a title to Miami.

 

[FirstTimer]

Shaq was a beast, even in the mid 90s... he led the Magic as a 22-year old to the NBA Finals.

And he got worked over by who...?

:smug:

 

[NAHSTE]

I'd move Shaq below Magic and Oscar, but that's my only real gripe with the top 10. Bird over Duncan is the only other change I'd consider.

 

[ralaw]

I guess when I was watchign Shaq I never got the impression I was watching the 5th best player in NBA History. Granted Shaq's "prime" was during a time when I lost a good amount of interest in the NBA as a whole..so my perception could still be skewed..however...still...Shaq as the 5th best player ever? Damn..

Where's Dell and a Top 10 list when you need him?

During his prime Shaq was an absolute monster....my only real issues with him was the amount of games he missed due to inury; however, in the playoffs he was always there, so I'm not sure how much it matters.

The way I see the Shaq vs Olajuwon debate is that Olajuwon was the more complete all around player, but Shaq was just so dominant. Shaq's defense wasn't great (not bad though), but his offense made up for it in a big way.

 

[manchild24]

Shaq is too high for my tastes.

I've always felt that Olajuwon was the best center I ever saw play.

Shaq was pretty damn dominant though. He was unguardable in his prime.

Yeah he was dominate but I just look at him as a big goon that just backed his way in dunked the ball. If he could have made more free throws then id say yes, but I like Ewing and the Dream, Robinson, Duncan during this era. these were guys you had to cover outside at 15-18 feet because they were capable of knocking that down.

 

[Senser81]

Shaq should not be over Kareem. IMO, Shaq shouldn't be in the top 10 because he was so one-dimensional. Baylor & West over Erving and Malone are also questionable.

 

[manchild24]

Shaq should not be over Kareem. IMO, Shaq shouldn't be in the top 10 because he was so one-dimensional. Baylor & West over Erving and Malone are also questionable.

My point exactly on Shaq,

 

[FedEx227]

He was one-dimensional yes, but he was fucking phenomenal being one-dimensional. Not sure I get why he should be docked for that?

 

[bucky]

The way I see the Shaq vs Olajuwon debate is that Olajuwon was the more complete all around player, but Shaq was just so dominant. Shaq's defense wasn't great (not bad though), but his offense made up for it in a big way.

When I think of Shaq, I think of a guy that just bulled through people and dunked. In the NBA, as much as Refs help create Super Starts with how they call the game, Shaq actually benefited the most of any player. I kept waiting for Shaq to actually learn the game the way Olajuwon did.

I really don't know how, talent wise, anyone could rank Shaq over Olajuwon. I kind of laugh at Shaq as #5.

 

[Senser81]

He was one-dimensional yes, but he was fucking phenomenal being one-dimensional. Not sure I get why he should be docked for that?

I guess the other guys in the top 10 weren't phenomenal, either. Just Shaq.

I'm not comparing Shaq to Danny Schayes. I'm comparing Shaq to guys like Kareem, Magic, Bird, etc. Shaq was definitely a great player, but would anyone really want Shaq on their team over an all-around guy like Larry Bird or Magic Johnson?

This comparison might not be exact because Shaq played longer than Bird, but their per-game averages are telling:


Regular season

Shaq - 23.7 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.5 ast, 0.4 stl, 1.1 blk
Bird - 24.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 6.3 ast, 1.7 stl, 0.9 blk


Postseason

Shaq - 24.4 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 2.7 ast
Bird - 23.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 6.5 ast

 

[ralaw]

When I think of Shaq, I think of a guy that just bulled through people and dunked. In the NBA, as much as Refs help create Super Starts with how they call the game, Shaq actually benefited the most of any player. I kept waiting for Shaq to actually learn the game the way Olajuwon did.

I really don't know how, talent wise, anyone could rank Shaq over Olajuwon. I kind of laugh at Shaq as #5.

Olajuwon was a much more beautiful player to watch, but that doesn't equate to him being better or more dominant. Shaq's numbers, rings, and influence on the game don't lie. Shaq used what he had and dominated with it........I don't know what more you want. Downgrading him because he didn't develop the all around game like Olajuwon doesn't make much sense to me. Also, I've never understood the argument that he simply backed people down and dunked.......Shaq's game wasn't that simple...I understand that is the image of him, but his game was far more skilled then that.