THEE OFFICIAL 2019-2020 NBA OFFSEASON THREAD: VICTORY LAP

[BIG FISH]

Of everyone listed, he is the absolute last choice for me to want to build my team around.

I don't even think he should be in the discussion forreal. I don't think he really elevated his teammates to the level those others do/did. Not even close.

But I will leave it alone because I am not sure people will be morally honest with this topic due to the circumstances.

Hm I already know where this convo is gonna go lol
MVP is gonna say Bron never elevated his teammates/made them worse.

 

[Zo gif]

Peep the 95 playoffs.
Jordan and pippen without grant couldn't win ****.
Picked up rodman and they won 72 games.
All superstars need help including Jordan

 

[lawdog1]

Depends on the version of prime shaq. Prime athletic Shaq (Magic) or prime stats Shaq (Lakers)

Shaq’s MVP year with the Lakers he was still super-athletic, had a bag of moves on the block and was the most powerful dude in the league.
I have no doubt that version of Shaq could dominate today’s NBA.

 

[BIG FISH]

NObody is thinking about him man. We are talking all-time greats. He ain't in this conversation yet.

He has a contemporary, Leonard, that he wouldn't even be nominated above.

I disagree with this. Yeah Kawhi has won and Giannis hasn’t but Giannis hasn’t played with anywhere near as much talent as Kawhi has.

 

[wavycrocket]

94-95 Magic & 95-96 Magic were something else. Shortened 3pt line + Shaq inside... + Penny as a playmaker + Elite shooters at the 2/3....

‘94-95

95-96

That Volume x Efficiency from the outside....With Shaq in the inside was ahead of its time. And part of the reason Houston was able to beat em in 95....was they did what the Magic did....but better with more depth/shooting...and an Hakeem that was better (nuance, experience, peak) at the time than a young Shaq (talent, physical abilities).

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Hm I already know where this convo is gonna go lol
MVP is gonna say Bron never elevated his teammates/made them worse.

Yea, not trying to go down that road, so we can dead it. Kobe vs. LeBron is just as bad as Jordan vs. LeBron.

 

[P C H]

Contending and winning are 2 different concepts. For as great as KD was in the regular season in 2014 they lost to SA in the conference finals.

Gimme Jordan and one other elite guy and issa wrap.

Bron with 2 of em and its still up in the air.

KD had one in Russ and then went to GS.

There's a much longer list of players that can put you in contention.

But that’s the thing though I think with all things being equal like coaching supporting cast etc and I think KD’s chances of winning are greater than others.

 

[buc em]

But Keith Pompey apparently had all the answers and fed it to you of all people

So you think I’m lying about having dinner with him and the **** that I said he told me?

And yes, the beat writers that follow the team everywhere they go and are at every practice and in the locker room know a hell of a lot more about the teams they cover than they let out there to the public.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

I disagree with this. Yeah Kawhi has won and Giannis hasn’t but Giannis hasn’t played with anywhere near as much talent as Kawhi has.

I never once blamed Giannis for not winning. I understand the teams Kawhi has played on allowed him to be in a better position to win. But THAT wasn't MY reasoning for picking Kawhi.

Kawhi is a more complete basketball player. That is the reason why I would build a team around him vs. Nigerian.

The rings don't matter to ME.

 

[P C H]

Kawhi is cominggg

 

[MVP]

But that’s the thing though I think with all things being equal like coaching supporting cast etc and I think KD’s chances of winning are greater than others.

I don't get that line of thinking. We've only seen KD win chips when he had the most stacked roster of all time in terms of talent.

 

[wavycrocket]

Kawhi is a more complete basketball player. That is the reason why I would build a team around him vs. Nigerian.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

I disagree with this. Yeah Kawhi has won and Giannis hasn’t but Giannis hasn’t played with anywhere near as much talent as Kawhi has.

Also, imagine wanting to build around a non-post dominant player that I would need to put in place SO many conditions on the types of players I could place around him.

Giannis ain't there yet. Might never get there. He is a great player though but his name shouldn't be mentioned in THIS conversation.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

How the hell did Giannis get included. Let him make the Finals once

He has plenty of time to build his legacy but why mention him right now

 

[P C H]

Wish Mac stayed healthy and had a longer run.

 

[storm2006]

I found a notebook recently...where I was learning how to write...and I was writing about my family spending the day watching the 95 playoffs . So it’s documented.

I know the thread is moving fast today but we really gonna let this slide? We’re gonna need pics for corroboration. This sounds just like when Brett Kavanaugh conveniently had 30-40 year calendars that contained contemporaneous evidence supporting his case by showing what he was doing on a random summer day. Say it ain’t so @WavyKavanaugh

 

[darthska]

Prime athletic Shaq (Magic) or prime stats Shaq (Lakers)

Yoooo, the rest of you all need to do better. This is a highly underrated little snippet that buddy just threw in there and I really appreciate what it does to the conversation of Shaq moving forward.

I've never heard anyone else mention this before, so I don't know if you stole this from someone on ESPN or something, but you make a great point. People always separate Shaq into rookie Shaq, prime Shaq, and trying to chase one more ring Shaq. But that middle part, prime Shaq, there really were 2 different primes, like you said.

Interesting. I like that.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Yoooo, the rest of you all need to do better. This is a highly underrated little snippet that buddy just threw in there and I really appreciate what it does to the conversation of Shaq moving forward.

I've never heard anyone else mention this before, so I don't know if you stole this from someone on ESPN or something, but you make a great point. People always separate Shaq into rookie Shaq, prime Shaq, and trying to chase one more ring Shaq. But that middle part, prime Shaq, there really were 2 different primes, like you said.

Interesting. I like that.

There's more versions of Shaq than even that

Lakers alone:
There's Prime Shaq pre Phil, the free for all era (Forum days)
There's Prime Shaq with Phil (Staples debut, MVP year)
There's Prime Shaq going into the 3rd title season who was getting fed up with everyone and put off surgery-- maybe started the downward trajectory from that point

 

[wavycrocket]

I know the thread is moving fast today but we really gonna let this slide? We’re gonna need pics for corroboration. This sounds just like when Brett Kavanaugh conveniently had 30-40 year calendars that contained contemporaneous evidence supporting his case by showing what he was doing on a random summer day. Say it ain’t so @WavyKavanaugh

chill. True story. I had it dated and everything. Notebook at my mother crib. Imma try and locate it, the next time I slide pass there.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Yoooo, the rest of you all need to do better. This is a highly underrated little snippet that buddy just threw in there and I really appreciate what it does to the conversation of Shaq moving forward.

I've never heard anyone else mention this before, so I don't know if you stole this from someone on ESPN or something, but you make a great point. People always separate Shaq into rookie Shaq, prime Shaq, and trying to chase one more ring Shaq. But that middle part, prime Shaq, there really were 2 different primes, like you said.

Interesting. I like that.

Not to be TECHNICAL, but you can't have 2 Primes.

I get what you are trying to say but Lakers Shaq was the best Shaq.

ORL Shaq was the most athletic and in shape, sure, we can acknowledge that.

 

[storm2006]

chill. True story. I had it dated and everything. Notebook at my mother crib. Imma try and locate it, the next time I slide pass there.

 

[wavycrocket]

Yoooo, the rest of you all need to do better. This is a highly underrated little snippet that buddy just threw in there and I really appreciate what it does to the conversation of Shaq moving forward.

I've never heard anyone else mention this before, so I don't know if you stole this from someone on ESPN or something, but you make a great point. People always separate Shaq into rookie Shaq, prime Shaq, and trying to chase one more ring Shaq. But that middle part, prime Shaq, there really were 2 different primes, like you said.

Interesting. I like that.

I break Shaq down like this. It’s crazy...cuz he came into the league...basically a top 15 player in the league at that time and by year 3....he was a top 50 player of all time . But it goes like this:

Young Shaq: 92 to 94

Early Prime (Athletic peak): 95 to 99 Shaq

Full Prime (Talent + Experience + Competent Roster/Coaching) : 00-03 Shaq

Late Prime: 04-08 Shaq

Washed/Ring Chasing Shaq: 09 to retirement.

 

[amitt5504]

So you think I’m lying about having dinner with him and the **** that I said he told me?

And yes, the beat writers that follow the team everywhere they go and are at every practice and in the locker room know a hell of a lot more about the teams they cover than they let out there to the public.

no one is saying that you’re lying about having a private dinner with Pompey. It’s that no one gives a **** and bringing it here comes off as chatty patty.

and again if Pompey has all this info, why is he telling YOU lol

 

[JD617]

I'd say 2000 Shaq was peak Shaq.

 

[amitt5504]

Yoooo, the rest of you all need to do better. This is a highly underrated little snippet that buddy just threw in there and I really appreciate what it does to the conversation of Shaq moving forward.

I've never heard anyone else mention this before, so I don't know if you stole this from someone on ESPN or something, but you make a great point. People always separate Shaq into rookie Shaq, prime Shaq, and trying to chase one more ring Shaq. But that middle part, prime Shaq, there really were 2 different primes, like you said.

Interesting. I like that.

I didn’t lol young Magic Shaq is my favorite version of Shaq (and who I want Embiid to be)