Orlando Best Rep. The East This Year.

[KG Living Legend]

 Why we have to lose KG?   UGGHHH.  Anyway we Definitely BEAT DOWN!!! The Lakers with a healthy squad.  Soft, weak, crap, west coast Fakers, they Suck!!! 

 You figured the King and the best record in the game, this year also would have beat "the black mamba"  (what an awful nick name, probably the worst ever)

 So Superman, Turk, Rashad, Pietrus, The masked man, Skip to my Lou, The Polish Hammer, And Stan My Man, AKA The notorious M.O.P.
 "Master Of Panic"   They Best Cowboy Up, and Beat down The Lakers like I know they should.

 I dread the thought Of #24 getting his forth ring!!!!

 Go MAGIC!!!
 

[KG Living Legend]

 Did anyone see Kobe on ESPN with Magic?  He is so arrogant. He said the truth is Shaq would have never won if not for me.

 He never said vice versa. Well it's also true that an Old Shaq won with D wade, and Shaq could have won those titles with a handful of other guys in the NBA.

 I can't believe he won't give shaq more than half of the credit. You NEED THE BIG MAN TO WIN!!!!!!!

 M.J. is about the only guy to get it done without a dominant Big man.

 Who else has done it in the last 20 years???  The pistons had Ben and Rasheed Wallace, Spurs Duncan, Rockets the dream, Lakers Shaq, Miami Shaq, Celts KG, On and on You need the big man KOBE!!!!

 He's so lucky the gods gave him Gasol, one of the best big men in the world albeit a little soft. Without Pau the Lakers are nothing KOBE!!! 

[paintitgreen]

Actually, Kobe did say the reverse was true. He said Shaq wouldn't have won the rings without him, and he wouldn't have won the rings without Shaq, and neither would have won the rings without Fisher, Horry, etc.

However, you're right in that failing to give Shaq more than half the credit is wrong. The truth is, I don't think there's any big man, or really anybody, you could have substituted into those Lakers teams for Shaq and still won the titles - maybe Duncan, maybe Garnett. At the time, Shaq was one of the 2 or 3 best players in the league and couldn't be replaced because he was better than pretty much everybody else. 

However, you could have subbed about 5-10 wing players (Pierce, Carter, McGrady, Allen, Hill, Iverson, maybe even Finley, Miller, Stackhouse) in for Kobe (and about 20 overall - add Duncan, Garnett, Kidd, Payton, Dirk, Webber, Malone, probably even Marbury and Nash) and still won the titles.

That Kobe has won only one MVP seems a bit low but makes sense since he's only been the best player on his TEAM for 5-6 years, and his team failed to top 50 wins in 3 of those seasons. That Shaq won only one MVP in his career is a crime. He was the dominant force in the league from 98 to 02, during which time his teams won 61, 31 (pace for 51), 67, 56 and 58 games. I guess, realistically, his injuries are really what cost him more hardware. But there's a reason he has 4 titles and 3 Finals MVPs and Kobe has 3 and 0.

And there's a reason the Lakers were 245-84 (.744, equivalent of 61-21) with Shaq in the lineup from 98 to 02, but 28-21 (.571, equivalent of 47-35) without him. With Kobe in the lineup, they were 245-98 (.714, equivalent of 59-23) but 28-7 (.800, equivalent of 66-16) without him. Shaq was better, and more important, than Kobe. 

[KG Living Legend]

 TP paint it green. If I could give you more I would. I'll get you to 100 next time I see you.

 Thats my point that you described so well. Maybe not all the guys you mentioned, but there was definitely a handful of guys that you could replace Kobe with Pierce was always one of them. And like you said Shaq is not replaced in his prime.

 Just like Dwight Howard now. You can't replace him with ANYONE.

 I wouldn't trade Howard for James Right now. He's the new "IT" GUY"  The next Dominant Big Man.

[paintitgreen]

I'd take Lebron over Howard, but that's it. Big men are too hard to come by. Lebron's just different because he's a freak of nature with his size and speed combination.

Here's a question, though. Who would benefit more by adding a couple of post moves, Howard or Lebron? That aspect could take either to the next level. Howard with post moves could be in the conversation with the best two-way big men of all time - Hakeem, Robinson, Duncan (Russell, Wilt and Kareem are just on a higher plane; Shaq never really had the defense but his offense was ridiculous). Lebron could become a completely unstoppable offensive force - penetration, post moves, outside shot, passing. If both those guys added post moves, they'd be infinitely scarier to defend.

[KG Living Legend]

 Who would benefit more? SuperMan. No question here.

 I am a big man first king of guy. Could you Imagine if garnett had his strength. KG would be the best ever. But he doesn't Dwight does. And I have more moves that Dwight right now. And he is destroying the League right now.

 I can teach myself a Lefthanded hook, and it's not to bad. So I'd imagine Patrick and company will show him. If he can shoot a jump hook with either hand, throw in a dream shake and fade-away from ten to twelve feet.

 He will be a top five Center in the Game. And that's saying something.