Lets be honest about Shaquille O'Neal for a moment. He is easily one of the most dominant, powerful and ridiculous forces the NBA, or any sport, has ever seen. I personally think Dream is the superior center, but Shaq is not a poor choice if you're talking about his pure and absolute peak.
Speaking to hard core Shaq fans though will oft yield this argument for Shaq as a defender.
Have you ever seen shaq get dunked on or someone take him one on one and punish him like he did to everyone else? Shaq has never been dunked on.
Maybe not often, but I've heard it enough times from enough people to write an article about it. I think it's crazy. It's the NBA. Everyone dunks. Everyone gets dunked on. Even Shaq. So sure to generate mass unpopularity, here is the complete list of you tube dunks over Diesel. Admittedly, Shaq didn't get dunked on much, and since he played nearly his entire career before You Tube, even fewer exist in that medium.
Now, for this no one dunks on Shaq claim. I don't know where his fans get this. Here's a short collection, and these are only the ones that make it to you tube. PS: If anyone has more clips please send them along and we will gladly include them with credit.
Bynum dunks on Shaq's pride:
Funderburke/Robinson:
Derrick Coleman Just Posterizes Him:
Rueben Patterson Does The Same:
Elton Brand:
Zo:
Arvydas Sabonis:
Howard dunks on Shaq's floppy pride ("Like an elephant gun took him down"):
Jason Terry:
Jordan:
Webber:
Vlade Divac:Now after that sweet pass you might say "yea, Divac was afraid of Shaq", But no, watch THIS clip, when Divac retaliates after a blatant non-call when Shaq was getting bailed out by officials (edit: My mistake here, Vlade just goes by Shaq on the dunk over Walker. Got them mixed up cuz of the title of the vid and Walker's 52 being similar to Shaq's 32 from the rest of his career. But he was 34 in LA of course. But I'll leave this dunk in just for it's pure sweetness. :) )
You know, after watching that Divac dunk, I really don't think Shaq's fans can ever say no one has ever dunked on him again. Vlade, sometimes the poster boy for soft centers, took it right at him and stuffed it down his throat. That dunk is ridiculous! (edit: still ridiculous, but it's downgraded from a facial stuff on Shaq to just a 'weak dunk on Shaq')
In conclusion, I really don't mean to be down on Shaq. He's obviously one of the most dominant players in history. But statements like "Shaq has never been dunekd on" make him sound like he's just beyond reproach. Remember that Shaq has never led the league in blocked shots or rebounding, Hakeem handed him his ass in the finals, and that yes, Shaq has been dunked on.
Durant Scores More On Average, But There Is
Nothing Average About Russell Westbrook
By: Jeremy Graham
Can you be the league MVP if you are not even the MVP of your own team? That's the question facing Kevin Durant, the chic pick at the beginning of the year to bringing home the hardware. Kobe's getting older, Lebron's taking his talents to South Beach, and Chris Paul's on a “lottery team.” It's KD team, and his time to win 10 straight MVPs.
With the playoff run and the international grind Durant is starting slow. I still don’t know if he would be the most valuable player to the Sonics, yes I am calling them the Sonics. (ED: FCP says "Damn Straight!" :) ) Right now, and maybe in the foreseeable future, Russell Westbrook is unquestionably the best, and most important player on his team.
This Play Defines The Sonics Success Against LA Last Year, Not Durant's
Double take expected; I almost can’t even believe what I am writing. How can I say that a combo guard who wasn’t supposed to even be a PG can be better than Kevin Durant? Simple! In the time they have played together Westbrook has progressed much more than Durant. Westbrook was never intended to be the full time point guard yet he wanted it so bad he told the franchise "I'm your guy" and took the bull by the horns. Westbrook has progressed so far that he is now arguably a top 5 PG in the league.
I know, top 5 is alright but you have to be top 3 to be elite. After Chris Paul and Deron Williams you can play musical chairs with Nash, Rondo, Rose and Westbrook so today's "arguably top 5" is really yesterday's elite. Durant may be a top two or three player at SF, depending on how you rate Carmelo, but SF does not have the depth of the PG position in the NBA. There are four different categories to rate players on, scoring, rebounding, passing and defense. Right now I think that Westbrook is outshining Durant in all four.
Scoring
We Feel You Seattle
This is like the Kobe vs Lebron debate for who is a better scorer. Talent or Production, what to choose? Durant is, of course, the more talented scorer from anywhere on the court. He resembles Vince Carter with the way he can stroke the 35 foot three when he wants to. Westbrook is a little more modest and is relegated to inside 20 feet. Despite this Durant€ is less efficient. He scores more than Westbrook, which looks great, till you dig a little deeper.
Durant is currently shooting 42% from the field and only 31% from the the arc. For a recently appointed “best offensive player in the game,” those numbers are lacking. Westbrook isn’t lighting it up either, shooting only 3% better at 45% but when you shoot as much as both players do it adds up. By getting his buckets closer to the basket Westbrook takes higher percentage shots for better efficiency. Some say Durant gets to the line and shoots so well the easy points compensate his poor shooting nights. Good point, except Westbrook is getting to the line just a touch less and is shooting just a tad lower. For now Westbrook is the best scorer on the Sonics. Will this last all year? Perhaps not, but it's the case so far in 2010 and could continue.
Rebounding
Even Blake Griffin Can't
Keep A Good Dunk Down
It also looks like Durant is the better rebounder on the surface. He does average more per game. But he plays a position where rebounding is part of the job, whereas at PG rebounds are a bonus. Westbrook doesn’t think along those lines. He is one of the best rebounding guards in the league.
Not just from the point but of all guards. Durant pulls down 6.6 RPG and Westbrook pulls down 5.5 out of a non-rebounding position. You have to look at the offensive glass as well. Westbrook averages almost 2 offensive rebounds a game, Durant doesn’t even average 1. Durant is phenomenal, but that reeks of low effort. A PG should not be cleaning the offensive glass better than your SF. It's not how basketball works. Is it a paradigm shift in the league towards a new uber athletic PG? Perhaps... Some day Durant is going to be pulling down 10 rebounds a game, he may even hit the offensive glass. Right now though, Westbrook has him beat by a country mile.
Passing
It's Okay Ramon Sessions,
No One Else Saw It Coming Either
It goes without saying that a team's PG the better passer when compared to a SF. For the sake of this I will focus ball control. For a jump shooter that puts the ball on the floor intermittently Durant frankly turns the ball over far too often. His TOs are as high as Westbrook without running the offense. Westbrook performs the main ball handling duties putting him in position to turn it over much more often.
Advanced stats appear to disprove this. Durant does have a higher usage rate and a lower turnover percentage. Does that mean that he holds onto the ball better? Nope, it sure doesn’t. Durant has a higher usage rate because he puts up more shots, not because he has the ball in his hands more. More shots should equal fewer turnovers. Next you might say, “Well Durant plays more minutes, of course his turnovers are higher.” Good point! Until you see they both average 3.5 TO per 36 minutes. In time Durant will protect the ball and drop more dimes. Presently, Westbrook is his superior.
Defence
PG's Get Higher Then Their
Centers For Blocks Now???
It does win championships as they say. Durant has turned himself into a very decent defender after a mostly lost rookie year. Westbrook has been a very good from day one. I am not saying Westbrook is better because of history, I am saying he is better... because he is.
Durant's length/smarts put him in position to steal the ball 1.5 times, and block about a shot, per game. Not only that but he plays solid man and team D at a more important defensive position. Westbrook may play a less important defensive role than Durant but he plays his role better. With the influx of excellent to elite PGs it's becoming more important to have a good defender at the point.
Just ask the Heat. Westbrook is able to defend elite guards without much help and gets at least 2 take aways per game and tips many passes that don't make box scores. Durant may have a slight advantage in blocks, but steals nearly always result in a change of possession. Defense is hard to judge, especially statistically and when comparing different positions, but you have to give the edge to Westbrook. All without mentioning that Westbrook can guard both guard positions very well.
Come MVP voting Durant may very well pull ahead of Westbrook and be the best player for the Sonics. His numbers very well could sky rocket. He has all the talent to do so. A few questions should still arise at that time. Will Westbrook have the better numbers? Will it matter if he does, or will Durant win the MVP because he was supposed to be? And can you be the MVP if someone on your own team is outperforming you?
I Bet Kramer Wishes Cell Phone Replay Was Run By The NBA
Video replay has been near instant for decades. Why is it used so infrequently? It seems rule changes are only in response to glaring errors the year before. Two years ago, Chauncy Billups scored well after time had expired but won the game anyway because of a clock error. The NBA responded with replay to check last second shots. A year late, but good job, right? I'm not so sure.
If the goal of the NBA was to ensure the best officiating possible, with the best calls being made, they would form an investigative team mandated with the improvement the game. Now, they have a team, but they only pretend to do this, check the crack squad's results:
Officials may use replay to check...
1. Was a shot/foul taken/committed before/after the shot clock expired.
2. Who touched the ball before it went out of bounds, in the last 2 minutes.
10 NBA elites; that's all they can conjure!? The Billups shot could have been avoided in the first place. Take the common functioning replay/time rules trialed and tested in college/FIBA. Apply it. Simple, right? It should have already been in place for decades due to the duh factor. Instead we have a committee who's most visible action is inaction.
Ben Aflek Is Screaming: "NO ONE'S REVIEWS CAN BE WORSE THEM MINE! STOP!
Block/charge calls still can never be reviewed despite it being the most difficult call in sports. Potentially the most damaging to a team as well. Presumably game flow is the concern.
But broadcast crews have the play up and examined most times before the foul is even fully communicated to the scorer's table. Why can't the NBA have thier own review crew. Its not more then the time it takes for someone to walk to the free throw line to verify a call. If the right call is made no interruption takes place.
Why not let ref's call for replay when they are not sure what happened? It could be as simple as a ref clicking a 'Review Button' on his belt with a Replay Crew responding to his request. Right now when ref's miss a call they confer on the court to make a proverbial coin flip, interrupting the flow of the game. A quick word from a replay booth is, in fact, much more efficient.
What's Really Happening
Peering through the Replay Committee's veneer you see grainy marketing. Fan confidence has dipped so low the NBA is forced to show fans it's trying. You must ask, why use replay for so little and only in the last two minutes? Fixing games in crunch time draws scrutiny. Call two quick fouls on the other team's best defender in the first period. Two at the start of the second. "Wow, the refs are really taking control tonight" chirp announcers. Its just a role player, so no complaints. Then foul in the 3'rd will become "he's just not playing smart tonight" and by the 4'th the game is has been fixed. Outcomes are routinely determined by fouls because the best players of one team don't play. Duncan shooting 75% won't matter if the other starters aren't on the floor. Maybe they laughed!
Flip flop 'tradition' excuses don't hold water either. 40's-50's Hoop lacked replay because it wasn't instant: most games were not even taped. Bad calls are not part of a grand tradition... we just hadn't invented 'the television'. Since we did the NBA has adopted technology in every aspect of the game except officiating. They're just now checking the time on a last shot when I can use a pocket device to record the play so someone in Zimbabwe can say "bad call" before the commercial break. Its senseless. So, why?
The league likes black leather and whips, that's why. They blocked Tim Donaghy's book because they don't want their sticky garments aired in public... it has little to do with veracity. Star promotion via officiating is illegal (fraud) and if confirmed it will be a larger scandal then Donaghy. Illegal activities by some of the richest men in the world is naughty. So the NBA joined the "Entertainment Industry". Remember kids:
When In Doubt, Emulate WWE
Would The NBA Be Better Or Worse With Chair Shots? I Think We All Know The Answer And The Refs Are Already Trained... Bring Back The Cages, Throw In The Chairs!
Look no further. The most openly fraudulent sporting org in the world has the answer. Counter cheating with the "WWE Defense". Watch as countless refs are 'distracted' and 'don't see' the guy's head connecting with a steel chair. That means it didn't happen, right?
The Media is not allowed ref access to press them about calls, they'd crack under the pressure, so the NBA uses the WWE defense in their name. "Oh, the Ref just didn't see it. The player/team is whining so we are going to fine them $30,000 to shut them up. We have the best referees in the world! Our first party investigation says so." It's worked well. for the first 60 years of the league.
Replay guts the WWE's marketing, and the WWE defense, and likewise the NBA. WWE does not have replay because they know their matches are manipulated. Instead of blaming a ref who didn't see Kobe hit Lebron with a steel chair, we will know a replay crew, with a rewind button and angles, intentionally botched the call. Because it's obvious, they won't botch them, because they'll be found out. People knowing this, and seeing bad calls fixed regularly, will immediately put their faith back in the game and trust the NBA is doing their best to ensure honest competition. If the WWE started using legit replay eople would start taking it seriously as a sporting competition.
Without Star Treatment players will face much tougher defense. MJ/Kobe/Hogan types get ticky tack calls and therefore defenders know they can't guard them as closely as Deshawn Stevenson types. Then Kobe gets more open lanes. It's cheating, even though Kobe's not trying to. He just exists in a culture that cheats.
What would be the results if replay changed that culture?
Check them out:
The NBA's Lead Entrant In The Man Vs. Machine Contest: Dick Bavetta
Integrity? Fixed.
Image? Fixed.
Fan faith/loyalty? Fixed.
Griping players/teams? Fixed.
Donaghy scandal? Fixed.
All overnight.
Instead, McMahon/Stern/et al prop up the notion that a few 60 year old men trying to keep pace with the elite mutant athletes of the NBA/WWE works. (only one commits legal fraud) These benefits are so far reaching and solve so many major issues it indicates that something must be balancing the argument for it. Something they lose if these things are gained via replay.
One need look no further then the Lakers/Blazers series when LA came back from 15 down in game 7 via a 24-2 foul discrepancy, assisted by Portland's best player, Rasheed Wallace, being ejected for 'looking' at the ref in game 6.
Or game 6 vs the Kings in 2002 when a 18-6 4'th quarter foul disparity fueled another LA comeback.
Watch The First Clip Of Kobe Elbowing Bibby Directly In The Ref's Vision, The Entire Series Was A Joke
For a more recent example Dwayne Wade won a title in exactly this scenario. The most exciting star on the court always gets it a bit easier because it goes a long way promoting the NBA on TV. Dallas had Miami on the ropes in 07. In game 3 and 5 Wade got unbelievable calls to save the Heat from going down 0-3 and from losing game 5 while Dallas got pounded with no calls of their own.
Wade Is Easily One Of The Best Players Alive... Too Bad He Needed Shaq, And The Refs, For His First Ring
It's All About The Benjamins
What! What! Marquee match-ups going 7 games bring the bling. When those teams are down in this decade they suddenly have a great advantage at the line in game 5/6. Game 7's make millions, 100s of them, and while replay instantly restores integrity/faith to the league, it does not make more game 7's.
Maybe Replay Won't Help If The Refs Can't Even See The Screen!
That's why these Luddites will still choose to ref the game 1800's style, instead of 2000's, or hell, 1970's style. It gives the fraudulent culture control of how money is made. But if they're going to cheat, why stop there? Go big or go home.
Lets start having pro-mo interviews and face paint. Get back to our roots with the odd cage match (they used to play in cages, tradition, right?) and let a few steel chairs slip out on the court. Chair shots are entertaining and sell tickets, right? After all, in the NBA's world of no-replay, and the WWE, if the ref didn't see it, it didn't happen. Judging by their hair, I'm not sure they'll even notice.
Apparently Lebron was not so silent after all. Full Court Pest took the liberty of hiring the world's foremost body language expert to decipher exactly what Lebron was getting at after Orlando's game 6 win. He was kind enough to take some time away from his CIA post to give us this world exclusive. Enjoy.
"Gratz Magic, you won, but you're not the better team. I destroyed you and everyone in the world knows it. One, two or three open shots falling that normally fall for us and you don't make the finals. So I'm not taking anything away, but I'm not walking over and saying gratz as if you're the better team.I don't care that the media is going to say you are, you're not and we both know you're damned lucky to make it past us.
As for you guys in the media, I'm not going to go up there and listen to questions about why were not good enough and aren't going to the finals. My teammates didn't hit open shots. My front office chose to save money when they could have traded Wally's contract for a true star in a buyer's market and gotten him back when he agreed to a buy out to save that team more money anyway. Which would have happened because his trade was a money dump and Wally stated he did not want to leave in no uncertain terms. We could have gotten an extra star for free, and instead we got Joe Smith for extra.
If James Sprung For Something Better Then Digital Cameras When Buying For Multimillion Dollar Athletes, Maybe They Would Have Played Better
Lastly I'm not going to slag my teammates and pretend like its really their fault that a live by the three team happened to live, cuz while the magic won, they're going to get killed in a finals match up that my team would have killed in. Even though everyone will say the Magic were the better team because that's what Stern and ABC and ESPN and TNT and the sports writers and the owners and everyone who makes money off this game wants. I don't care to say it and dance for the man. I don't believe it and I don't need it. I have my pride.
They need to say that so they make as much money as possible. I'm a player. And players don't give a damn what you say. We make our money under contract and don't need to create a false sense of accomplishment for the teams at the end to sell the finals. I don't have to recoup the millions Nike wasted from the ads pitting me and Kobe against each other. The millions they paid me to do them are in my bank account right now. I'll use the money I made in the fraction of a second I coughed on set to pay the 25k fine. They were ripping off Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carrola's Crank Yankers anyway.
Hedo Turkoglu In His Best Possible Defensive Stance vs Lebron... Or Anyone
If we played this series out 10 more times my team wins 10 times. Its the secret everyone knows but won't say. No, I'm not going to your press conference to talk about other people. I know no one has questions about me because I made sure all Lebron related questions were answered fully, in triplicate, on the court. Did you see what I did to their defense? I'm not going to let you see me defeated and make a spectacle out of Lebron James failing like you did to Dirk in 97, Kobe in 98 and Britney Spears 'come back' at the MTV awards. I'm smart enough to see a media set up coming and I'm not walking into it to give you an opportunity to mess with my head for a couple of headlines so you can sell yourself by putting your name below my picture.
You'll see us here again next year because you know and I know that I'm the future of this league. Stern knows it too and you just watch his reaction to what I'm telling you. Slap on the wrist cuz for the first time in over a decade that man knows his league is in steady, capable hands once again. I reiterate, you're not going to see me in defeat. Not on the court saying good job. Not in the press conference answering questions you already know the answers to.
These Guys Are Saying The Two Best Teams Are In.......... SHOCKING!
If you think this is anything more then a blip I have two words for you. Fuck and you. I'm not arrogant or stupid enough to tell you the truth though. And I'm not lame enough to sit there and give political answers dancing around the truth. So I'm choosing none of the above and filling in the blank with integrity. See you next year twice as hungry."
Hmm... I'm not sure if thats 'precisely' a word for word translation, and something tells me this CIA guy might have grown up in Cleveland. If you'd like to send feedback just stand next to your nearest non-suspicious looking plant and voice your opinions... his people will make sure your input will find its way to him... or you can just comment below.
