April
6, 2001 NBA
BASKETBALL - - - - -
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THE
PERENNIAL SHAQ DEBATE By
Ely of Yorkshire
To
be honest, I thought this whole issue was dead and buried, but after a
recent argument I realized it still rages on.
Every
year there is the inevitable debate amongst fans; Shaq: big moose or great
talent? Lets settle it now.
Many
players go through times where their ability is questioned but none so
often as Shaq, and certainly none so dominant as Shaq. Some fans think
he is nothing but a very big man with average ability; others see him as
a great, dominant player.
No
player in the league who can compare to his 7’1", 320+ lb.. frame,
and his strength. These physical aspects are undoubtedly a large part of
O’Neal’s game, but is that all he has? He can take players to the hole
and dunk on them, he can back players down, he can shut players out with
his sheer presence, and there is very little they can do about it. But
where is the skill? This multi-million dollar athlete can’t even shoot
free throws consistently.
Lets
first look back to his college tapes; see the no looks and the flair plays
and let it dawn on you that this man has a brain for this game. Secondly,
realize that he is not in college anymore, he is in the best league in
the world, and there are people around him who can do these things better
than he so does it not make sense for him to let them do it? (Though, the
issue of Kobe and Shaq is another issue to discuss at another time.)
Once
we accept that Shaq has a role to play within his team's structure, examine
the results. He is consistently amongst the top of the league leaders tables
(at the time of this writing he's 6th in ppg, 2nd in rpg, 1st in fg%, 4th
in bpg, 4th in double doubles and he's above Carter and Sprewell
on the apg table). Do stats and performances like these come from size
alone? Let’s just say I didn’t see Shawn Bradley up there on many top lists.
Shaq
does his job: he scores rebounds and defends well in the most competitive
league in the world, and posts those numbers on a team with 2 franchise
players and a host of other very capable ones; it is not as though he is
their sole weapon. His range may not be that of a Hakeem or a Ewing, and
he can't shoot free throws, but ask yourself one question: who was the
last player to be so dominant? It's Jordan; and, did anyone mind him using
his physical abilities to outplay his opponents? Does anyone mind when
Vince uses his incredible athleticism to do some scandalous dunk? The answer
to both these questions is no.
Shaq
plays a big post game and muscles out his opponents. He takes high
percentage shots from positions he knows he can score from. That is intelligent.
The
bottom line is this: Yes, he is huge, but he's also very talented and even
more importantly, he realizes his abilities and his role on the team. You
still want more skill? Watch him in the post: he reckons he has over 50
moves down there, and we all know he can make anyone look stupid trying
to stop him, Check his D and boards while you’re at it, and his runs on
a break. If all of this does not convince that he's got true basketball
skills then consider just banning centers from the game, because
Shaq is the epitome of everything a center should be, and I for one think
he is a joy to watch.
