Post Season Sweeps...of the top 76

[John8204]

Now a number of you think I'm stupid for not being a Shaq fan and that my opinions of arbitrary and nitpicky. This hurts my feelings, I like to think I'm a fair person that I give each and every one of you a fair shake and more importantly I will listen to what you have to say. This is a kindness that I often do not receive in kind...so I decided to do a little work so I went through the top 76 players and counted the post season sweeps.

Why do post season sweeps matter...well it's a metric that can go back to the start of the league. Also basketball is played in series and if you can't win a game against the other team I think that's a pretty good sign that you either quit on your team, or your team wasn't good enough to reach whatever level you made it to. To many of you it'll just be something you write off or excuse but I put a lot of work into this to prove a point.

Never Got Swept Club

Giannis, Dave Bing, Dave Cowens, Steph Curry, Dr. J, Dave Debuschere, Walt Frazier, Hal Greer, James Harden, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, Jerry Lucas, Pete Maravich, George Mikan, Steve Nash, Bob Pettit, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Nate Thurmond, Bill Walton, Russell Westbrook, Lenny Wilkens

So almost a third of the list never got swept. It's possible that with Westbrook, Harden, Curry, and Giannis they might get swept later. But the majority are from the 60's and 70's less rounds I get it.

1 (with an asterisk)

Jerry West, played one game in the series that his team got swept, Bill Sharrman (it was the round robin season)

1 - Time
Tiny Archibald, Ray Allen, Charles Barkley, Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham, Patrick Ewing, Kwahi Leonard, Karl Malone, Kevin Mchale, Dirk Nowitzki, Gary Payton, Dennis Rodman, Chris Paul, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Dwayne Wade, Dominique Wilkins, James Worthy

So this is where you would find your players from Shaq's era

2 - Time
Carmello Anthony, Rick Barry, Bob Cousy, Anthony Davis, Tim Duncan, Clyde Drexler, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, Elvin Hayes, Allen Iverson, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Parish, Paul Pierce, Scottie Pippen, Dolph Schayes

3 - Time
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Paul Arizin, Kobe Bryant, George Gervin, Lebron James, Damien Lillard, Moses Malone, Bob McAdoo, Earl Monroe

4 - Time
Jason Kidd, Wes Unseld (also to be fair these were sweeps in the finals)

5 - Times
<nobody>

6 - Times
Shaquille O'Neal

The narrative of Shaq being the "most dominate" doesn't gel with I got run out of the playoffs 6 times. This also happened with three different teams, the teams he played for during his prime years (Magic, Lakers, Heat) so his three playoff runs in Cleveland, Boston, and Phoenix increase his average. In fairness to him he does have seven sweeps of other teams...but only one of them came with Kobe and Wade.

[RRR3]

OP sobbing about Shaq again :yaohappy:

[Overdrive]

Basketball is a team sport. I know it's a strange concept for some, but one guy isn't responsible for wins or losses. Especially sweeps. Just think about it: A teammate misses 4 less fts and one sweep is already gone. Would this all of a sudden make Shaq a better player for you?

[SouBeachTalents]

This dude spent his entire morning, possibly even weekend, researching how often dozens of players got swept just to make another post about Shaq.

3ball like obsession :lol

[ArbitraryWater]

This dude spent his entire morning, possibly even weekend, researching how often dozens of players got swept just to make another post about Shaq.

3ball like obsession :lol

I think bro is trying to convince himself more than anything.


Shaq is a pos bully for sure, but as a player hes undeniable.

[Real Men Wear Green]

The sweeps are something worth bringing up if the discussion is about Shaq vs Olajuwon, Wilt, maybe Jokic is entering that stratosphere. Shaq and those guys are close enough that the sweeps is a point that is worth mentioning.

You were talking about Joel Embiid.

[Phoenix]

Now a number of you think I'm stupid.....

Don't sell yourself short, we all think you're stupid. That's about as far as I read.

[John8204]

The sweeps are something worth bringing up if the discussion is about Shaq vs Olajuwon, Wilt, maybe Jokic is entering that stratosphere. Shaq and those guys are close enough that the sweeps is a point that is worth mentioning.

You were talking about Joel Embiid.

I started this during the Olajuwon part.

[John8204]

Basketball is a team sport. I know it's a strange concept for some, but one guy isn't responsible for wins or losses. Especially sweeps. Just think about it: A teammate misses 4 less fts and one sweep is already gone. Would this all of a sudden make Shaq a better player for you?

Just think about all the great players of all-time and 1/3 never got swept. And it's also not even close the other players who have been swept the most Jason Kidd and Wes Unseld that happened in the finals with teams that weren't that great.

[John8204]

OP sobbing about Shaq again :yaohappy:

OP wants to hear actual arguments as to why Shaq belongs in the top 10/20. Because the counter arguement most of you choose to make is to just call me dumb and speak in vague platitudes about Shaq.

[RRR3]

OP wants to hear actual arguments as to why Shaq belongs in the top 10/20. Because the counter arguement most of you choose to make is to just call me dumb and speak in vague platitudes about Shaq.
Blatant trolling doesn't deserve serious replies. At least I hope you're trolling.

[John8204]

Blatant trolling doesn't deserve serious replies. At least I hope you're trolling.

Serious question...how am I the one trolling. I don't bring this up all the time, I put a lot of work into this thread. I don't think my statements are that hyperbolic. I'm offering avenues for you people to discuss what is it about Shaq that puts him the top ten. Why does he get to be ranked ahead of guys like Mikan, and Moses and Hakeem who are centers who frankly did more with less.

It';s the offseason and I'm going to bring it up, mostly because you people keep hammering on how great Shaq was but their is nothing behind it.

[tpols]

This dude spent his entire morning, possibly even weekend, researching how often dozens of players got swept just to make another post about Shaq.

3ball like obsession :lol


It is interesting information nonetheless.

Its not just that Shaq was swept the most but there's an empty gap between him and the next most swept. So hes getting sweeped on an Uber broom level. A clean dusting to King Kong level physical speciman? Thats quite fascinating.

[ShawkFactory]

OP wants to hear actual arguments as to why Shaq belongs in the top 10/20. Because the counter arguement most of you choose to make is to just call me dumb and speak in vague platitudes about Shaq.

You want people to argue with you why Shaq belongs in the top 20? No. YOU’RE the one claiming otherwise. You can make the stretch arguments if you want but the resume, the numbers, and the greatness that he was as a player speak for us.

Theres no need for anyone else to argue it.

[Phoenix]

Serious question...how am I the one trolling. I don't bring this up all the time, I put a lot of work into this thread. I don't think my statements are that hyperbolic. I'm offering avenues for you people to discuss what is it about Shaq that puts him the top ten. Why does he get to be ranked ahead of guys like Mikan, and Moses and Hakeem who are centers who frankly did more with less.

It';s the offseason and I'm going to bring it up, mostly because you people keep hammering on how great Shaq was but their is nothing behind it.

What makes you think because you have an outlier opinion that people need to be extended avenues by you to prove themselves?? If most/all have him in the top 10 and some random person on the internet thinks he isn't.........the onus is on the majority? In what world is that accepted anywhere? So people either dismiss these arguments or they don't think they carry enough weight to drag Shaq down to the depths of the career rankings that you do, so what else is there? The 99% on the board who disagree need to keep engaging you for all eternity because you think you're owed a continuous level of serious dialogue about it?

It would be like if I created a thread to say Kevin Durant isn't a top 40 player using arguments like 'well because he has burner accounts to argue with fans, and he's not loyal, and he didn't win outside of a proven champion, and he just wants to hoop and not be a locker-room leader, and he never had a year with a 30 PER and he didn't make the sweet 16 in college and etc etc yadda yadda blah blah. And while all those points may be 'correct', the majority would dismiss a few of those as frivolous, and other points would only resonate on some level comparing him against the other true elites of his position or in general, and say they aren't enough to drag him down that far. Like I could say all that stuff and conclude he's not a top 20 player all-time which, while I would say isn't a great opinion, isn't terribly harsh because that top 20 is loaded. Or they're points as to why he doesn't warrant being ranked over Lebron( which is obvious), Bird( also obvious) or Dr.J, heck even Baylor. That's about as far as I could 'reasonably' go with that before getting laughed out of the room. Because once I go to the extreme of continuously arguing he's not top 40 then yeah.........I'm going to have people start thinking I'm trolling or just not saying things to be taken seriously. 15 publications ranking KD as a top 20 player and one village idiot saying he's not top 40. So then I say stuff like Its 'my right to my opinion' like you always say but that doesn't mean I'm entitled to have people engage me seriously after a while.

And that's where posters here are at with you. At a certain point people are just going to accept it as some far out wacko opinion and go about their day. Nobody is buying your arguments and you clearly have no interest in being convinced, because such an extreme minority opinion has to be entrenched in something so deep that you're never going to move that person. When you're THAT far off the beaten path? Jesus Christ himself couldn't convince you. Sooooo.....go sit in the corner and bask in your opinion. Truly, have at it. But you aren't due serious engagement at this point because you think people still owe you the energy of a serious reply. Your opinion on the matter is 1000 times more important to you then it is to anyone else, the tone of most replies here clearly show this so you cry about being disrespected.

You made this post two years ago, you had your 15 minutes in the sun about it.....

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?510011-My-issues-with-Shaq-as-an-quot-all-time-quot-great

Nobody convinced you then, and you convinced nobody else. That hasn't changed in 2025. Now you're just a splinter in the boards collective ass about something you've been firmly rejected on.

[RRR3]

What makes you think because you have an outlier opinion that people need to be extended avenues by you to prove themselves?? If most/all have him in the top 10 and some random person on the internet thinks he isn't.........the onus is on the majority? In what world is that accepted anywhere? So people either dismiss these arguments or they don't think they carry enough weight to drag Shaq down to the depths of the career rankings that you do, so what else is there? The 99% on the board who disagree need to keep engaging you for all eternity because you think you're owed a continuous level of serious dialogue about it?

It would be like if I created a thread to say Kevin Durant isn't a top 40 player using arguments like 'well because he has burner accounts to argue with fans, and he's not loyal, and he didn't win outside of a proven champion, and he just wants to hoop and not be a locker-room leader, and he never had a year with a 30 PER and he didn't make the sweet 16 in college and etc etc yadda yadda blah blah. And while all those points may be 'correct', the majority would dismiss a few of those as frivolous, and other points would only resonate on some level comparing him against the other true elites of his position or in general, and say they aren't enough to drag him down that far. Like I could say all that stuff and conclude he's not a top 20 player all-time which, while I would say isn't a great opinion, isn't terribly harsh because that top 20 is loaded. Or they're points as to why he doesn't warrant being ranked over Lebron( which is obvious), Bird( also obvious) or Dr.J, heck even Baylor. That's about as far as I could 'reasonably' go with that before getting laughed out of the room. Because once I go to the extreme of continuously arguing he's not top 40 then yeah.........I'm going to have people start thinking I'm trolling or just not saying things to be taken seriously. 15 publications ranking KD as a top 20 player and one village idiot saying he's not top 40. So then I say stuff like Its 'my right to my opinion' like you always say but that doesn't mean I'm entitled to have people engage me seriously after a while.

And that's where posters here are at with you. At a certain point people are just going to accept it as some far out wacko opinion and go about their day. Nobody is buying your arguments and you clearly have no interest in being convinced, because such an extreme minority opinion has to be entrenched in something so deep that you're never going to move that person. When you're THAT far off the beaten path? Jesus Christ himself couldn't convince you. Sooooo.....go sit in the corner and bask in your opinion. Truly, have at it. But you aren't due serious engagement at this point because you think people still owe you the energy of a serious reply. Your opinion on the matter is 1000 times more important to you then it is to anyone else, the tone of most replies here clearly show this so you cry about being disrespected.

You made this post two years ago, you had your 15 minutes in the sun about it.....

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?510011-My-issues-with-Shaq-as-an-quot-all-time-quot-great

Nobody convinced you then, and you convinced nobody else. That hasn't changed in 2025. Now you're just a splinter in the boards collective ass about something you've been firmly rejected on.
Bodybagged that troll :oldlol:

[Phoenix]

Bodybagged that troll :oldlol:

Lol he really is high off his own self-importance....

[RRR3]

Lol he really is high off his own self-importance....
“How am I trolling by saying John Stockton is better than Shaq?”

:oldlol:



Dude is 3ball but for Shaq instead of LeBron.

[RRR3]

Lol he really is high off his own self-importance....
“How am I trolling by saying John Stockton is better than Shaq?”

:oldlol:



Dude is 3ball but for Shaq instead of LeBron.

[Axe]

Op, out of curiosity, who do you hate more? Shaq or mj?

[ArbitraryWater]

Dirk only got swept once and it was prob the closest 4-game series ever :pimp: