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How Many Games Will The Lakers Win With Mike D'Antoni?

  • 40-49...They're Going To Get Worse

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 50-59...Good Enough For A Solid Seed, Not Too Shabby

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 60-65...Top Seed and Impressive Record, Thumbs Up

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 66-70...Scary Good, All Teams Are Now Officially Scared

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 71+...Might As Well Cancel The Playoffs

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .
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i never understood people listing player on a favorites list when they never saw them play. mikan? really?
 
Man, I was going to make a thread for Shaq but I guess tonight is in celebration of his Lakers career, so I'll keep it in here. I fell in love with the Knicks when I went to MSG as a little man, but I fell in love with basketball because of Shaq and Penny. When he left to LA it was bitter sweet because I thought Shaq and Penny could have won multiple championships (they would have if Penny had stayed healthy), but I was happy the Knicks chances of making the finals were that much better. When Michael Jordan retired I thought to myself "It's Shaq's time" maybe the Knicks will meet the Lakers in the finals and get dominated. But no, it became a random lockout championship the Spurs won, but the championship Shaq era began immediately after.

Shaq in my opinion is the Best Center of All -Time. Why? Because none of the other greats would have been able to stop him. Not Kareem, Not Olajuwon, Not Patrick, Not David, and not even Wilt (even tho that would have been his best matchup physically).

People say LeBron is a physical specimen, he totally is, he's 6 '8 - 265, jumps out the gym, strong, fast, quick, etc. However, Shaq was the ultimate basketball physical specimen. Give me 7' 1 - 315 any day. The man could touch the top of the backboard, run with the best of them, had amazing footwork, was light on his feet, and was physically unstoppable to contain (throwing around Tim Duncan and David Robinson like rags dolls). That was just his athleticism and coordination. - Shaq had a lethal jump-hook, amazing turnaround hook, great touch around the rim, and was an extremely underrated passer/team player. Defensively, he'd force your team to become a jump shooting team just by his presence alone (Chris Webber).

Here's my problem with the greatest center of all-time, his work ethic and ego. Shaq should have won multiple consecutive MVP's, 6-8 Championships, it would have been that easy for him. He just seemed to lose motivation at times and took his talent for granted. He came into some training camps over-weight, he would sometimes be lackadaisical on defense, and for a better lack of words he was - lazy. All of these things infuriated Kobe and so the Shaq and Kobe feud began.

Kobe had a right to go after Shaq - but he should not have done it. Shaq had a right to get angry - but he should have been the adult in this situation. There's so many mistakes they both made that led to an extremely early bitter end. These two legends won 3 championships, (should have been four) and that was still not enough. They still underachieved, thats how great they were.

However here is a toast to the leader of the Greatest Duo I've ever seen in basketball, to the leader of one of the greatest teams ever (Lakers 2001), and the greatest center of all-time (once again, my opinion) Shaquille O'neal.




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For once, I'm with Coupe. Shaq was my gateway to the NBA and the Lakers. He'll be my favorite Laker always, I imagine.
 
I guess timing has a lot to do with but as a 26 year old who has lived on the East Coast his entire life - as an outsider I can't imagine a Laker's All Time list without him near the top.

Shaq made the Lakers for me growing up. It sounds crazy to say I or anyone else viewed the Lakers as irrelevant, but I/we did. My timing resulted in missing Magic's playing days and even his early retirement. All I knew of the Lakers were a couple fun, young players and a coach with white hair. And is Magic a coach now? Is he coming back to play? Wasn't much more to it than that. Decent, but ultimately nothing special - mediocre to be honest. More recognizable teams of my childhood: Bulls, Magic, Hornets, Knicks, Suns, Spurs, Sonics, Rockets.

Shaq changed that instantly and then through middle school and high-school the Lakers were it post-Jordan. Kobe obviously took the torch from there. Shaq bridged the gap and I get the whole Kobe drama and they left titles on the table, Shaq can be an arrogant dude, whatever. I think what he did for the Lakers has actually become underrated as the years have passed.


coupe summed it up well for me too. My 2nd favorite player of all time and at his best, I haven't seen anyone as dominant.
 
I certainly see where both of you are coming from, however, Magic, Kobe, West, Kareem, and Baylor (my 5) played 13, 17, 14, 14, and 14 years in purple and gold. Shaq played 8.

Shaq literally leads the franchise in pretty much nothing outside maybe a couple of shooting % totals, or a specific season/series, something of that ilk.

Now, if you want to speak in terms of a 3 year stretch, then that I can see and he could make his case to be in the top 5.

But for ALL TIME, Lakers, 63+ years, and only be in 8 of them, while we have 5 other elite top 15 types included (our franchise is ridiculous) then Shaq has to stay at 6, for my money. Hell, Worthy is at #7, he played 12 years for us, did tons of work. Pau is at 6, he may not be in the top 10, maybe just barely making it at 10.

Notice Wilt ain't in the party? :nerd: :lol:

That's just how I view it.
 
CP1708 said:
I certainly see where both of you are coming from, however, Magic, Kobe, West, Kareem, and Baylor (my 5) played 13, 17, 14, 14, and 14 years in purple and gold. Shaq played 8.

Shaq literally leads the franchise in pretty much nothing outside maybe a couple of shooting % totals, or a specific season/series, something of that ilk.

Now, if you want to speak in terms of a 3 year stretch, then that I can see and he could make his case to be in the top 5.


Notice Wilt ain't in the party? :nerd: :lol:
Click to expand...
Never really thought of Shaq only playing a few years, that is a good point.

Wilt ain't in the party cuz he played like 4 years with the Lakers and piggybacked off Gail Goodrich and Jerry West for a ring :lol:

Were you old enough to watch Wilt play CP or SKA :nerd: :nerd: :nerd:

A guy his size, assuming he wasn't a lazy fat guy like Shaq post-Lakers, you'd think he'd have a great effect on the Lakers than he did or was his injury in that game 7 vs Bill Russell really that bad? :nerd:
 
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in terms of all time contribution to the lakers franchise (including post retirement) i have it as

1 magic

2a kobe

2b west

4 kareem

5 mikan

in terms of just basketball

1a magic

1b kobe

3 west

4 kareem

5 shaq

for players that i have actually watched 

1 kobe

2 shaq

3 pau

4 fish

5 lamar

but being a lakers fan this is hard since we have so much to choose from what other franchise in any sport has had

the greatest owner ever

the greatest coach ever

the greatest pg ever

3 of the top 5 centers ever

4 of the top 5 all time scoring leaders

the first superstar in basketball

the greatest tv announcer ever

part of the best rivalry in sports

we have had a player that is the face of the nba (sometimes shared) for 24 of the past 35 seasons

that guy in the logo on that celtics players jersey? yeah hes a laker

i would say thats a decent history for a franchise 
 
Jerry West is arguably #1 because of his contributions as a player (even though it "only" resulted in one championship) and general manager.

He's had a hand in nearly every championship won in LA.
 
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PMatic said:
Jerry West is arguably #1 because of his contributions as a player (even thought it "only" resulted in one championship) and general manager.

He's a hand in nearly every championship won in LA.
Click to expand...
pretty much... he even helped us out when he was getting payed by another team 
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PMatic said:
Jerry West is arguably #1 because of his contributions as a player (even thought it "only" resulted in one championship) and general manager.

He's a hand in nearly every championship won in LA.
Click to expand...

I feel his reputation is unfairly diminished for having played in the Bill Russell era. West's playing career meant so much to the fledgling Los Angeles Lakers that we can't accurately measure what he means to the franchise, for how do we account for "greatness" beyond championships and statistics? It becomes intangibles that are argued about, and those have a way of both under and overvaluing impact.
 
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Adding on to the Shaq list I said above.

He's on NBATV answering questions and thanking his previous teammates. Also bringing up how "luck" had to do with some of those championships.

He said "If it wasn't for D-Fish hitting that .4 shot I wouldn't of had one of my rings..". Like I said above, I think he's the greatest center of all time but Shaq's recollection and memory was never his strong suit. He didn't win a ring that year. :lol:

Shaq gon Shaq tho, that includes messing up on TV, all the damn time :lol:
 
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