Jordan/Kareem/Duncan/LeBron/West have the five best peaks ever

[miles berg]

Jordan
Wilt
Shaq
Hakeem
Bird

[fpliii]

My top 7 peaks are Bird, MJ, and the 5 GOAT centers in some order. Maybe I'm underrating current players (Kobe, KG, Timmy, LeBron, Dirk) though.

[SamuraiSWISH]

My top 7 peaks are Bird, MJ, and the 5 GOAT centers in some order. Maybe I'm underrating current players (Kobe, KG, Timmy, LeBron, Dirk) though.

That I've seen in context?

'92 MJ
2000 Shaq
'95 Hakeem
2003 Duncan
2012 LeBron

[fpliii]

That I've seen in context?

'92 MJ
2000 Shaq
'95 Hakeem
2003 Duncan
2012 LeBron

That I've seen (started watching in 92-93), Shaq and Hakeem stand alone. Missed MJ's peak though, but he was terrific. Maybe better than any other wing, even past his peak.

[elementally morale]

That I've seen in context?

'92 MJ
2000 Shaq
'95 Hakeem
2003 Duncan
2012 LeBron

Good list, but I think if you were older you'd have to put Bird and Magic there, too. Thus you'd have the same list as I do.

[SamuraiSWISH]

Good list, but I think if you were older you'd have to put Bird and Magic there, too. Thus you'd have the same list as I do.

Yea, probably. I've seen many of their games on tape however. But you're generally wrong when it comes to rating Jordan. You overly favor Laker and Celtics players. MJ had a higher peak than Bird, and certainly higher than Magic.

[elementally morale]

Yea, probably. But you're generally wrong. You overly favor Laker and Celtics players. MJ had a higher peak than Bird.

Debatable. 2000 Shaq though... that's something else.

At any rate, it all comes down to personal preference after a while. I saw whole games when I didn't really believe what I was watching. Magic had some of those games. Bird. MJ. Shaq. Hakeem. Kobe (but never maintained for more than a month or two). LeBron (though I don't really enjoy watching his game). Nash, most certainly. Vince Carter. Iverson. T-Mac for 2-3 years. Peak Barkley. There were some others I must be forgetting.

These lists are getting rather long after almost 35 years of watching.

[bizil]

It can be hard to compare perimeter and bigs so I'm gonna split mine up:

Perimeter:

MJ
Kobe
Lebron
Magic
Bird

Bigs:

Wilt
Kareem
Shaq
Hakeem
Barkley

[mehyaM24]

tier 1:
lebron/kareem

teir 2:
jordan/duncan/west

kareem is interchangeable with jordan, but era (lack of swingmen and expansion in the 90s etc) has to be taken into account. for comparisons sake, kareem was battling giants and multiple HOF centers.

lebron is an easy choice, obviously. dude has the all-around game, essentially a suped up scottie pippen with greater intangibles.

[CavaliersFTW]

Wilt Chamberlain's peak shits on all of them, sorry.

[mehyaM24]

Wilt Chamberlain's peak shits on all of them, sorry.

as much as i think wilt is overrated, he belongs in my tier #1. BOTH he and kareem H2H = battle of the titans

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Why is Hakeem not up there? Granted his peak was strangely short ( I noticeably remember watching him be MUCH worse even 95-96 when he averaged i think 19/10?), but I always include Hakeem in GOAT peak talks

Hakeem's peak is def underrated. Peak Shaq vs Hakeem is Ali and Frazier for me.

[DatAsh]

It's hard to imagine anyone being better than peak Wilt. Wilt at his peak was as good a defender as Bill Russell. I just don't see anyone else having that kind of combined offensive and defensive impact.

Shaq would be my number 2.

[LAZERUSS]

Hakeem's peak is def underrated. Peak Shaq vs Hakeem is Ali and Frazier for me.

More like Foreman and Frazier. A 22 year old Shaq outplayed a PEAK Hakeem. And over the course of their career H2H's, he wiped the floor with Olajuwon. And no one ever brings up their '99 playoff H2H, when a PEAK Shaq just abused Hakeem.

[LAZERUSS]

It's hard to imagine anyone being better than peak Wilt. Wilt at his peak was as good a defender as Bill Russell. I just don't see anyone else having that kind of combined offensive and defensive impact.

Shaq would be my number 2.

From 65-66 thru 67-68, Chamberlain simply CRUSHED the ENTIRE NBA. He could lead the league in scoring, rebounding, and FG%, and even in assists. He was capable of 68 point games, 18-18 FG/FGA games, 20-20-20 games, 53-32-14 games, 42 rebound games, and estimated games of 20+ blocked shots (and a KNOWN 23 block game in 1968.) He led his team to the best record in the league all three seasons, and a dominating title season in '67. And he SLAUGHTERED the likes of Bellamy, Thurmond, and even Russell in his H2H's in that period, as well.

Shaq from 2000-2002, or KAJ from 1970-1972 would be my next picks...