Backpick all time rankings..

[thedangerouskitchen]

Even though only Wilt and (perhaps) prime Jabbar were better regular season Bigs strictly from an Offensive 'domination' standpoint (while only Jordan and perhaps West were as/more dominating in the Playoffs / Finals), when you consider Shaq never led the league in Rebounding, never averaged 30-PPG in any one season, and only won 1 regular season MVP, you can't help but wonder whether or not he was actually an underachiever given the natural-born physical/athletic advantages he had over his peers.

Still, Top 5 all-time is certainly not a stretch... even with the silly criteria that this list uses.

That said, no way I'm putting him above Dream when factoring in all-around dominance.

[Sudanese Sensation]

Even though only Wilt and (perhaps) prime Jabbar were better regular season Bigs strictly from an Offensive 'domination' standpoint (while only Jordan and perhaps West were as/more dominating in the Playoffs / Finals), when you consider Shaq never led the league in Rebounding, never averaged 30-PPG in any one season, and only won 1 regular season MVP, you can't help but wonder whether or not he was actually an underachiever given the natural-born physical/athletic advantages he had over his peers.

Still, Top 5 all-time is certainly not a stretch... even with the silly criteria that this list uses.

That said, no way I'm putting him above Dream when factoring in all-around dominance.

There just lists. That being said this guy must have been dropped on his his head:

https://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/09/micha ... a-greatest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wilt # 3
Shaq #15
Olajuwon #16

[vcsgrizzfan]

Even though only Wilt and (perhaps) prime Jabbar were better regular season Bigs strictly from an Offensive 'domination' standpoint (while only Jordan and perhaps West were as/more dominating in the Playoffs / Finals), when you consider Shaq never led the league in Rebounding, never averaged 30-PPG in any one season, and only won 1 regular season MVP, you can't help but wonder whether or not he was actually an underachiever given the natural-born physical/athletic advantages he had over his peers.

Still, Top 5 all-time is certainly not a stretch... even with the silly criteria that this list uses.

That said, no way I'm putting him above Dream when factoring in all-around dominance.

There just lists. That being said this guy must have been dropped on his his head:

https://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/09/micha ... a-greatest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wilt # 3
Shaq #15
Olajuwon #16

Wilt being rated really highly is a huge red flag on any list.

[Sudanese Sensation]

Even though only Wilt and (perhaps) prime Jabbar were better regular season Bigs strictly from an Offensive 'domination' standpoint (while only Jordan and perhaps West were as/more dominating in the Playoffs / Finals), when you consider Shaq never led the league in Rebounding, never averaged 30-PPG in any one season, and only won 1 regular season MVP, you can't help but wonder whether or not he was actually an underachiever given the natural-born physical/athletic advantages he had over his peers.

Still, Top 5 all-time is certainly not a stretch... even with the silly criteria that this list uses.

That said, no way I'm putting him above Dream when factoring in all-around dominance.

There just lists. That being said this guy must have been dropped on his his head:

https://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/09/micha ... a-greatest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wilt # 3
Shaq #15
Olajuwon #16

Wilt being rated really highly is a huge red flag on any list.

There being 12 and 13 places between him, Shaq, and Olajuwon is a is a huge red flag on any list

[vcsgrizzfan]

There just lists. That being said this guy must have been dropped on his his head:

https://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/09/micha ... a-greatest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wilt # 3
Shaq #15
Olajuwon #16

Wilt being rated really highly is a huge red flag on any list.

There being 12 and 13 places between him, Shaq, and Olajuwon is a is a huge red flag on any list

It's more than a red flag. It's a retard alert.

[Y2K]

Even though only Wilt and (perhaps) prime Jabbar were better regular season Bigs strictly from an Offensive 'domination' standpoint (while only Jordan and perhaps West were as/more dominating in the Playoffs / Finals), when you consider Shaq never led the league in Rebounding, never averaged 30-PPG in any one season, and only won 1 regular season MVP, you can't help but wonder whether or not he was actually an underachiever given the natural-born physical/athletic advantages he had over his peers.

Still, Top 5 all-time is certainly not a stretch... even with the silly criteria that this list uses.

That said, no way I'm putting him above Dream when factoring in all-around dominance.

Shaq may have only won one MVP award but he had atleast 5 MVP level seasons (1995, 2000-02, 2005).

[vcsgrizzfan]

Even though only Wilt and (perhaps) prime Jabbar were better regular season Bigs strictly from an Offensive 'domination' standpoint (while only Jordan and perhaps West were as/more dominating in the Playoffs / Finals), when you consider Shaq never led the league in Rebounding, never averaged 30-PPG in any one season, and only won 1 regular season MVP, you can't help but wonder whether or not he was actually an underachiever given the natural-born physical/athletic advantages he had over his peers.

Still, Top 5 all-time is certainly not a stretch... even with the silly criteria that this list uses.

That said, no way I'm putting him above Dream when factoring in all-around dominance.

Shaq may have only won one MVP award but he had atleast 5 MVP level seasons (1995, 2000-02, 2005).

I've watched NBA hoops since 1970. I might be mistaken, but in my opinion, no player since that time was game planned against more than Shaq at his peak. He was your first, second and third priority on the defensive end. He was just such a beast.

[FPL]

It was after the Lakers’ first championship that Shaq made a decision that had immediate rewards but proved to be a long-range disaster. Feeling that massive centers like Arvydas Sabonis and Luc Longley were pushing him around in the low post, Shaq felt that he needed to be heavier. In his equation, mass equaled power equaled total domination. He therefore instructed his personal chef to overload his meals with meat and potatoes and the pounds quickly began to accumulate.

Even though the Lakers three-peated, Shaq continued to expand. At one point, he weighed so much that only a cattle scale could make an accurate measurement — approximately 375 pounds. Unfortunately, at this stage (as well as later) in his career, Shaq’s optimal weight was about 315.

For sure, 350-pound lightweights could no longer move Shaq off his favorite spots in the low post, but the spring went out of his legs, smaller players began to beat him to rebounds and his defensive range shrank. He became a larger-than-life Superman and he had the tattoo to prove it.

Moreover, having to carry all that poundage up and down the floor, while also making the one-footed changes of direction that are necessary to performing at a championship level, inevitably broke Shaq’s body down. Major surgery to insert metal plates in a foot, routine muscle pulls and periodic back woes all conspired to diminish his games and minutes played.

At the same time, he had mastered the interior power game so he remained a peerless presence in the paint.

https://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/sha ... lim-060111" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[LNS]

It was after the Lakers’ first championship that Shaq made a decision that had immediate rewards but proved to be a long-range disaster. Feeling that massive centers like Arvydas Sabonis and Luc Longley were pushing him around in the low post, Shaq felt that he needed to be heavier. In his equation, mass equaled power equaled total domination. He therefore instructed his personal chef to overload his meals with meat and potatoes and the pounds quickly began to accumulate.

Even though the Lakers three-peated, Shaq continued to expand. At one point, he weighed so much that only a cattle scale could make an accurate measurement — approximately 375 pounds. Unfortunately, at this stage (as well as later) in his career, Shaq’s optimal weight was about 315.

For sure, 350-pound lightweights could no longer move Shaq off his favorite spots in the low post, but the spring went out of his legs, smaller players began to beat him to rebounds and his defensive range shrank. He became a larger-than-life Superman and he had the tattoo to prove it.

Moreover, having to carry all that poundage up and down the floor, while also making the one-footed changes of direction that are necessary to performing at a championship level, inevitably broke Shaq’s body down. Major surgery to insert metal plates in a foot, routine muscle pulls and periodic back woes all conspired to diminish his games and minutes played.

At the same time, he had mastered the interior power game so he remained a peerless presence in the paint.

https://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/sha ... lim-060111" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It was a different era and the rumors of his physical abilities seem like exaggerations, but Wilt supposedly had Shaq-like physical strength but kept himself more svelte than the Diesel. Strength training for explosiveness is superior than just piling on the pounds IMO. But 375lbs though.... I mean goddamn. Have you seen how fat Shaq looks now? My dad and I were joking that he has to be close to 450lbs right now.

[Sudanese Sensation]

It was after the Lakers’ first championship that Shaq made a decision that had immediate rewards but proved to be a long-range disaster. Feeling that massive centers like Arvydas Sabonis and Luc Longley were pushing him around in the low post, Shaq felt that he needed to be heavier. In his equation, mass equaled power equaled total domination. He therefore instructed his personal chef to overload his meals with meat and potatoes and the pounds quickly began to accumulate.

Even though the Lakers three-peated, Shaq continued to expand. At one point, he weighed so much that only a cattle scale could make an accurate measurement — approximately 375 pounds. Unfortunately, at this stage (as well as later) in his career, Shaq’s optimal weight was about 315.

For sure, 350-pound lightweights could no longer move Shaq off his favorite spots in the low post, but the spring went out of his legs, smaller players began to beat him to rebounds and his defensive range shrank. He became a larger-than-life Superman and he had the tattoo to prove it.

Moreover, having to carry all that poundage up and down the floor, while also making the one-footed changes of direction that are necessary to performing at a championship level, inevitably broke Shaq’s body down. Major surgery to insert metal plates in a foot, routine muscle pulls and periodic back woes all conspired to diminish his games and minutes played.

At the same time, he had mastered the interior power game so he remained a peerless presence in the paint.

https://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/sha ... lim-060111" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It was a different era and the rumors of his physical abilities seem like exaggerations, but Wilt supposedly had Shaq-like physical strength but kept himself more svelte than the Diesel. Strength training for explosiveness is superior than just piling on the pounds IMO. But 375lbs though.... I mean goddamn. Have you seen how fat Shaq looks now? My dad and I were joking that he has to be close to 450lbs right now.

That can't be healthy. Shaq must live in the now.

[rtiff68]

It was after the Lakers’ first championship that Shaq made a decision that had immediate rewards but proved to be a long-range disaster. Feeling that massive centers like Arvydas Sabonis and Luc Longley were pushing him around in the low post, Shaq felt that he needed to be heavier. In his equation, mass equaled power equaled total domination. He therefore instructed his personal chef to overload his meals with meat and potatoes and the pounds quickly began to accumulate.

Even though the Lakers three-peated, Shaq continued to expand. At one point, he weighed so much that only a cattle scale could make an accurate measurement — approximately 375 pounds. Unfortunately, at this stage (as well as later) in his career, Shaq’s optimal weight was about 315.

For sure, 350-pound lightweights could no longer move Shaq off his favorite spots in the low post, but the spring went out of his legs, smaller players began to beat him to rebounds and his defensive range shrank. He became a larger-than-life Superman and he had the tattoo to prove it.

Moreover, having to carry all that poundage up and down the floor, while also making the one-footed changes of direction that are necessary to performing at a championship level, inevitably broke Shaq’s body down. Major surgery to insert metal plates in a foot, routine muscle pulls and periodic back woes all conspired to diminish his games and minutes played.

At the same time, he had mastered the interior power game so he remained a peerless presence in the paint.

https://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/sha ... lim-060111" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It was a different era and the rumors of his physical abilities seem like exaggerations, but Wilt supposedly had Shaq-like physical strength but kept himself more svelte than the Diesel. Strength training for explosiveness is superior than just piling on the pounds IMO. But 375lbs though.... I mean goddamn. Have you seen how fat Shaq looks now? My dad and I were joking that he has to be close to 450lbs right now.

He has to be, and he's still a freak.

Two-ish years ago I was watching a filler segment on NBA TV. It was the TNT crew, and they were talking about the "talent contests" of guys during Al Star weekend while sitting on an empty court. For a change (sarcasm), Shaq and Chuck started jostling each other, and ultimately they made a bet that Shaq couldn't dunk right now.

Shaq was in his mid to late 40's, and looked to be well over 400lbs. He took his coat off, and in his suit and dress shoes walked to the FT line, took a ball, and looked pretty uncertain of himself. After a few moments, he took a few steps towards the rim, went up in his dress shoes and suit, cocked the ball all of the way behind his head, crushed it, and then did a pull-up on the rim.

Shaq immediately started barking and blustering, while everyone else was legitimately stunned.

[LNS]

https://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/sha ... lim-060111" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It was a different era and the rumors of his physical abilities seem like exaggerations, but Wilt supposedly had Shaq-like physical strength but kept himself more svelte than the Diesel. Strength training for explosiveness is superior than just piling on the pounds IMO. But 375lbs though.... I mean goddamn. Have you seen how fat Shaq looks now? My dad and I were joking that he has to be close to 450lbs right now.

He has to be, and he's still a freak.

Two-ish years ago I was watching a filler segment on NBA TV. It was the TNT crew, and they were talking about the "talent contests" of guys during Al Star weekend while sitting on an empty court. For a change (sarcasm), Shaq and Chuck started jostling each other, and ultimately they made a bet that Shaq couldn't dunk right now.

Shaq was in his mid to late 40's, and looked to be well over 400lbs. He took his coat off, and in his suit and dress shoes walked to the FT line, took a ball, and looked pretty uncertain of himself. After a few moments, he took a few steps towards the rim, went up in his dress shoes and suit, cocked the ball all of the way behind his head, crushed it, and then did a pull-up on the rim.

Shaq immediately started barking and blustering, while everyone else was legitimately stunned.

That’s awesome. Ironically enough on my YouTube feed this vid randomly came up weeks ago, and it shows Wilt in his 50’s dunking (sans suit and tie though), and he still looked in amazing shape.

phpBB [video]

[Y2K]

More on Hakeem Olajuwon:

- Ralph Sampson starts to break down in 1986-87, one season removed from their NBA Finals appearance against the Boston Celtics. The next time that Olajuwon played with a perennial All-Star caliber player is 1995 when the Rockets traded for 32 year-old Clyde Drexler.

- The only all-star teammate that Hakeem Olajuwon had from 1986-95 was Otis Thorpe in 1992. Oddly enough, that was the first year that Hakeem did not make the team himself due to injury.

- Between the 1984 and 1992 drafts, only one of those draft picks (Buck Johnson 1986) turned out to be a rotation player.

- 1990-92 marked the first time that the Rockets fielded the same starting lineup rotation in consecutive years since Hakeem Olajuwon's arrival in 1984.

- Head coach Don Chaney record:

   Rockets: 164 - 134 = 55%
   The rest: 173 - 360 = 32%

[Sudanese Sensation]

Backpicks GOAT: #5 Shaquille O’Neal

[Y2K]

Backpicks GOAT: #5 Shaquille O’Neal

No surprise there.

[Sudanese Sensation]

With one of the highest apexes in NBA history, he lands at No. 5.

[Bush4Ever35]

No surprises in the scouting report for Shaq (IMO).

I was most interested in his evaluation of Shaq's defense, and it mirrored my own thoughts. I actually think Shaq is a fairly easy player to scout and evaluate, but that's when the quantitative part comes into play. It's easy to make qualitative observations, but anchoring them to quantitative metrics helps assess the magnitude of the effects you are observing.

The next slot will be interesting, and I think it's open for any of the remaining legends besides Jordan. It will be posted on Monday

I'll be very interested in the Russell report, and hopefully getting some more quantitative evidence of his value over and above what I already know.

Edit: One other cool thing is that the Shaq evaluation conclusively slams the door on the idea that Shaq and Kobe were "1a and 1b" during the threepeat, or even 2001/2002. Both the scouting report and metrics show a very clear, very large separation between them in value...which is what all the sane and objective people already knew, but it's a nice piece of evidence anyway

[vcsgrizzfan]

The Big Diesel getting some respect!!

[FPL]

I like the writeup of his offense, but the ratings are a bit weird. Ben rails against Shaq's defense, even in aspects that one would think are his strengths (paint protection and man defense), yet rates him reasonably well in that regard. Meh.

Shaq was my first favorite player and the guy who got me into the league, so it's good to see him getting some respect. Generally, I think people place a ceiling on him and he's usually in the bottom half of top 10s, so it's fun to see someone who took his list seriously putting him in the top 5.

[Shill Jackson]

phpBB [video]

I think he get a little too much extra credit for his personality, while Kareem and the Dr get slighted a bit for theirs.