A nice read on Tim Duncan & Shaquille O'Neal

[Jackal]

O'Neal and Duncan stand amongst the all-time greats; in the history of the league, only George Mikan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, and Hakeem Olajuwon can match their accomplishments among centers. That's serious company, and with big men taking on smaller roles on championship teams, it may be a long time before we see the likes of these two again. Appreciate them now, because you don't want to seem like a doofus when your grandchildren see their names in the record books and ask questions to which you don’t have the answers.

Click it.

So I ended up Googling NBA Live 2000 and just remembered how fricking awesome Tim Duncan was a couple of years back, a bit more Googling lead to this link and I liked it enough to want to share with you bastards.

A lot of people bag on Shaq for being a bang-bang and dunk type of player and to an average fan that's pretty much all he was, but I was watching some games of the 2000 Lakers (LA vs Kings & Nuggets) and for a guy his size he had some great foot work and a pretty good/decent hookshot. It's not like ALL his points came from dunks. I won't lie, I loved watching Shaquille based on pure dominance of the opposing teams bigmen. Here are 6'11, 7 foot guys looking like chumps next to this guy. He made them look like kids.

Tim Duncan on the other hand was a treat to watch (even against LA) based on the fact that he was the most soundly fundamental player ever. Everything he did was crisp. He looked absolutely positive of what he wanted to do and how he was going to do it. No hesitations or "make it up as you go" sort of basketball. (Ron Artest?) Terrific on defense and not too in your face about it, quite humble despite being what I consider to be the best powerforward to ever play the game.

Out of todays group I'd say I only really enjoy watching Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard, Pau doesnt have much of a face up game but hot damn is the man skilled. And yeah, any good seven footer who can make some of the passes and see some of the lanes he sees is an A+ in my books. Dwight Howard is a beast on the defensive end and there's no doubt about that. His offensive game is what kinda disappoints me, he's got no "go to" moves and seems to just "wing it" most of the time. He's got the body for it so he could be a great bang-bang offensive player too, I'm hoping he develops that in the future.

Amare is a dud on defense and doesnt rebound, he seems too one minded with his scoring. What good is a statline from a big man of 30 points, 3 rebounds and no assists. Boo on you. Although kudos to him for developing the 16-17 foot jumper.

Chris Bosh is kind of lanky and I haven't watched him too much cept for whenever he played against LA. As I said, he's kind of lanky so I dont really get that "big man" feeling from him. Carlos Boozer is strictly okay. Before he was drafted I was hoping Greg Oden would be some sort of mini-TD but that went south real fast.

Anyways, gotta get back to studying so bye.

[NovU]

Great read. Even Dwight can't be compared to these two back in the prime days, they were that dominant and awesome. Both weren't that likeable to many though, as fans wanted post-MJ, not Olajuwon or Malone.

Chris Bosh is kind of lanky and I haven't watched him too much cept for whenever he played against LA. As I said, he's kind of lanky so I dont really get that "big man" feeling from him. Carlos Boozer is strictly okay. Before he was drafted I was hoping Greg Oden would be some sort of mini-TD but that went south real fast.

That is boshit saying bosh's lanky. Bosh is more boshing player than Gasol is. Just think of him as Gasol in Grizzlies days.

Here are 6'11, 7 foot guys looking like chumps next to this guy. He made them look like kids.

He'd have shit on Dwight's D too.

[Jackal]

That is boshit saying bosh's lanky. Bosh is more boshing player than Gasol is. Just think of him as Gasol in Grizzlies days.

Saying someone is tougher than Gasol isn't really saying much.

As I said, I haven't seen Bosh all too much, he seems lanky to me, it wasn't a knock on him.

[Andrew]

Great read indeed, spot on. I think these two paragraphs brilliantly sum up where both players are at right now:

That's why, as he nears the twilight of his career, 20,000 points seems like just the beginning. Throughout his time with the Spurs, Duncan has taken everything in stride, whether it be the retirement of running mate and mentor David Robinson, the arrival of youngsters Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, or smaller changes that have still changed the fundamental makeup of the Spurs. As Duncan grows older, it's easy to imagine him being productive into his 40s, not just because his game relies on skill more than athleticism, but because he's proven himself remarkably able to deal with change. And even if his game deteriorates, the Big Fundamental carries himself with such dignity that he could stick around as a backup big man for several years without embarrassing himself.

In stark contrast, Shaq is done. The explosion that made him the most terrifying player in the league is gone, and while he's still capable of putting up a solid line, he has lost the aura. Shaq has not handled this well, resorting to the same dumb nicknames and jokes for attention in what appears to be a weak stab at continued relevance. Whereas it's hard to imagine Duncan playing for any team but the Spurs, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Shaq will hop from team to team for as long as he can, hoping that he can stay in the limelight.

If Shaq sticks around for another couple of years, I expect he'll have his moments but his jokes and potshots are going to be making more headlines than his contributions on the court. I reckon Duncan will have at least a few more years playing at a high level while continuing to transition into more of a supporting role; still very important to the Spurs but not necessarily the leading scorer (certainly not night in, night out), still doing what needs to be done and filling whatever role the Spurs need him to assume.

[john26]

That is boshit saying bosh's lanky. Bosh is more boshing player than Gasol is. Just think of him as Gasol in Grizzlies days.

Saying someone is tougher than Gasol isn't really saying much.

[GoLowDrew]

Shaq changed the game. There may not be another guy like him. Size, quickness, and just flat out strong. No disrespect or take anything away from Duncan, but we seen guys like him. There will always be big man with traditional skills, now and in the future. Duncan got his rings, he belongs in the Hall of Fame. But there will be someone just like him in the future.

I'm not sure we will see another Shaq again.

[Modifly]

Great read, and great post.

The similarity between Pau's face and err.. whatever you call those animals is unacceptable though.

[john26]

Great read, and great post.

The similarity between Pau's face and err.. whatever you call those animals is unacceptable though.

but he's tuff