by oochamps on Mon May 19, 2003 5:50 pm
This is the way I see it, and yes I am a TRUE/LONGE TIME laker fan, so I'm not only looking to improve today, but tomorrow aswell.
Here are a couple of facts that we all as lakers fans must at some point and time come to admit and imbrace.
1.) Shaq's additude is detrimemtal to the team, and it's only getting worse for some reason.
2.) Shaq perspective as a perfessional athlete is ludicrise in my opinion. He too often has some kind of a chip on his shoulder, something about him not getting treated properly, or getting enough respect. He appears to be getting more and more dissatisfied each and every year of his career.
3.) Shaq's physical ability is twendaling steadily. I have no idea of weither or not he is especially injured or what, but he often looks pathetic at times over the last couple of years when compared to his first couple years in the league. He got busted up thouroughly by Kevin Willis of the spurs, and he's only about ten years older than Shaq is.
4.) Shaq's field goal percentage is falling now, he is a liability in pressure situations due to the inability often to convert his free throws. Let's be rational here! There are many big men in the league who shoot their throws better than Shaq does. He gets upset seemingly that Kobe gets the ball when the game is tight, but what would he expect. Kobe is likely going to get either a bucket or a pair of free throws, which is most often makes. Shaq makes one out of every two basically. It makes me sick thinking of all the times shaq's one free throw was nulified and out matched by an easy Tim duncan conversion of two at the line.
My point with shaq isn't even complete, but I hope you get the picture. With shaq's current salary as it is, we are stuck. Period. He makes about half of the entire club salary. If Jerry Bus sign's shaq to the insane amout of money that shaq is qualified for in his upcoming contract extension, we will be really stuck. Shaq would then be making about two-thirds of the teams entire salary. That means basically that about 6 or 7 out of every 10 people that are in the stands at a staples center home game, will be paying just to watch shaquille o'neal play.
Kobe is now at about the peak of his career likely, and in my opinion, he is hands down the best player in the league, let alone on his own team. What seperates guys like kobe and shaq, is that kobe can get his shot whenever he wants, as he often handles the ball and directs the offense to some extent. Shaq on the other hand needs someone else to get him the There are many big men in the league who shoot their throws better than Shaq does. He gets upset seemingly that Kobe gets the ball when the game is tight, but what would he expect. Kobe is likely going to get either a bucket or a pair of free throws, which is most often makes. Shaq makes one out of every two basically. It makes me sick thinking of all the times shaq's one free throw was nulified and out matched by an easy Tim duncan conversion of two at the line.
My point with shaq isn't even complete, but I hope you get the picture. With shaq's current salary as it is, we are stuck. Period. He makes about half of the entire club salary. If Jerry Bus sign's shaq to the insane amout of money that shaq is qualified for in his upcoming contract extension, we will be really stuck. Shaq would then be making about two-thirds of the teams entire salary. That means basically that about 6 or 7 out of every 10 people that are in the stands at a staples center home game, will be paying just to watch shaquille o'neal play.
Kobe is now at about the peak of his career likely, and in my opinion, he is hands down the best player in the league, let alone on his own team. What seperates guys like kobe and shaq, is that kobe can get his shot whenever he wants, as he often handles the ball and directs the offense to some extent. Shaq on the other hand needs someone else to get him the rock or else he just can't produce offensively. Also, kobe's defense is pretty damb good, and shaq has clearly been under acheiving on the defensive end of the court for the majority of his career.
The bottom line for me is, I don't see shaq doing anything but declining now, physically, emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually with his conversion into islam now over his former beliefs as a christian. I can literally see the love for life just disappearing from the big man's face. I do not believe that continuing with shaquille as the focus of the team is going to produce the results that we as lakers fans have always come to expect.
Kobe is on the upswing, his career is just blossoming, and their is a reason that he believes in his own abilities and doesn't bow down to shaquille o'neal. Kobe knows how hard he works, he knows what he is capable of, and he is straight up ten times more mentally and emotionally tough/strong than shaquille is. With that said, I do love the ability of the big fella, and he can be very inspiring when he is on his game. I just don't see him leading us as he has previously. It's time for shaq to bow down to kobe and look to help him any way he can, just like david robinson recognized that it was time for him to do the same when Tim Duncan first came into the leage. And if I am not mistaken, Tim Duncan is leading his team to their srock or else he just can't produce offensively. Also, kobe's defense is pretty damb good, and shaq has clearly been under acheiving on the defensive end of the court for the majority of his career.
The bottom line for me is, I don't see shaq doing anything but declining now, physically, emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually with his conversion into islam now over his former beliefs as a christian. I can literally see the love for life just disappearing from the big man's face. I do not believe that continuing with shaquille as the focus of the team is going to produce the results that we as lakers fans have always come to expect.
Kobe is on the upswing, his career is just blossoming, and their is a reason that he believes in his own abilities and doesn't bow down to shaquille o'neal. Kobe knows how hard he works, he knows what he is capable of, and he is straight up ten times more mentally and emotionally tough/strong than shaquille is. With that said, I do love the ability of the big fella, and he can be very inspiring when he is on his game. I just don't see him leading us as he has previously. It's time for shaq to bow down to kobe and look to help him any way he can, just like david robinson recognized that it was time for him to do the same when Tim Duncan first came into the leage. And if I am not mistaken, Tim Duncan is leading his team to their second championship possible. Now imagine if David Robinson had been as selfish as Shaquille is being with Kobe.
We need Guilbert Arenas, Scottie pippen and either P.J. Brown, Karl Malone or Keon Clark.
Peace.
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