Superstars who should have been paired up

[game3524]

1. Duncan and Kobe-I truly believe this duo would have won more titles then Shaq and Kobe. They would be a prefect match for each other on the court and off the court. Duncan is one of the most unselfish superstars in NBA history and is a hard worker, which would gain Kobe's respect.

2. Iverson and Garnett-Another prefect match. One guy loves the spotlight and the other would rather do the dirty work. The pick and pop game between the two would have been nasty.

3.Lebron and Amare-This should of happened in 2010, can you imagine pick and rolls with those two?

4. Durant and Paul-I still think OKC should have offered up Westbrook when Paul went on the market. With Paul they would have a guy who not only the best closer in the NBA IMO, but a guy who would allow Durant to flourish. With CP3, Durant could average 33-35 ppg.

[kennethgriffin]

i like kobe beating the p** out of duncan all those years

i wouldnt take it away for anything...

[game3524]

i like kobe beating the p** out of duncan all those years

i wouldnt take it away for anything...

Not even for a chance to win more titles?

Kobe-Duncan may have won 5-6 titles in the 2000's.

[Umad101]

T-Mac - yao

Stockton -melone

Melo- AI

Shaq - penny

[KLovin]

T-Mac - yao

Stockton -melone

Melo- AI

Shaq - penny

I think you're misinterpreting the purpose of the thread.

[Rubio2Gasol]

Melo Paul and Howard.

Now that would've been a he'll of a team. Shame it never materialized.

[scandisk_]

MJ-Pip-Rodman-Hakeem

2 pairs right there :lol

[CarlosBoozer]

Lebron, Durant and Howard!

[SilkkTheShocker]

Lebron and Dirk.

[HardwoodLegend]

T-Mac and KG.

Imagine them in their primes together.

:rockon:

[StateOfMind12]

LeBron James and Yao Ming

Too bad Yao had to waste his career playing with that loser Tmac. He had his most success without him, but it was too late.

[el gringos]

Carmelo and Bargnani would be special w shumpert/jr/chandler

[wally_world]

Always wanted to see a Kidd/AI backcourt

Nash/Dwight, but we're finally gonna see that this season :cheers:

[Overdrive]

Though not a superstar I would have loved Finley pairing up with Duncan before he started to be a role player.

[fsvr54]

T-mac with Duncan

[Lil-Wild]

C. Paul and D.Howard
A. Iverson and T.Duncan (1997 : ()
L.James and P.Gasol

[alleykat]

white mamba / black mamba....

twin mambas aka double dragon....best "named" duo ever

[bballnoob1192]

Nash and TMac woulda been awesome cuz that phoenix medical staff would of probably kept TMac's career alive

[JohnnySic]

Duncan and Kobe is an awful pairing. Maybe it would have worked with the older, more team-oriented #24 Kobe, but not with the #8 fro dork Kobe. I honestly dont think you could have paired that Kobe with any other big star and gotten a consistently good result.

And we would have missed out on seeing the Spurs sink the Titanic in '03, which was beautiful.

I would have liked to have seen Duncan and KG pair up as youngsters. Incredible high-low combo. Shaq and Webber as well.....oh wait.

[Harison]

Bird - Hakeem

Garnett - Shaq

Stockton - Moses

[colorz]

AI and Shaq

http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Galleries/Courtside/courtside-shaq-allen-iverson-sized.jpg

[Dictator]

AI and Shaq

http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Galleries/Courtside/courtside-shaq-allen-iverson-sized.jpg


Shaq fresh as fck

[game3524]

Duncan and Kobe is an awful pairing. Maybe it would have worked with the older, more team-oriented #24 Kobe, but not with the #8 fro dork Kobe. I honestly dont think you could have paired that Kobe with any other big star and gotten a consistently good result.

And we would have missed out on seeing the Spurs sink the Titanic in '03, which was beautiful.

I would have liked to have seen Duncan and KG pair up as youngsters. Incredible high-low combo. Shaq and Webber as well.....oh wait.

Please....

Kobe was able to coexist with Shaq and win three titles....and Shaq isn't an easy guy to deal with.

Kobe and Duncan would have worked fine together, even when Kobe was young and immature. The biggest problem with Shaq was work ethic, with Duncan you don't have that problem. On top of that, Timmy is so low key that he won't mind letting Bryant have the spotlight.

[JohnnySic]

Please....

Kobe was able to coexist with Shaq and win three titles....and Shaq isn't an easy guy to deal with.

I'm not so sure. I feel that they won together in spite of the the obvious clash, largely because Shaq was just so dominant at that point.

[game3524]

I'm not so sure. I feel that they won together in spite of the the obvious clash, largely because Shaq was just so dominant at that point.

They still won though.

They had problems off the court, but on the court they were fine.

[WeGetRing2012]

Bird - Hakeem

Garnett - Shaq

Stockton - Moses

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ef7b7_dP6HQ/T1eOFWeUZWI/AAAAAAAAby4/NCoPXTvtKe4/s400/shaq_garnett.jpg

:lol :lol

[scm5]

MJ ans Hakeem

The amount of domination this would bring is ridiculous.

[longtime lurker]

Reading this thread makes me realize how horrible it is for superstars to be teaming up? Just think about it, Spurs vs Lakers produced some of the most epic playoff matchups, now imagine Kobe n Duncan on the same team we'd lose some of the greatest matchups in the era. Lebron and Amare vs Bosh and Wade is better than watching 3 of them on the same team. Just goes to show you how whack the Miami Heat team up was. Took all the competion out of the league. I'd rather see Chris Paul vs Dwight Howard as the two best players instead of them on the same team.

[MisterAmazing]

TMac and Webber
KG and Shaq

[HardwoodLegend]

LeBron James and Yao Ming

Too bad Yao had to waste his career playing with that loser Tmac. He had his most success without him, but it was too late.

If Yao was any sort of dominant superstar center, advancing against the Mavericks in 2005 would have been a piece of cake due to T-Mac's contribution.

Yao only had his most success that season because of the luck in who the Rockets got seeded against. Their regular season win total wasn't much better than previous years. And, having T-Mac healthy at 100% and playing at least like his 2005 self would have pushed them over the top due to a more complete roster.

You really suck at analyzing the big picture.

[DMAVS41]

Lebron and Dirk.

That would have just been unfair...

[L.Kizzle]

Hakeem paired up with Drexler from 95 to 98. The Rockets had the opportunity to draft Clyde in 83 but passed over him ... for freakin' Rodney McCray.

:biggums:

[game3524]

Reading this thread makes me realize how horrible it is for superstars to be teaming up? Just think about it, Spurs vs Lakers produced some of the most epic playoff matchups, now imagine Kobe n Duncan on the same team we'd lose some of the greatest matchups in the era. Lebron and Amare vs Bosh and Wade is better than watching 3 of them on the same team. Just goes to show you how whack the Miami Heat team up was. Took all the competion out of the league. I'd rather see Chris Paul vs Dwight Howard as the two best players instead of them on the same team.

That would have been fun to watch.

[Eric Cartman]

Nash and Kobe in the mid 2000's.

[Big#50]

TMAC and Duncan.
03 Finals Lakers vs Orlando
What a sick ****ing thing it would have been.

[swi7ch]

K. Love + R. Gay

[SilkkTheShocker]

That would have just been unfair...


:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[ShaqAttack3234]

I would have loved to see Shaq and Ray Allen together from about 2000-2005. A deadly 3 point shooter would be a great fit with Shaq, especially since Ray could also handle the ball, create his own shot off the dribble, pass and play very effectively off the ball. Some might not call Ray a legit superstar, but he was at least close. I also don't see any debates over who should be "the man" on the team. From 2000-2002, Glenn Robinson was as much of the 1st option on the Bucks as Allen, and then they had Cassell who was a 3rd all-star caliber player who also had as big of an offensive role as Allen and even another scorer off the bench in Tim Thomas.

Despite being a clear second option in this situation, Allen would most likely be in more of a position to succeed as an individual because of less scorers to share the ball with provided the team was built similarly to the 3peat Lakers and he'd also seldom face double teams.

[HardwoodLegend]

I would have loved to see Shaq and Ray Allen together from about 2000-2005. A deadly 3 point shooter would be a great fit with Shaq, especially since Ray could also handle the ball, create his own shot off the dribble, pass and play very effectively off the ball. Some might not call Ray a legit superstar, but he was at least close. I also don't see any debates over who should be "the man" on the team. From 2000-2002, Glenn Robinson was as much of the 1st option on the Bucks as Allen, and then they had Cassell who was a 3rd all-star caliber player who also had as big of an offensive role as Allen and even another scorer off the bench in Tim Thomas.

Despite being a clear second option in this situation, Allen would most likely be in more of a position to succeed as an individual because of less scorers to share the ball with provided the team was built similarly to the 3peat Lakers and he'd also seldom face double teams.

5 consecutive titles, real talk.

[Bandito]

I would've love for Starbury to have stayed in Minesotta with KG and try to make it work with KG. THese two were pretty good coming up, they would've tear up the NBA at the time, and I believe they would've beat The Shaq-Kobe duo.

[jongib369]

Bill Russell And Wilt Chamberlain. Can you imagine? LOL

http://bottlenecknyc.com/wordpressblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/aafv002.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/zz%20NBA%20Photo%20Gallery/VS/Rivalry/01%20Bill%20VS%20Stilt/-nba_g_chamberlain01_576.jpg

[L.Kizzle]

Bill Russell And Wilt Chamberlain. Can you imagine? LOL

http://bottlenecknyc.com/wordpressblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/aafv002.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/zz%20NBA%20Photo%20Gallery/VS/Rivalry/01%20Bill%20VS%20Stilt/-nba_g_chamberlain01_576.jpg
Scores would be 123 to 27.

It was hard enough scoring on one of them ...

[INDI]

I remember back in 03 or 04 when j Kidd considered joining the spurs before resigning with the nets.

Judd and Duncan playing together in their primes would have been one of the greatest duos of alltime

[fsvr54]

I would've love for Starbury to have stayed in Minesotta with KG and try to make it work with KG. THese two were pretty good coming up, they would've tear up the NBA at the time, and I believe they would've beat The Shaq-Kobe duo.

They could've won it all in 04.

[jongib369]

Scores would be 123 to 27.

It was hard enough scoring on one of them ...
I'm really surprised the duo of Wilt and Nate didn't do better...if only they had 1 more good player like Chet Walker or someone

[ShaqAttack3234]

I would've love for Starbury to have stayed in Minesotta with KG and try to make it work with KG. THese two were pretty good coming up, they would've tear up the NBA at the time, and I believe they would've beat The Shaq-Kobe duo.

I'll admit to being a Marbury fan from the late 90's until 2005, and I think people forget that there were years when the perception of him wasn't always a selfish cancer. I also think that KG was a great superstar to pair with Marbury because Garnett was one of the most unselfish and versatile stars who can impact a game so many ways without scoring.

But I don't see how they're better than the Shaq/Kobe duo or even as good.


I remember back in 03 or 04 when j Kidd considered joining the spurs before resigning with the nets.

Judd and Duncan playing together in their primes would have been one of the greatest duos of alltime

Yeah, I remember that too. That's why it was a big story with Tony Parker outplaying the first few games of the '03 finals.

Interestingly, both Duncan and Kidd had their best seasons in '03. Although Kidd's last prime season would be '04, after that, he had the microfracture surgery and was getting older. The Spurs won regardless in '05, and after that, Kidd and Parker weren't really in different tiers with Parker passing Kidd by '08.

I don't see this altering much, especially since Kidd doesn't seem like a natural fit in the Spurs offense.

Similarly, Phil Jackson was pushing for a trade that would send Kobe to Phoenix in exchange for Kidd and Marion in '01 I believe. I'm not sure what this would do. I also don't see Kidd as a perfect fit in the triangle with the offense running through Shaq in the post. But the Lakers would have 3 all-stars instead of 2, and some great defensive potential, They'd win their 2nd and 3rd consecutive titles in '01 and '02 anyway, so like the Spurs, it'd be tough to top the success they actually had. Though this big 3 probably doesn't have the same feuds the Laker duo had.


They could've won it all in 04.

Well, the Wolves could have won it all anyway had Cassell stayed healthy.

[bizil]

They say Pat Riley wanted Dominique on the Knicks after his season with the Clippers-Hawks. Instead I think he chose Boston cause they offered more money. Nique tried to fit in and only took 15 shots a game on Boston, which resulted in 17 ppg. Nique should have went to NY for less money and team with Big Pat. Nique was still capable of putting up 25+ a night because just the season before he put up 26 a night finishing fourth in the L in scoring. If Nique was just gonna take 15 shots a night in 94-95, he should have done that with the Knicks going for a ring. Instead of with Boston. Nique could have put that Knicks team over the top and go them a ring. Would have been epic seeing Nique in MSG going for a ring in a blaze of glory toward the end of his career.

[InspiredLebowski]

McGrady and Hill. Sorry Orlando.

[StateOfMind12]

If Yao was any sort of dominant superstar center, advancing against the Mavericks in 2005 would have been a piece of cake due to T-Mac's contribution.
Yao did his part. He certainly played better in that Game 7 than Tracy McGrady did in that series as well. Neither deserve blame in 2005.

Only McGrady deserves blame for the 2007 1st round exit though. His TS% was below 50% which is Antoine Walker esque and he shot 39% from the field, just flat out pathetic.

Like I said, it's too bad Yao wasted his time playing with loser McGrady when he could have played with someone like Lebron, The King.


Yao only had his most success that season because of the luck in who the Rockets got seeded against. Their regular season win total wasn't much better than previous years.
Rockets were 33-14 without McGrady in 2009. 20-15 with McGrady.

McGrady was nothing more than a cancer to that Rockets team, hence why they finally got past the 1st round when he was injured and not playing for them.

If McGrady continued to play, the Rockets would have finished with a worse seed and they would exit in the 1st round exit due to Tmac choking and due to being overwhelmed by a completely better team.


And, having T-Mac healthy at 100% and playing at least like his 2005 self would have pushed them over the top due to a more complete roster.
Never heard of this mythical creature, I'm here to talk about players and things that actually exist, not Neverland or some shit.




You really suck at analyzing the big picture.You are a McGrady fan, you really suck at being fans of players that are actually, you know, good? And can win something? .

[IGotACoolStory]

Zeke and Ewing.

Stockton and Kemp.

Sheed and Duncan.

Roy and CP3.

Carter and Nash.

Heck, Dirk and Nash staying together through their peaks.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Yao did his part. He certainly played better in that Game 7 than Tracy McGrady did in that series as well. Neither deserve blame in 2005.

Only McGrady deserves blame for the 2007 1st round exit though. His TS% was below 50% which is Antoine Walker esque and he shot 39% from the field, just flat out pathetic.

Like I said, it's too bad Yao wasted his time playing with loser McGrady when he could have played with someone like Lebron, The King.

Regarding '05, the other poster is right that Yao wasn't quite a dominant player yet. He was on the verge, but still adjusting to the NBA game, which is why he struggled with foul trouble all year, most notably that 1st round series. I'll concede game 7, but in general, T-Mac played a phenomenal all around series and really was still one of the best players in the game.

To be fair, Yao didn't play that well by his standards in '07. It was a bad match up for him defensively since he had to guard Boozer, but he didn't dominate like he had throughout the regular season, I remember him making some mistakes down the stretch in that game 7 and he shot just 44%, which is not what you want out of a dominant center.

I was embarrassed as a T-Mac fan to watch him tower over Derek Fisher by at least 6 inches and let him off the hook by settling and missing jumpers with Fisher guarding him. But I do have to credit T-Mac for his playmaking which was phenomenal in the series and he did come to play in game 7.

Both players should have played better and failed to match their regular season level. They missed a golden opportunity too. They were still on the verge of eliminating Utah and with Golden State waiting in the second round, they'd have an easy path to the WCF.

If just one of their superstars played a little better, much less matched their regular season level, they have a nice playoff run and contend for a title.

It was the year the Houston duo was at their best since T-Mac at his best could play pretty close to his prime level despite losing a step and lacking the same explosiveness, but Yao stepping up his game and becoming a legitimate dominant player.

They did have some nice role players surrounding him, particularly Battier, but also defensive-minded players like Mutombo and Hayes. Luther Head gave them a shooter, Juwan Howard was a nice player in his role and Alston was a capable point guard who could shoot, though he had a down year. Unfortunately Bonzi Wells was a bust. However, they were 2nd in 3s made, 3rd in 3P% and a top 3 defensive team statistically(which seems about accurate watching them...that's one thing you can say for Jeff Van Gundy, he was hardly an offensive genius, but he was a fine defensive coach). So that's some nice support to surround a rare superstar duo with, much less a center/guard duo.

I just view that as a missed opportunity, it was the only year Yao was really healthy for the playoffs in his prime since he got injured after leading Houston past the first round in '09. The '07 Rockets were on a 60 win pace at 30-11 when both Yao and T-Mac played.


Rockets were 33-14 without McGrady in 2009. 20-15 with McGrady.

Look at Houston's records with and without T-Mac before that, though, they were always much better with T-Mac, and often terrible without him.


Never heard of this mythical creature, I'm here to talk about players and things that actually exist, not Neverland or some shit.

It wasn't mythical from '01-'05 other than nagging injuries that didn't really affect his performance greatly. So a healthy T-Mac did exists, unfortunately it just wasn't for long. Unfortunately the same thing can be said about a healthy Yao. That duo did have a ton of potential.

[Nevaeh]

Please....

Kobe was able to coexist with Shaq and win three titles....and Shaq isn't an easy guy to deal with.

Kobe and Duncan would have worked fine together, even when Kobe was young and immature. The biggest problem with Shaq was work ethic, with Duncan you don't have that problem. On top of that, Timmy is so low key that he won't mind letting Bryant have the spotlight.

Shaq's "work ethic" landed him 3 straight Finals MVPs. Duncan couldn't even score 2 straight Finals appearances in his career. Enough with this "Shaq lacks work ethic" bullsh!t already.

[StateOfMind12]

To be fair, Yao didn't play that well by his standards in '07. It was a bad match up for him defensively since he had to guard Boozer, but he didn't dominate like he had throughout the regular season, I remember him making some mistakes down the stretch in that game 7 and he shot just 44%, which is not what you want out of a dominant center.
I know Yao didn't play great, but he didn't play as poorly as McGrady.


I was embarrassed as a T-Mac fan to watch him tower over Derek Fisher by at least 6 inches and let him off the hook by settling and missing jumpers with Fisher guarding him. But I do have to credit T-Mac for his playmaking which was phenomenal in the series and he did come to play in game 7.
People usually ignore Tmac's pathetic rebounding and defense.

I lost count of how many backdoor easy ups McGrady gave up because he wasn't paying any attention to the defender and because he simply quit on the play because he simply didn't want to play defense. In addition, he also gave up a countless amount of offensive rebounds in the series because he didn't box-out because by the time he was in Houston he was afraid of contact and would never box-out.

What good is being a good playmaker/scorer when you are just going to give up all those points back up anyways?


that's one thing you can say for Jeff Van Gundy, he was hardly an offensive genius, but he was a fine defensive coach). So that's some nice support to surround a rare superstar duo with, much less a center/guard duo.
JVG was a large reason why they lost the series. He is without a doubt one of the worst coaches out there. He is a good and smart analyst but when it comes to coaching, he is not good at it.

If Adelman was coaching the Rockets from '05-'08, they would have been more successful. Although, I would like to add that if Adelman was the coach, McGrady wouldn't be able to get all that star treatment he got from JVG. He would probably be forced to play defense, rebound, or else he would have done something about it, hence why McGrady didn't last long when Adelman arrived in Houston.

JVG pretty much condoned McGrady's lazy work-ethic and never did anything a bout it because he was a star. He was just lucky that Yao is just naturally a hard worker and he doesn't need anyone to push him to play hard and practice hard.



Look at Houston's records with and without T-Mac before that, though, they were always much better with T-Mac, and often terrible without him.
It has more to do with the fact that his backup was Luther Head or Keith Bogans while in 2009 it was Von Wafer and Shane Battier.

When he sat out games in Orlando, he wasn't missed that much because his backup wasn't Luther Head bad. Orlando usually had .500 records when McGrady sat out, excluding the '03-'04 season because they were clearly tanking after like the 10th game.


That duo did have a ton of potential.
Tmac in '01-'03 plus Yao from '07-'09 would have been good but Tmac was no longer the player he was in Houston.

I have a decent amount of respect for Orlando Tmac but Houston Tmac is a joke and deserves no respect at all.

[Fiasco]

Rondo and Durant.

[HardwoodLegend]

Rockets were 33-14 without McGrady in 2009. 20-15 with McGrady.

McGrady was nothing more than a cancer to that Rockets team, hence why they finally got past the 1st round when he was injured and not playing for them.

If McGrady continued to play, the Rockets would have finished with a worse seed and they would exit in the 1st round exit due to Tmac choking and due to being overwhelmed by a completely better team.

You're continuing to show your stupidity with comments like this. You let your blind hatred for a man get the best of you.

The 2009 Rockets minus T-Mac and Yao were a completely different squad altogether. They got better all-around with their pieces on the roster. So, it isn't as simple as "take T-Mac out of the equation and the Rockets get better". As ShaqAttack pointed out, look at their regular season performance in seasons past. T-Mac was leading them and even spearheaded that 22-win streak with Yao missing quite a bit of time during that chunk.

T-Mac's health debilitated even further in 2009, so I can concede that he may have been holding them back. But, you do not even have to go back as far as Orlando. All you would need to do is plug 2005 Houston Rocket T-Mac onto that improved 2009 roster and they certainly end up with around 60 wins and perform much better in the playoffs.

I have a hard time giving Yao a whole lot of praise for advancing against such a weak squad they were fortunate to be seeded against when they didn't perform any better than years past in the regular season.

[StateOfMind12]

The 2009 Rockets minus T-Mac and Yao were a completely different squad altogether. They got better all-around with their pieces on the roster. So, it isn't as simple as "take T-Mac out of the equation and the Rockets get better".
The fact that the Rockets were that barely above .500 with McGrady and an elite team without McGrady should show you all you need to know.



As ShaqAttack pointed out, look at their regular season performance in seasons past. T-Mac was leading them and even spearheaded that 22-win streak with Yao missing quite a bit of time during that chunk.
I already explained why this happened, T-Mac's backup was a scrub, Yao's backup was Mutombo.


T-Mac's health debilitated even further in 2009, so I can concede that he may have been holding them back. But, you do not even have to go back as far as Orlando. All you would need to do is plug 2005 Houston Rocket T-Mac onto that improved 2009 roster and they certainly end up with around 60 wins and perform much better in the playoffs.

If only it were that easy. Too bad it probably wouldn't even work in this stupid hypothetical because McGrady was inefficient, inconsistent defender, and ball-dominant.


I have a hard time giving Yao a whole lot of praise for advancing against such a weak squad they were fortunate to be seeded against when they didn't perform any better than years past in the regular season.
Yao got past the 1st round without McGrady, McGrady failed to get past the 1st round with Yao, without Yao, and ever.

Rockets performed better without McGrady in 2009 and worse with him. Yao was the best player so he led them..


Next.

[HardwoodLegend]

The fact that the Rockets were that barely above .500 with McGrady and an elite team without McGrady should show you all you need to know.

Why the utter refusal to acknowledge that McGrady declined significantly that year? What's wrong with you, my dude?




I already explained why this happened, T-Mac's backup was a scrub, Yao's backup was Mutombo.

Yet you fail to admit that the roster was simply better all-around for the Rockets and T-Mac wasn't even his 2005 self to enjoy these benefits?

It was all due to Yao assuming the leadership role, huh?

:roll: you're a joke.



Yao got past the 1st round without McGrady, McGrady failed to get past the 1st round with Yao, without Yao, and ever.

Rockets performed better without McGrady in 2009 and worse with him. Yao was the best player so he led them..


Next.

It's not as black and white as that. It's too bad your analytical and critical thinking abilities are so meager.

[StateOfMind12]

Why the utter refusal to acknowledge that McGrady declined significantly that year? What's wrong with you, my dude?
We can insert any player at a certain time period and match them with another and better results would come. It is what it is, the evidence points that T-mac was holding the Rockets back in 2009.

Plus, Mcgrady wasn't even that good in 2005, he had a good post-season since he and Yao were both playing a pathetic Mavericks defense but his regular season wasn't anything special.


Yet you fail to admit that the roster was simply better all-around for the Rockets and T-Mac wasn't even his 2005 self to enjoy these benefits?

It was all due to Yao assuming the leadership role, huh?

:roll: you're a joke.
Seeing that T-Mac would be taking Battier/Wafer's role, it wouldn't matter.

What other benefits did Yao get that McGrady didn't get? Scola and Landry? McGrady got them in 2008.


It's not as black and white as that. It's too bad your analytical and critical thinking abilities are so meager.
Yao got past the 1st round without McGrady, McGrady failed to get past the 1st round with Yao, without Yao, and ever.

Rockets performed better without McGrady in 2009 and worse with him. Yao was the best player so he led them..


Next.

[HardwoodLegend]

Seeing that T-Mac would be taking Battier/Wafer's role, it wouldn't matter.

What other benefits did Yao get that McGrady didn't get? Scola and Landry? McGrady got them in 2008.

Ron Artest? WTF?

:facepalm





Yao got past the 1st round without McGrady, McGrady failed to get past the 1st round with Yao, without Yao, and ever.

Rockets performed better without McGrady in 2009 and worse with him. Yao was the best player so he led them..

Next.

McGrady never got to play with Ron Artest in the Playoffs.

Hell... subtract Yao in 2005 and plug in Ron Artest to D up on Dirk, the Rockets probably advance against Dallas.

If Yao was as good as you're trying to make him out to be, he would have carried whatever deadweight you think T-Mac was serving as on the team and got the Rockets into the 2nd Round.

Yao got lucky that Houston matched up against Portland with the same level of regular season performance they had the past few seasons. That's it. It's not any sort of indicator he was a better playoff performer.

[StateOfMind12]

Ron Artest? WTF?

:facepalm
He played with him in 2009. And Ron Artest said that McGrady was an inconsistent defender.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_yk4Egfqys

Plus, McGrady would be taking his role since they both played the same position.


McGrady never got to play with Ron Artest in the Playoffs.

Hell... subtract Yao in 2005 and plug in Ron Artest to D up on Dirk, the Rockets probably advance against Dallas.
lol, plug in Ron Artest and the Rockets lose a lot of their offense considering how Yao was killing the Mavericks.

So no, on the other hand, plug in Ron Artest on the 2007 Rockets over Tracy McGrady, and they'll beat Utah.

You got the replace Ron Artest and they'll get past teh 1st round correct, you just picked the wrong player.


If Yao was as good as you're trying to make him out to be, he would have carried whatever deadweight you think T-Mac was serving as on the team and got the Rockets into the 2nd Round.
He did in 2009, when McGrady stopped playing for them.


Yao got lucky that Houston matched up against Portland with the same level of regular season performance they had the past few seasons. That's it. It's not any sort of indicator he was a better playoff performer.
In 2009, Yao and the Rockets got lucky McGrady got that surgery because if they didn't and he continued to play, the Rockets would have gotten a much worse seeding and would have played against a much tougher team since McGrady was making them worse.

They would have lost in the 1st round again especially since we all know McGrady would flame out in the playoffs as well.

I fail to see your point.

[HardwoodLegend]

He played with him in 2009. And Ron Artest said that McGrady was an inconsistent defender.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_yk4Egfqys

Plus, McGrady would be taking his role since they both played the same position.

I don't put any stock into McGrady in 2009, nor do I recognize that year as a good representation of him.

He was hobbled all year and already becoming a shell of himself. It was simply another string of his bad luck that his health started to really unravel just as the Rockets started to build into a real contender. If he maintained his health, Houston would have flourished with that squad.

And, McGrady and Artest could play on the floor at the same time on the wings. That is an absurd assertion that he would have to be "taking his role" since they both have different skillsets.

[SacJB Shady]

Dirk and shaq

[StateOfMind12]

I don't put any stock into McGrady in 2009, nor do I recognize that year as a good representation of him.

He was hobbled all year and already becoming a shell of himself. It was simply another string of his bad luck that his health started to really unravel just as the Rockets started to build into a real contender. If he maintained his health, Houston would have flourished with that squad.
Too bad there is no time machine because if they were, I would hope Yao goes to a different team and doesn't play with loser Tracy McGrady, someone who practically wasted his career.

McGrady wouldn't fit in with the 2009 Rockets anyways.

That team thrived on ball-movement and defense which is not Tracy McGrady's forte at all. He was a ball-dominant player that would stop the ball-movement. He was also afraid of contact, didn't play defense, didn't rebound, etc.

He couldn't fit in with talent at all since if you have a talented team, you have to do be able to do a lot of things and McGrady does nothing except take ***** jump shots and pass.

You can ignore what McGrady did in 2009 all you want but it's just evidence that Mcgrady can't play with a good team with good talent. That is why the Rockets were much worse with him than without him that season.

[treeztuhn]

YAO and DWIGHT howard! no question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Deuce Bigalow]

LeBron James and Yao Ming

Too bad Yao had to waste his career playing with that loser Tmac. He had his most success without him, but it was too late.
So obvious that you're RG

[StateOfMind12]

So obvious that you're RG
Lebron is better than Kobe ever was, you going to cry? :oldlol:

[Deuce Bigalow]

Lebron is better than Kobe ever was, you going to cry? :oldlol:
:wtf: :oldlol:

That's your opinion, cool.

[StateOfMind12]

:wtf: :oldlol:

That's your opinion, cool.
No, it's pretty much a consensus fact. It's a consensus fact among people who don't suck Kobe's dick of course.

Of course, you would have to cherry pick a bunch of specific stats in order to argue that Kobe was better. :oldlol:

I bet it rages you that Lebron's numbers just shit all over Kobe's, makes you have to do more work in order to fulfill your agenda.

[DaHeezy]

AI and Shaq

http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Galleries/Courtside/courtside-shaq-allen-iverson-sized.jpg

I remember a quote from shaq saying if he played with AI they would have never lost a game

[Deuce Bigalow]

No, it's pretty much a consensus fact. It's a consensus fact among people who don't suck Kobe's dick of course.

Of course, you would have to cherry pick a bunch of specific stats in order to argue that Kobe was better. :oldlol:

I bet it rages you that Lebron's numbers just shit all over Kobe's, makes you have to do more work in order to fulfill your agenda.
See 2007 and 2011 Finals.

I'm not mad at all. Why would I? It's basketball and at the end of the day winning is the only thing that matters and what people care about. We already know the ring count.

Give me Kobe in the Playoffs. More skilled and his Playoff history is proven.

[The Choken One]

Kobe/Duncan...for the 00's? Oh lawd...would pay serious money to see that.

The Spurs wouldn't of been challenging them in the West and Shaq would of been the only one with the ability to take them down. Would of won 7,8 or even 9 titles by now if they'd been together since 1998 or so.

[StateOfMind12]

See 2007 and 2011 Finals.
I can play this game too.

See 2004 and 2008 Finals.


We already know the ring count.
What does that have to do with who was better at their absolute peak? I said Lebron was better than Kobe ever was. I didn't say he ranked higher in a historic ranking although he will in a year or two.


Give me Kobe in the Playoffs. More skilled and his Playoff history is proven
Yet Lebron's playoff run in 2009 and 2012 is better than any of Kobe's playoff run ever was.

Yet Lebron's Finals in 2012 is better than any of Kobe's Finals.

I'll take Lebron, thanks, numbers back me up, what backs you up again? Just about nothing.

[Deuce Bigalow]

I can play this game too.

See 2004 and 2008 Finals.


What does that have to do with who was better at their absolute peak? I said Lebron was better than Kobe ever was. I didn't say he ranked higher in a historic ranking although he will in a year or two.


Yet Lebron's playoff run in 2009 and 2012 is better than any of Kobe's playoff run ever was.

Yet Lebron's Finals in 2012 is better than any of Kobe's Finals.

I'll take Lebron, thanks, numbers back me up, what backs you up again? Just about nothing.
2004 Finals was the only bad one. Even then, when the game was close he didn't score under 2 points in 4 straight 4th quarters. See Game 2.

The last 2 are your opinions. But anyways, enjoy that lockout ring :applause:

[StateOfMind12]

2004 Finals was the only bad one. Even then, when the game was close he didn't score under 2 points in 4 straight 4th quarters. See Game 2.
What was Kobe's FG% in the 2004 Finals, I forgot.

Also, do you happen to know how many more points Kobe had than FGA in the 2004 Finals? I also forgot about that.


The last 2 are your opinions. But anyways, enjoy that lockout ring :applause:
How is it an opinion when all the numbers back me up that Lebron's playoff/finals run was better than all of Kobe's? :oldlol:

[Deuce Bigalow]

What was Kobe's FG% in the 2004 Finals, I forgot.

Also, do you happen to know how many more points Kobe had than FGA in the 2004 Finals? I also forgot about that.


How is it an opinion when all the numbers back me up that Lebron's playoff/finals run was better than all of Kobe's? :oldlol:
What was Lebron's 4th quarter ppg last year's Finals, I forgot?

That was a joke. Media was asking if he was choking :oldlol: That was embarrassing. Fun fact: 0 points on 0-7 FG in the Clutch in that Finals series (under 5 min, within 5 points)

[Deuce Bigalow]

He was so embarrassed that he sat in his room for 2 weeks :oldlol:

[HardwoodLegend]

LeBron deliberately disappeared in the 2011 Finals, because he saw Wade was on pace for the Finals MVP.

He would rather lose than get the label of sidekick.

[Deuce Bigalow]

LeBron deliberately disappeared in the 2011 Finals, because he saw Wade was on pace for the Finals MVP.

He would rather lose than get the label of sidekick.
:roll: :oldlol: :facepalm

[Eat Like A Bosh]

Healthy T-mac with a Healthy Grant Hill.

[MiamiThrice]

Shaq and LeBron. The best bigman and the best wing from this era. The two most physically imposing players ever at their respective positions. And I'm not talking about 40 year old Shaq on the Cavs. REAL Shaq. They would win the ring every single year for an entire decade as long as they were both healthy. Supporting cast would not matter. They don't have any conflicting personalities either so there would not be any kind of locker room problems. They' both get 30 and win every game.

Shaq and Dirk would be cool too. They would both have so much room to work with. It almost happened in 2004 when Shaq got traded to Miami instead. Dallas was the frontrunner for him.


LeBron deliberately disappeared in the 2011 Finals, because he saw Wade was on pace for the Finals MVP.

He would rather lose than get the label of sidekick.

You must be thinking of Kobe in 2004 when he still shot 23 shots per game while shooting 38% from the field. Meanwhile Shaq was scoring 26 PPG on 60% shooting with far fewer shot attempts.

LeBrons problem was he was too passive and was too willing to defer to Wade when the Heat were most successful when LeBron is taking over as the number one option. This is evienced by this past year.

[IamRAMBO24]

Big Country and Shaq

Two fat guys clogging up the middle.

[tmacattack33]

Lebron and KG in his prime.

The versatility on defense would have been impeccable.

The fast-break would have been ferocious.

Their intensity would have eaten your children.

[9512]

Kobe and Yao Ming.

Yao is skilled and works hard. He is unselfish. The perfect complement for a guy who needs the glory, credit, and shots taken.

[Heavincent]

No, it's pretty much a consensus fact. It's a consensus fact among people who don't suck Kobe's dick of course.

Of course, you would have to cherry pick a bunch of specific stats in order to argue that Kobe was better. :oldlol:

I bet it rages you that Lebron's numbers just shit all over Kobe's, makes you have to do more work in order to fulfill your agenda.

Sorry, I don't think anyone takes this shit as seriously as you kiddo.

"Consensus fact". Haha good one RG. You truly are a gold mine of basketball information. You should try to get a job with ESPN or something. I bet they'd love to have you. The fans would probably be very entertained by your constant flip flopping. Kind of like Skip Bayless.