Think about this before you answer....Shaq is 33, and wanted more money than Kobe. Kobe is 26 and would've saved you money on the salary cap. You also would get more years out of Kobe, but a player like Shaq doesn't come around everyday.
If the decision was yours to make, would you have taken Kobe over Shaq?
I would've kept Shaq for the simple fact that I know Kobe wouldn't be as big of an offensive AND defensive threat like Shaq.
lebron's not better yet come on now kobe still is the best guard when he has a supporting cast around him but im both a lebron and kobe fan
As far as scoring goes I could agree with you but when it comes to all around game I gotta say Lebron got kobe. And the big difference between the two is that lebron makes people better. On the bright side tho Jordan was almost exactly like kobe early on. He was gettin beasted cause he didn't make people around him better. He didn't become a leader like that until phil came w/ the triangle. But at the same time the Bulls were actually a playoff team even when jordan was a ball hog..........with that being said....kobe still has a chance....
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shaq jus because i know you can put him on an average team and basically you are a contender for a championship...i mean look at miami right now...damon jones??he used to warm the bench for the pistons and now shaq is making him look better than he is...eddie jones and haslem too...
People seem to forget D wade so much. I mean as a rookie PG (a position thats difficult for most rookies to hold down...as Jordan and Lebron) he led a team almost identical of the lakers in main contributors, probaly even less talented in depth, to the second round of the playoffs. Right now he's avg. over 20 ppg, 5 rebounds and almost 7 assists. People give shaq ALL the credit for makin cats like damon jones and udonis haslem great role players but wasn't udonis makin flashes last year? And wasn't damon jones still puttin up 15 ppg and more w/o shaq? It's so ironic cause when kobe was playin w/ shaq people was boostin him up so much and was just like he is the best guard in the game but when d wade plays with shaq his individual skills seems forgotten. He's the 2nd, possibly 1st best guard in the east. One of the top 5 pg's in the league. I give him two years to become the no. 1 best. W/ or w/o shaq.
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although they will get swept by the pistons in the ECF
Come on man we all know the Bulls are goin all the way lol. Am I the only one that saw Duhon drop 8 treys tonight? How does a Tyson Chandler vs. Tim Duncan Finals sound?
Unrealistic but I'm optimistic.....Go BULLS.....
To hopefully end this topic, I'll just say this: The proof is in the pudding.
As of: April 16, 2005, 1:13 A.M.
Miami Heat: 56-23 (1st in Eastern conference; odds-on favorites to win it all)
Los Angeles Lakers: 34-45 (out of playoff contention for the last month or so
You be the judge
I would have kept Shaq and traded Kobe just for the simple fact that you will be able to find a guard that can produce the points, play good defense, and helps the team look good. Kobe still tries to show off his skills...everyone knows he is a good player, but only when it comes to points. Everyone hypes people about being the leading scorer, blahze-blah, but give me a player who can not only score 20+ points a game, but plays good defense, good ball handling, can get at least 3 steals a game, and give at least 6 assists a game. There are only a few people in the league that fits that stature. Points are the only thing people pay attention to when it comes to basketball, but thats not the only thing that determines the winners of the game. You can get someone who is mediocre and make them into a superstar in 1 season. You will never run across another Shaq unless he has a son just as big as him.
I would have kept Shaq and traded Kobe just for the simple fact that you will be able to find a guard that can produce the points, play good defense, and helps the team look good. Kobe still tries to show off his skills...everyone knows he is a good player, but only when it comes to points. Everyone hypes people about being the leading scorer, blahze-blah, but give me a player who can not only score 20+ points a game, but plays good defense, good ball handling, can get at least 3 steals a game, and give at least 6 assists a game. There are only a few people in the league that fits that stature. Points are the only thing people pay attention to when it comes to basketball, but thats not the only thing that determines the winners of the game. You can get someone who is mediocre and make them into a superstar in 1 season. You will never run across another Shaq unless he has a son just as big as him.
You know you basically just described Kobe. In fact he not only averages 20+ points, but he averages about 27+ every year now and does everything else on your criteria. But the 3 steals a game thing is a very unreasonable standard for your "all around guard" because there have been very few seasons ever where the leading thief in the league has averaged over 3 steals.
lebron's not better yet come on now kobe still is the best guard when he has a supporting cast around him but im both a lebron and kobe fan
I dunno... Kobe's not as good as he used to be.
At one time i swear he was the most explosive offensive force i'd ever seen in my WHOLE life, including Jordan. He's fallen off since this white girl stuff tho.
Y'all remember when Kobe scored 56 points in 3 quarters? He didn't play the last 4 minutes of the 3rd quarter and didn't play 1 single second of the 4th. And this was against the Grizzlies when they were beasting cats. Kobe was str8 SICK.
Thats because there wasn't the first offensive threat....Shaq was the first offensive threat, and since he was always double teamed, Kobe was always able to free himself thru screens.
No sir. After a cat is lighting you up with about 20+ points in every QUARTER, your focus of defense shifts. Shaq was no longer the defensive priority. I watched that game. And honestly when teams played the Lakers in recent years their philosophy wasn't really "Oh shyt, lets get Shaq." It was like "Ok we'll drop down on Shaq just a little, but he's gonna get his regardless. So we're going to focus on shutting Kobe down."
Kobe got that 56 points thru doubleteams. The negro was **** threes from 25+ feet out if he needed to.
I would have kept Shaq and traded Kobe just for the simple fact that you will be able to find a guard that can produce the points, play good defense, and helps the team look good. Kobe still tries to show off his skills...everyone knows he is a good player, but only when it comes to points. Everyone hypes people about being the leading scorer, blahze-blah, but give me a player who can not only score 20+ points a game, but plays good defense, good ball handling, can get at least 3 steals a game, and give at least 6 assists a game. There are only a few people in the league that fits that stature. Points are the only thing people pay attention to when it comes to basketball, but thats not the only thing that determines the winners of the game. You can get someone who is mediocre and make them into a superstar in 1 season. You will never run across another Shaq unless he has a son just as big as him.
You know you basically just described Kobe. In fact he not only averages 20+ points, but he averages about 27+ every year now and does everything else on your criteria. But the 3 steals a game thing is a very unreasonable standard for your "all around guard" because there have been very few seasons ever where the leading thief in the league has averaged over 3 steals.
If you were reading my post correctly you would have understood that I said that if you have a guard that fit my criteria that plays with a dominant player like Shaq, you will have a good combo. Michael Jordan averaged 3.16 steals in 87-88. I'm not sure if he was the leading in steals, but he did average over 3.
I would have kept Shaq and traded Kobe just for the simple fact that you will be able to find a guard that can produce the points, play good defense, and helps the team look good. Kobe still tries to show off his skills...everyone knows he is a good player, but only when it comes to points. Everyone hypes people about being the leading scorer, blahze-blah, but give me a player who can not only score 20+ points a game, but plays good defense, good ball handling, can get at least 3 steals a game, and give at least 6 assists a game. There are only a few people in the league that fits that stature. Points are the only thing people pay attention to when it comes to basketball, but thats not the only thing that determines the winners of the game. You can get someone who is mediocre and make them into a superstar in 1 season. You will never run across another Shaq unless he has a son just as big as him.
You know you basically just described Kobe. In fact he not only averages 20+ points, but he averages about 27+ every year now and does everything else on your criteria. But the 3 steals a game thing is a very unreasonable standard for your "all around guard" because there have been very few seasons ever where the leading thief in the league has averaged over 3 steals.
If you were reading my post correctly you would have understood that I said that if you have a guard that fit my criteria that plays with a dominant player like Shaq, you will have a good combo. Michael Jordan averaged 3.16 steals in 87-88. I'm not sure if he was the leading in steals, but he did average over 3.
You didn't exactly right it in an easy way to understand. Lol. And like I said there have been "very few" seasons when someone has averaged over 3 steals a game, i didn't say never :-) . I understand what you're saying about putting anyone with Shaq tho. Dwayne Wade and even Penny Hardaway proved that.
You be the judge
