Shaqs prime years

[Micku]

Not really.

I can remember Eddie playing "decently" in one elimination series in the Late 90's
The other ones I am pretty sure he was mediocre to just plain bad like the rest of the crew.

You can check his stats for the playoffs.

1997: 11.2 ppg on 45.8% FG 57.8% TS

1998: 17.0 ppg on 46.6% FG 60.9% TS

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...jonesed02.html

You might be right on the elimination series tho. But he played ok. He was the Lakers second best player, and he was a solid player. Always has been. You shouldn't expect TOO much from the guy, but he'll give your 15-20 ppg.

[iamgine]

So why come people always say, "Kobe had a prime Shaq, replace him with so and so, and the Lakers still win 3 in a row".


You just said Shaqs prime years started in 95.

Where are the other titles?

That was strictly for the year 00-02 when the competition wasn't that good.

If they replace Kobe, they might have won more.

[magnax1]

98-03. 98 was the first year he really had that turn around mutilated jumpshot down (I don't know what else to call it lol) You could maybe add 05 in there, or take away 03.

[The Iron Fist]

Who said "anyone could win with prime Shaq"?

You obviously haven't read boards for a very long time. It has been said for about a decade now.

[The Iron Fist]

That was strictly for the year 00-02 when the competition wasn't that good.

If they replace Kobe, they might have won more.

So now the competition wasn't that good?

So how does that make Shaq so great then?

[iamgine]

So now the competition wasn't that good?

So how does that make Shaq so great then?

Because he killed the good competition before that. Only his team wasn't good enough.

[Jacks3]

If they replace Kobe, they might have won more.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Shaq's true prime was '98-'02 and extended prime was '95-'03. The '99 lockout year being the oddseason in between where he was below his other prime seasons. He definitely had talented teams during that time, more talented than the 3peat, but they weren't as well built, and Shaq for the most part, wasn't as good of a leader or playoff performer before Phil got there. However, Shaq was great in the '98 playoffs and his team more or less crumbled that year. Particularly Van Exel who shot 24% in the WCF and supposedly was talking about his vacation plans during a timeout in the elimination game. Jones was mediocre in the Utah series as well averaging 15 ppg on 41% shooting and has had a reputation as a playoff choker.

Shaq was disappointing in the '97 and '99 playoffs, though. Great 1st round series each season, but poor semifinals.

[TheFan]

So why come people always say, "Kobe had a prime Shaq, replace him with so and so, and the Lakers still win 3 in a row".


You just said Shaqs prime years started in 95.

Where are the other titles?

also he missed many games in that period...

95-96 54 games played
96-97 51 games played
97-98 60 games played

[magnax1]

Shaq's true prime was '98-'02 and extended prime was '95-'03. The '99 lockout year being the oddseason in between where he was below his other prime seasons. He definitely had talented teams during that time, more talented than the 3peat, but they weren't as well built, and Shaq for the most part, wasn't as good of a leader or playoff performer before Phil got there. However, Shaq was great in the '98 playoffs and his team more or less crumbled that year. Particularly Van Exel who shot 24% in the WCF and supposedly was talking about his vacation plans during a timeout in the elimination game. Jones was mediocre in the Utah series as well averaging 15 ppg on 41% shooting and has had a reputation as a playoff choker.

Shaq was disappointing in the '97 and '99 playoffs, though. Great 1st round series each season, but poor semifinals.

I definitely wouldn't say he was much worse in 99 then 98. He played less minutes, and probably was worse on defense, but I don't think he was really much worse overall. If you gave him the same minutes, he'd probably come really close to equaling his 98 production in 99.

[PTB Fan]

95-05. He was remarkable in those years. 00-03 was his peak IMO.

[ShaqAttack3234]

I definitely wouldn't say he was much worse in 99 then 98. He played less minutes, and probably was worse on defense, but I don't think he was really much worse overall. If you gave him the same minutes, he'd probably come really close to equaling his 98 production in 99.

He was a clear step below in '99. One reason is his defense as you mentioned, and just overall laziness, similar to '03 vs '02, except he was better in '03 than '99.

He was also much better in the '98 playoffs than the '99 playoffs, and there's no excuse for a 26/27 year old Shaq not even playing 35 mpg in '99. His team also underachieved in the '99 season.

Granted, some of these things probably had to do with the lockout, but the result was still a '99 season completely inferior to his '98 season.

The only years that Shaq was clearly better than he was in '98 were '00 and '01, maybe '02 as well. While '99 is not in the discussion for one of his top 5 seasons.

[TheFan]

imo

prime: Athletic prime, when the player is at his best athletically, which is 21-23 years old for most human beings.

peak: when a players understand the game and he is still a very athletic guy.

when your past your 23 - 25 your body start a slow process of deterioration.

for example: 23 years old Jordan is a better athlete than 28 years old Jordan, but because 28 years Jordan is still a damn great athlete and have a better understanding of the game, 28 years old Jordan is a better player.

Having this in mind.

Shaq prime: First 3 years in the league
Shaq peak: 98 - 2003.

[AlphaWolf24]

So, if anyone "could win with a prime Shaq",


where are the 95 to 99 titles?

He had many many many great teams outside of the Lakers....not sure why that other F@qqit is saying "teams" win.....Snaq had many great "teams" and lost over and over again.




outside of playing with the 2nd greatest SG and top 5 alltime player Kobe Bean.....

his career is a huge waste IMO.....the man had all the tools to be much better then his career ended up being....


lack of work ethic and discipline made him waste alot of his physical talent...

[32Dayz]

Shaq the great had many great "teams" and lost over and over again.

his career is a huge waste IMO.....the man had all the tools to be much better then his career ended up being....


lack of work ethic and discipline made him waste alot of his physical talent...

Actually outside of 95,96 Shaq didn't have a single player beside him in the 90's that could consistently knock down a shot or provide 0ffense beside him in the playoffs.

I dont know how you could say he had good or even decent casts outside of those two years considering that.

When they did lose in 95 it was due to the failure of his supporting Cast.
in 96 his Cast outside of Penny played terribly even worse then they did in the previous year but losing to the 96 bullz is not exactly shameful especially with Shaq being the best player in that series even in defeat.

His Career was a huge waste?
99% of people rank him from 4-7 on the GOAT list and he is one of the few players with a legitmate argument as the GOAT.
He is the 2nd best playoff performer in the history of the game after Jordan and is top 3-4 in most statistical catergorys when your looking at the greats in the playoffs.
Greatest Finals performer of all Time.

Bean is nothing but a Joke or a used daiper in comparison to the great Oneal and if not for riding him for 8 years he probably wouldnt even be considered a top 15 player. No one ranks Kobe in the top 5 and practically no one ranks him above 9 or 10.

Also one of the bigger reasons the late 90's Lakers sucked was due to the failure of Kobe in the playoffs and his consistent and epic brick laying partys.