ppl have always said there won't be another MJ. The closest ones we have to MJ are Kobe, Wade, T-Mac (when healthy), and LBJ. But who's gonna be the next Shaq?
126455
Well, it's harder to have a shaq then people think. He was so big but yet quick. Glen Davis is a big dude but he's only 6 foot 9. Unless he grows like four inches, he's to short to be that dominant. Curry is the closest thing in terms of size and talent but he has not the will and heart of shaq.
189687
yes, i believe that jordan is a cut above the rest. but lebron and kobe are closing in fast. it remains to be seen
216123
shaq cause he'd just post him up every time.
156056
Michael Jordan, hands down. No one person has ever or ever will have the talent the MJ has. Not downing Wilt, but he was 6 inches taller than everyone else in the NBA. If we get a 7'8" guy with power, he would dominate. Not because of skill...because of size.
296826
If shaq got injured then i think that wade is gonna dominate the most but miami all the way bro!!!
118329
I have to say Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon. He may have worse career points than Kareem-Abdul Jabar, who I htink is 2nd, but Hakeem led the Houston Rockets to be the champs the 2 years MJ was out. Sure, Kareems been champion way more, but he's never won the NBA Finals MVP and Hakeem has 2 of them. In my mind, that makes him better.
415733
Notice that the Heat suck with out him...notice that the Lakers suck with out him...With out Shaq, teams just suck, and Shaq is the most dominant player ever, he doesn't need to be #1 on the squad. If Shaq leaves, you'll see why he's #1 on that squad, as soon as they start to lose...so it really doesn't matter.
661060
I don't think any of the aforementioned guards could take Lebron, though I think Kobe would come closest. The only other player I would consider is Kevin Garnett. He has the lateral quickness to stay reasonably with Lebron and the length to close in the gaps. When Lebron lowers that shoulder, he's an ox for everyone except Shaq. KG's low-post game and shot-blocking are what might give him the edge.\n\nPlus, I do remember a story of him being always beating everyone one-on-one on the national teams he was on.
149054
Nobody can be like Michael Jordan, you can make comparisons to it, but still MJ was the best and he has a legacy that almost nobody will touch. That being said, Kobe is already living a Jordanesque life in the NBA. Multiple Championships (with Shaq), countless buzzer-beaters, scoring over 35 ppg in a season, leading a team that would be otherwise bad to the playoffs. Keep #8 Kobe, it is YOUR legacy. When kids 20 years from now look back and say, who wore #8 in the NBA that was really good? Of course everyone will say... Kobe Bryant. Live you own NBA life Kobe, you dont need to be like Jordan with almost the same number, people compare the 2 of them anyway.
588758
no mavs. heat all teh way Miami 95 and dallas 92. it's gonna be close.
599489
Jordan... VC's dunks have all been improved on. Dr J was a great dunker, but Jordan can alwayz one up him, Dawkins wouldnt win, he was too big on power dunks, Nique lost to Jordan, Kobe only won one dunk contest, and it was a crappy one. Spud Webb only won because he is so short, just like that 5'9" guy who won this last one.
602292
vince carter easily, especially if we are talking about vc in his prime.  He's got mad hops over all those other chumps.  Kobe would be a distant second
165895
DeeeeeTRoiiit Baasketbaaaallll....\n\nPistons, hands down...they WILL be the 2006 champs, and Shaq will have his season end for the 3rd time in a row to the likes of the Wallaces, Chauncey, Rip, & Prince.
625015
I'm going to look at this from a depth/matchup stand point. EVEN if Shaq is a force of nature, that still won't matter because Tim Duncan was a force of nature and Mavs still beat them. Mavs can play many styles of basketball...but I think Avery is going to make Dallas play the style they used against the Spurs...run and quick shots. Devin Harris will be a key in running the ball down the court which will one take Shaq out of the game and get him tired, and two create match up problems due to transition defense. Dirk Nowitzki is going to be double teamed almost every time, Josh Howard is better then Walker or James Posey, Terry is better then Williams. If the Heat want to win, then Dwayne Wade is going to have to not only shoot well, but somehow get others involved. Where Detroit didn't have a bench, the Mavericks have Stackhouse, Van Horn, Daniels, Harris, and sometimes Darrel Armstrong. Miami has a veteran bench, but might cost them if Dallas goes to a run and gun offense. So heres how I look at it..\n\nPG:\nHarris/Terry > Williams\n\nSG:\nTerry/Griffin < Dwayne Wade\n\nSF:\nJosh Howard > James Posey or anyone else\n\nPF:\nDirk > Walker\n\nC:\nDiop/Dampier < Shaq (Or maybe they might do a decent job after all)\n\nBench:\nMavs > Heat\n\nTherefore, I conclude that the Mavs would win in 6
568282
Its obviously Iverson. First off, the rest of the players have some sort of backup they can go to. LeBron has Larry Hughes to fall back on as well as Ilgauskas, Kobe has Lamar Odom, and Dwade has many players, Shaq, Williams, Posey. Iverson..who does he have? Eric Snow? not reliable. It is a close race between Iverson and LeBron tho, LeBron does help his team with his presence, averaging a lot of assists while maintaining 6+ assists per game. Iverson is very similiar, however he has no one to really help out.
673985
Don't count on the Heat/Cavs being the next Laker/Celtic rivalry.  That was something we'll NEVER see again. For one thing, rosters are too unstable for any teams to have a solid ten year rivalry anymore.   The Celtics and Lakers played in the finals SEVEN times between 1959 and 1969.  No way any two teams today can do that.\n\nESPN's already tried to create the next Laker Celtic rivalry, with Cleveland and Denver.... from "Melo" and "Bron's" first day in the league, they were the next Bird/Magic... ESPN or TNT would even televise all of their games against each other (being in different conferences, they only play each other twice in the regular season)...   and we've all seen how THAT'S working out... by the time Magic and Bird were in the NBA for 3 years, Magic had two rings, and Bird got the other one.  Not only that, but the Denver/Cleveland games have been ATROCIOUS displays of 'basketball'.\n\nAnd it's true that Shaq is not the player he once was (he's maybe 20% of what he used to be)... but 20% of Shaq is still a hell of a lot better than 100% of  Zydrunas Ilgauskas.  That guy SUCKS.\n\nAnd even if Alonzo is only good for a few minutes at a time, that's all they needed him for this year.\n\nYeah, Jason Williams was all flash and no wins...until NOW!  Guess what? Until this year, so was Wade...(.And if Williams was all flash and no wins, what's Lebron?)\n\nAnd Haslem is an excellent player...I love that high, arching jump shot of his...nothing but the bottom of the net when he's on... and he's no all star, but when was the last time a team won a title with five all stars?  So what if he's not an all star, he'd start for Cleveland any day of the week.\n\nIn fact, Lebron is the only player on Cleveland who's better than his counterpart on the Heat.\n\nCleveland's not going anywhere. We're not going to see them in the Conference Finals for the next ten years...\n\n I think Wade will win more titles than Lebron, unless Lebron goes to another team. There is such a thing as a 'culture of winning', and Cleveland ain't got it. And they never will have it.  There's just something about playing in Cleveland.  The Cavs have never played in the finals. The Indians haven't won a World Series since 1920. The Browns (old and new) sucked (although they did win some titles in the 50s).\n\nI don't see Miami repeating next year. But you never know.\n\nWade will win more titles, unless Lebron gets his a$$ our of Cleveland.
408415
The only center I ever saw truly push Shaq was Hakeem Olajuwon, and that was in the 1995 NBA Finals.  Once Shaq is gone, I think Yao Ming will be the best "true" center in the NBA.