<font color="Orange"><font size="1">Footnote :First of all..srry if u felt like u were dissed or something but didn't intend to attack your threads lakerfever..nuttin but luv for em but I do have my opinion on 'em :thumbsup: </font></font> **I know this might have been posted several times but since it is almost playoff time i thought a quick review of the season was a good idea** Anyhow..What do y'all think about Shaq at this moment and this entire season? Since a lot of people are attacking Kobe for the losses but never saying anything about Shaq not doing what he is supposed to do.. :thumbsdow <u> 1st look at the stats : </u> FG FT% RPG APG BPG TO PPG 02/03 .574 .622 11.10 3.1 2.37 2.93 27.5 03/04 .582 .495 11.40 2.9 2.46 2.94 21.4 You can see clearly he's dropped about 6 points a game and almost 0.2 on FT %. Everyone always tries to complane about KOBE having to cut down on TO's but look @ shaq..he has a whopping 3 TO's a game average and i'm sure it happens a lot of times where he loses it even more. Ofcourse..also..PLEASE STOP BRICKING THOSE FT'S! KOBE STATS : FG FT% RPG APG SPG TO PPG 02/03 .451 .843 6.90 5.9 2.21 3.51 30.0 03/04 .436 .854 5.50 5.0 1.73 2.67 23.4 Clearly he's dropped about 6 points also but all you people talking bout KOBE's TO's shut up...You can see for urselves last year he average 3,5 a game now he's dropped that by almost 1 TO a game. and YES it is less than shaq..so maybe y'all should start complaining bout SHAQ's Turnovers!! He still distributes the ball a lot 5 dimes a game is a lot for a offensive minded player with that many HOF'ers in the team. (that was just to clear things up in the mind of you people who don't understand KOBE isn't the one f *cking things up here) <u>2nd of all </u> Shaq gets in foul trouble every single game. Almost every game he sits out a lot of the 2nd Quarter , because he isn't playing with poise. I and EVERYONE here can see Shaq needs to play more with his heart than simply playing without even wanting to win (it's seems like that). That get's the team in a lot more trouble since we don't have a comparable C to fill in for shaq. So not KOBE's shooting too much or crap like that. <u>3rd </u> I for one think shaq has stepped down his D a lot. I don't know why, but brad miller (just example) scored numerous times on Shaq's ass because he just doesn't take that extra step outside. Also Maybe it is because he's slown down a step(which i don't think is the case) every time he helps on a double or switches the Player he should guard get's open for a wide open shot..(this is maybe more of a Team Defense problem but still) <u>4th </u> In his stats he might have increased his Boarding average but i still think this is WAY TO LITTLE for someone his size and posture. C'mon man he's 7'1" and 300+ pounds but get's outrebounded by far less skilled (and tall) players!! he should at least get 13 a game..AT LEAST! Plus what happend to 30/20 shaq? i haven't seen him do that this season (maybe one or 2 times but that would be an exception) <font color="Red"><font size="4">I'm not comparing KOBE to SHAQ what i mentioned earlier was just to illustrate i think SHAQ is the X-factor of the problems and not KOBE</font>.</font> He used to be the most dominating CENTER in the L...i think that is becoming more and more less. I'm not a hater .. I luv him and his game..but NOT the way he handles games He isn't playing with heart u can see that. Only game i saw him play with everything he had was against the Raptors earlier this season with the bustass refs. Holla
Kobe has been shooting a lot worse this season from the field too, and that hasn't helped. I guess you could partially blame it on all the shoulder problems he's had this season, but like I said it doesn't help. Shaq has been a real disappointment at the line this year, but hopefully he can pull though in the playoffs and atleast go back to makeing 60%+. Kobe's TO's going down is mainly because he handles the ball much less now, because now he has Gary alongside with him. He also does not look to score as much so that only helps you on your TO stats. Plus he's been playing less time this year also. In all, I really don't care much for stats as long as the Lakers win games, but I agree Shaq's freethrows are a concern going into the playoffs.
Shaq game has been disappointing this season. Not just the FT but his whole game. He hasnt have the will to play anymore. I remember way back when MJ said to Phil Jackson he needs a challange to play. I think Shaq is not challenged anymore.He has made too much money and doesnt love the game anymore. As a Shaq fan im ashamed to see this. I used to love seeing Shaq dominating a game but lately i see other C playing better than Shaq. Some people here has complained about Kobe's game but im not like that. In case you'all didnt see the game against Warriors. I like to say for all the Kobe haters here. He is back. Exept for that 3point shooting. Something wasnt right about that againt Warriors. I hope to see another Shaq than the one we saw during this season. The game against the Kings wasnt Kobe's or Shaq's fault. It was the whole team who made stupid mistakes. Dont just blame it on Shaq or Kobe
If Shaq made his fts these pass years...He wouldve scored like 40pts per game, breaking records...that would be nutz..!! Shaq is sluggish! He used to be all exciting before, with Shaq Fu, and the Westside thing, and yelling, now he's just mellowed out, I miss the old shaq, who used to talk smack...Kobe's the best.
Shaq needs to get on his game mode, he needs to be like Kobe, play the game instead of whining and cussing on the TV getting yourself suspended
People who think Shaq is lazy and doesnt do anything is just dumb. Who won back to back to back titles. Shaq hasnt been getting the ball down low. Every big man that runs the floor and doesnt get the ball would always be mad. shaq should get more touches a game for the lakers to win like they used to.
Other than Shaq's first three years in the L,he's always been a lazy player. Shaq has/had the ability and size to average 30/15 every night and he doesn't. Why is that? He's lazy. He doesn't work on his game or his body like he should in the off-season and what's worse he thinks he is owed everything. Just look at earlier this year when he missed a few weeks with a STRAINED CALF of all things. Shaq is a great players but I have always questioned his desire,work ethic and common sense.
Shaq is the greatest lazy player ever then. He does work on his ft's, but he has a huge mental block during games. But, I and everybody else knows that he should be a better rebounder and shot blocker. 15 boards and 4 blocks a game shouldn't be to far out of the question for a man with his talents and physical dominance.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Is Shaq washed up? "I thought he looked tired out there," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, referring to Shaquille O'Neal after the Lakers defeated the Rockets 92-88 in overtime on Sunday and took a 3-1 lead in the first-round series. "I was on him about playing defense the way we wanted him to play. He wasn't active enough. But he pulled it out and got active defensively and got some rebounds. I was pleased the way he rallied at the end." And, yes, the Rockets did spend all game double-teaming O'Neal. That's one big reason Karl Malone, whose defender usually helped on O'Neal, had 30 points and 13 rebounds. Malone's three-point play with the Lakers down four in overtime fouled out Yao Ming and was the turning point. Malone also picked up a key steal and rebound later after some rough stuff earlier in the game had earned him a technical foul. "It's the kind of game you dream about," said Malone, who became the first NBA player 40 or older to score at least 30 points in a playoff game. But, still, where was that force of O'Neal? He's averaging 17.2 points and 11.8 rebounds in this series, and Yao isn't that great a defender. O'Neal never has averaged fewer than 20 points in the playoffs and never fewer than 25 since a three-game cameo in his rookie season. But Kelvin Cato controlled O'Neal when Yao was out with foul trouble, and Yao beat O'Neal for a key rebound in overtime. That should raise questions about O'Neal extending far beyond these playoffs. O'Neal clearly lacks his old explosiveness and quickness. It may be because of constant foot and knee problems or weight issues. It's going to make a Lakers playoff success almost impossible if he cannot regain that dominance. Where are those familiar 30-point and 20-rebound games? This may be the last we see of O'Neal in a Lakers uniform. The feeling around the league is that Kobe Bryant will give the Lakers an ultimatum: Shaq or me. Until recently, the Lakers would have stuck with O'Neal. But with Shaq playing fewer regular-season games and having less impact (despite his All-NBA first-team status), they might not, especially with the prospect that Bryant could leave as a free agent this summer and sign with the neighboring Clippers. Lakers owner Jerry Buss is said to prefer Bryant as an attraction. Plus O'Neal is demanding a contract extension exceeding $30 million per year. So could O'Neal finish his career in Orlando? As sort of the Greg Maddux of the NBA? Would a desperate team like the Bulls take a shot? The Knicks certainly would. Or does he retire a Laker? O'Neal's playoff performance could impact more than just the Lakers' future.</div> Shaq of old seems absent
Take a look at him defending (or should I say lack of defending) the pick and roll. More often than not, the offensive players will get a shot off him during a pick and roll. He just wouldn't extend his defense.
dont know whats up with him.. first he always was the main big scoring man.. now he gotta guy like the mailman standing next to him... and gary payton takes points 2...
