For all the Anti-Shaq clan out there...

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/webb/020612.html


read that article. Sorry I don't know html, so I had to copy and paste it for you.


If you don't like Shaq, you'll love that article. If you do like Shaq, if you read the article you will continue to watch him with blinders on, or you will come to your senses.


Josh

I don't like the Lakers, and I've always disliked Shaq.


However, the author of that article makes very few valid (read: accurate) points.


Why should he have to shoot 3 pointers and 15 foot jump shots? If I were coaching him, I'd get pissed if he didn't dunk it too.


His defense is exceptional. He is the best passing big man in the game, something he used to abolutely suck at. He runs the court, and contrary to the article, he acutally does have handles.


People still talk about Chamberlain as one of the 2 or 3 best players ever, and he sucked at free throws too.


Look, if you had a draft of players in the league to create a new team for one year, Shaq is everyone's first pick. Including yours, I would assume. So why slam the guy?

Would Shaq be my first pick?


Well, if he could abhorrantly break the rules as he does now, Absolutely, no doubt about it. Otherwise, Gimme KG, TMac, the Truth, Kobe, Payton, Dirk Diggler OR EVEN BEN WALLACE. Rasheed. Kwame Brown. Darius Miles. Or one of a host of others.


How could Jason Kidd break/manipulate the rules to his advantage? Iverson? Payton? McGrady? Carter? They can't. Big guys can.


Some players are good enough to play within the rules. Others aren't.


Josh

You'd consider taking Ben Wallace or Dirk Nowitzki

over Shaq? With Wallace, the fact that he's not a scoring threat is such a huge liability. Can a team be great while playing 4 on 5 on the offensive end every time down the court? The Celtics answer was "no". Say what you want about the Lakers role players. Devean George, Rick Fox, and Derek Fisher can all score if unguarded. As for Nowitzki, did you watch any of the Dallas/Sacramento series? He was exposed as one of the worst defensive players in the league and was one of the biggest reasons the Kings were scoring 100 points with ease. Kwame Brown over Shaq? Huh?

I totally agree with the rule breaking, mostly with offensive fouls that are not called.


In fact I don't understand how he gets away with it. It is no good for the NBA to promote this kind of star. The other centers in the league don't seem to get the special treatment either.


D.

"Can a team be great while playing 4 on 5 on the offensive end every time down the court?"


How bout the 96-98 bulls.

I've felt this way for years.


If shaq was 6'8" he'd only average 8 points a game.


Ryan

Good point. I suppose I should qualified my comment with "...unless that team has the greatest scoring guard in history and two guys that can go for 20 on any given night". The Pistons simply didn't have the firepower to overcome Wallace's offensive shortcomings.

Like I said, if the league changed such that the rulebook was enforced, Shaq would only be a little better than Wallace. He'd be (as he currently is) worse defensively and on the boards, and he'd only be a little bit better offensively.


And, if I'm a GM, one of the huge things I consider is age. Dirk and Kwame or so freakin' young, that this has to enter the equation. I never said that they are better (although, I'd take Dirk over Shaq in a rules-enforced league...and get him George Karl as a coach)


Josh

Shaq gets more non calls on fouls that are commited against him than anyone in the league. it almost seems like refs think that the standard is raised since he's so big.

as for the offensive fouls, much of what people complain about aren't even charges! the defender has to establish position, and if he gets creamed while trying to get there, it's his bad.