History of the game question.

[Diesel]

OK,

These questions are based on the fact that you play a certain position, you are in front of your home crowd,on National TV, on your birthday, with your girlfriend watching, with the playoffs on the line and you're assigned to match up offensively and defensively against these guys. What guy would you not want to match up with for fear that he will embarrass you?

Edited December 23, 2009 by Diesel

[Plainview1981]

MJ, Shaq, Barkley and Magic. I went back and fourth between Hakeem and Shaq. One will destroy your manhood and the other will outclass you.

[Supporter]

All of them.

[coachx]

Oscar Robertson would have had my vote at PG. Since he was not there I went with Magic. Not sure why Jerry West was in with a list of PGs.

I interpreted "swingman" to mean SG-SF since Jordan was thrown in there.

For centers I had to go with Kareem over Wilt. They out-lawed the dunk b/c of Kareem's dominance as a freshman at UCLA. That is what made him into the most gifted post player ever (right ahead of Hakeem). John Wooden gets credit for that. His coaching made Kareem mature as man far beyond his years with his approach and attitude. The Kareem sky hook was the most unstoppable force in the history of basketball in my humble opinion. It allowed him to play at a championship level until he was 45 for heavens sake.

For the young generation, of course its Shaq who put the fear of god in people as a center. However, Hakeem put the fear of god in Shaq in that NBA Finals right after dominating Daivd Robinson.

Edited December 23, 2009 by coachx

[buckeye242424]

MJ, Shaq, Barkley and Magic. I went back and fourth between Hakeem and Shaq. One will destroy your manhood and the other will outclass you.

I picked alsmost the same, Duncan in place Barkley. I know Duncan isn't as intimidating as others, which isn't the question posed, but he's got to be one of the top 3 PF's ever. I don't think there's any doubt the Jordan and Shaq would chew you up and spit you out...

[coachx]

No love for Karl Malone ? If we are talking FEAR, he was the badest PF ever by far. If you try to block one of dunks he would literally break your arm off. Those guns he had would scare the crap out of anyone. He would throw both Barkley and Duncan all over the place in his prime.

I could see where Duncan could get the edge due to defensive shot blocking but after wrestling in the post with Karl Malone, for a game, your body would feel like you just played the old "Steele Curtain" in 4 quarters of football.

I do understand the Barkley love. He is the only guy I have seen go toe to toe Shaq and take him to the ground in a fight. Granted he caught Shaq off balance.

Edited December 23, 2009 by coachx

[buckeye242424]

No love for Karl Malone ? If we are talking FEAR, he was the badest PF ever by far. If you try to block one of dunks he would literally break your arm off. Those guns he had would scare the crap out of anyone. He would throw both Barkley and Duncan all over the place in his prime.

I could see where Duncan could get the edge due to defensive shot blocking but after wrestling in the post with Karl Malone, for a game, your body would feel like you just played the old "Steele Curtain" in 4 quarters of football.

I do understand the Barkley love. He is the only guy I have seen go toe to toe Shaq and take him to the ground in a fight. Granted he caught Shaq off balance.

There's an argument for the Mailman, there's no doubt....and you're right, especially if we're voting just on FEAR. If we're going on talent alone, it's a whole different discussion. Foe example, who's "scared" of playing against LeBron? No one. People know if he get's 32, 12 and 8...it's just another day at the office, and he doesn't instill that killer mentality. He's dancing around like an idiot. Talent and athletic wise, you could argue he's up there with anyone.

[Diesel]

There's an argument for the Mailman, there's no doubt....and you're right, especially if we're voting just on FEAR. If we're going on talent alone, it's a whole different discussion. Foe example, who's "scared" of playing against LeBron? No one. People know if he get's 32, 12 and 8...it's just another day at the office, and he doesn't instill that killer mentality. He's dancing around like an idiot. Talent and athletic wise, you could argue he's up there with anyone.

Whenever I see Lebron crying to the refs... or dancing.. or making those scowls I am thinking, he's not an intimidator, he's a child. When I see Jordan and Kobe... I see two guys who will cut your heart out because of their overwhelming competitiveness. So for me, it came down to Kobe vs. Jordan. I used to give the edge to Jordan because I have not seen anybody on his level of competitive. However, now, Kobe. Kobe just has so many more weapons than Jordan had. Jordan was a post up guard who used his 6'6" frame to dominate the compeitition and he had straight up flying ability. He was artistic. However, Kobe has most of that but added that he's such an accomplished scorer and seems to be just as competitive.

[Plainview1981]

Whenever I see Lebron crying to the refs... or dancing.. or making those scowls I am thinking, he's not an intimidator, he's a child. When I see Jordan and Kobe... I see two guys who will cut your heart out because of their overwhelming competitiveness. So for me, it came down to Kobe vs. Jordan. I used to give the edge to Jordan because I have not seen anybody on his level of competitive. However, now, Kobe. Kobe just has so many more weapons than Jordan had. Jordan was a post up guard who used his 6'6" frame to dominate the compeitition and he had straight up flying ability. He was artistic. However, Kobe has most of that but added that he's such an accomplished scorer and seems to be just as competitive.

The thing about Kobe is that he has poor shot selection a fair bit of the time. MJ would average 40PPG the way the league works today.

[jy23]

Had To go with mj, close betwen he n Kobe but I just think kobes tad bit softer, couldn't see him punching out a teammate in practice, Jordan's teammates feared him just like everybody else in the league. Have to go with shaq if were talking bout being feared, may not have been the most talented but the man was gigantic n athletic. Tough between Barkley n Malone, I still don't know if I picked the right one there. Almost went with Zeke bc the lil Guy was just tough n played with crazy intensity but magic was just so much more talented n so unique that I just think guys hated to have to try n guard that guy, a 6'9 pg, I mean that's just crazy.

[Diesel]

A think I may have misspoke when I used the word fear.

I'm talking 1 game to determine who goes to the playoffs. What player do you not want to see coming out on the court? I think many of you took it as if I were saying.. you're in a dark alley and this player is coming into the alley. In a one game series, I'll take my chances with Shaq because I can put him on the line... Hakeem on the other hand.. I will have no way to stop.

[coachx]

A think I may have misspoke when I used the word fear.

I'm talking 1 game to determine who goes to the playoffs. What player do you not want to see coming out on the court? I think many of you took it as if I were saying.. you're in a dark alley and this player is coming into the alley. In a one game series, I'll take my chances with Shaq because I can put him on the line... Hakeem on the other hand.. I will have no way to stop.

In that case here is my 2 deep rotation:

Ocar Robertson / Magic Johnson

Michael Jordan / Kobe Bryant (tough to leave off West)

Larry Bird / Dr. J

Tim Duncan / Karl Malone

Kareem Abdul Jabbar / Bill Russell

The best closers, with that killer instinct, combined with leadership ability, that I have personally seen are Jordan and Bird.

I can't believe Barkley is leading the fowards in votes. I guess you can chalk it up to the TNT generation or that take down of Shaq when he was old and fat.

Edited December 23, 2009 by coachx

[MaceCase]

I'm going

That is my most feared starting lineup because they will outwork, outclass and outheart any opponent and treat it all like it's business.

[HawkItus]

Jordan, Hakeem, Duncan, Magic. The reason I chose these guys is that in their primes none of them had a peer at their position. You couldn't stop Jordan, because no one could stop Jordan. Same with Hakeem. Hakeem worked everybody in the league from Shaq to Robinson. Duncan, stared down Garnett, Shaq, Malone. And Magic. Well let's see he played center for a majority of want of his finals wins. Yeah, your stopping that guy at pg if he really wanted to demolish you.

[FrankWhite]

I don't know if I'd call Bird a swingman.

[justin31]

i picked lebron, malone, chamberlain, and magic, mostly because at about 120 lbs i'm afraid of dying. i'm also terrified of KG, but i think id have too much fun yelling back at him after he embarassed me.

[ATLNY7]

MJ, Shaq, Barkley and Magic. I went back and fourth between Hakeem and Shaq. One will destroy your manhood and the other will outclass you.

I picked the same players also. If I went against Shaq, he would just dunk on me every time in the post.

[benhillboy]

Eliminate Chambers, Kemp, Nash, Ginobili, and Parker. How you could put their names in the same class of some of the others is beyond me.

Edited December 27, 2009 by benhillboy

[Endy9]

Unless I missed it you left Pistol Pete off Guards, which would be my first choice and Nate Archibald would be my second. Voted for Magic who would be my third choice.

[Diesel]

Eliminate Chambers, Kemp, Nash, Ginobili, and Parker. How you could put their names in the same class of some of the others is beyond me.

Some of these guys are straight up closers. For instance Ginobili... I think he has closed the door on quite a few teams in the playoffs. Kemp... the year that they went to the finals, Kemp was a monster. Chambers... maybe he could come off. Nash is a two time MVP and probably the second best PG of this era. As far as Pistol Pete... Did Pete ever make the playoffs?