Updated: May 26, 2005, 4:39 PM ET
Shaq wins wherever he goes
John Hollinger
Few players provide a stronger guarantee of success than Shaquille O'Neal. With three different teams and seven head coaches, O'Neal has been a winner everywhere he's played. All three of his clubs made it to at least the conference finals, and in his 13 NBA seasons, Shaq has never had a losing record.
Most recently, O'Neal turned around the fortunes of the Miami Heat, who went from 42 wins a year ago to 59 this season. Of course, he has had some help in the form of stars such as Dwyane Wade and Eddie Jones, just as he had in other stops. That has us wondering: How does this year's Miami squad stack up against previous Shaq-centered teams?
To answer that question, I developed a method to rank all 13 of Shaq's teams. Here are the criteria:
1. Winning games: I gave each team one point for every regular-season win. In the case of the 1998-99 lockout year, I prorated the Lakers' wins to an 82-game season.
2. Dominating games: If Team A wins by 30 and Team B wins by 1 against a similar opponent, it stands to reason that Team A was better than Team B. To reflect that distinction, I gave each team one point for every point in its average margin of victory. For example, the 2004-05 Heat outscored opponents by 6.5 points per game, so I gave them 6.5 points.
3. Winning when it matters: I gave every team two points for each playoff game won and subtracted one point for each playoff game lost. However, I gave each team a three-point bonus for making the playoffs – that way teams like Shaq's 1993-94 Magic club won't be penalized for making the postseason and losing in the first round. To avoid overrating teams from the past three seasons, since the first round went to a best-of-seven format, I "counted" only the first three wins and losses in the first round.
4. Winning championships: I gave each team two points for winning a round in the playoffs and an additional three points for winning the whole enchilada. It might not seem like much, but once we combine all the playoff bonuses, a team that won Game 7 of the Finals would get a maximum of 38 points, while a team that lost in Game 7 of the Finals would get, at most, 30. So a champion would only rate behind a runner-up if there were huge differences between them in the other categories.
Based on this exercise, here are the results (Click here for full rankings):
No. 13: 1992-93 Magic
41-41, no playoffs
Supporting cast: Scott Skiles, Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott, Tom Tolbert
Coach: Matt Guokas
As the only Shaq team not to make the playoffs (they missed by a game) or finish above .500, the '92-93 Magic easily claimed last place. The rookie O'Neal managed to overcome a weak supporting crew and the worst uniforms in the history of basketball to put up monstrous averages of 23.9 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. He ran away with the Rookie of the Year trophy, but the expansion Magic had little talent surrounding him.
No. 12: 1993-94 Magic
50-32, swept in first round by Indiana
Supporting cast: Skiles, Anderson, Scott, Anfernee Hardaway
Coach: Brian Hill
Rookie Penny Hardaway arrived on the scene and helped Shaq share the load, resulting in the first of 12 straight 50-win seasons for Shaq (using prorated wins for the 1998-99 lockout year). However, this season would mark the first of several playoff disappointments early in O'Neal's career. The Magic were huge first-round favorites against sixth-seeded Indiana but were swept. However, with rising stars such as Shaq, Hardaway and Anderson on the team, it seemed only a matter of time before the Magic rose to the top.
No. 11: 1998-99 Lakers
31-19, swept in second round by San Antonio
Supporting cast: Kobe Bryant, Jones, Glen Rice, Rick Fox, Derek Fisher
Coaches: Del Harris, Bill Bertka, Kurt Rambis
Shaq's second year in L.A. saw a team in transition, as the Lakers traded Jones and Elden Campbell to Charlotte midway through the season for Rice and endured a disastrous experiment with Dennis Rodman. This season also indirectly ushered in the Phil Jackson era. At the end of Game 2 against San Antonio, the Lakers had a foul to give but failed to use it, instead watching Tim Duncan hit a game-winning hook shot. Coach Kurt Rambis was told to pack his bags, and within days, Jerry West had Big Chief Triangle on the phone.
Amid the chaos, Shaq's playoff reputation was taking a big hit. This marked the fifth time in six seasons that an O'Neal team was swept in the postseason, leading some to mutter that he couldn't handle adversity.
No. 10: 2002-03 Lakers
50-32, lost in second round to San Antonio
Supporting cast: Bryant, Robert Horry, Fisher, Devean George
Coach: Phil Jackson
Shaq's Lakers had two amazingly similar seasons bracketing their three championships, right down to the playoff loss to San Antonio. In 2003, the entire supporting cast got old at once and years of benign neglect from general manager Mitch Kupchak finally took its toll. L.A. did stage one last hurrah, nearly coming back from 25 down to beat San Antonio on the road in Game 5 before surrendering in six games.
No. 9: 1996-97 Lakers
56-26, lost in second round to Utah
Supporting cast: Jones, Nick Van Exel, Elden Campbell, Jerome Kersey
Coach: Harris
Shaq's first season in L.A. didn't produce a title, but much of the building for the Lakers' three championship teams took place. Shaq signed as a free agent, the Lakers drafted a high-school project named Kobe Bryant, and at midseason, L.A. acquired disgruntled forward Horry from Phoenix. On the court, the Lakers improved to 56 wins before meeting their demise against Utah.
No. 8: 1995-96 Magic
60-22, swept in conference finals by Chicago
Supporting cast: Hardaway, Anderson, Horace Grant, Scott
Coach: Hill
The 1995-96 Magic were an outstanding team. They just had the misfortune of playing in the same conference as the greatest team of all time and as a result were bulldozed in four games by the 72-10 Bulls. However, Orlando's success on the court took a backseat to the rumors about Shaq's impending departure as a free agent. Thanks to a collective bargaining agreement that didn't include restricted free agency, O'Neal soon skipped off to L.A., while the Magic screamed bloody murder about tampering.
No. 7: 1994-95 Magic
57-25, swept in Finals by Houston
Supporting cast: Hardaway, Anderson, Grant, Scott
Coach: Hill
This is the one that got away from O'Neal. The Magic knocked off formerly retired Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the second round and looked like champions in the making. However, Orlando couldn't recover after Anderson bricked four straight foul shots in the final seconds of Game 1 of the Finals and the Rockets came back to win in overtime. Hardaway famously turned his back and looked away as Anderson shot No. 3, only to turn around and see it carom away. From O'Neal's perspective, it's amazing that this is only the seventh-best team on which he played.
No. 6: 1997-98 Lakers
61-21, swept in conference finals by Utah
Supporting cast: Jones, Van Exel, Fox, Horry
Coach: Harris
Despite the ignominious sweep by Utah, the Lakers rate better than the Magic team that advanced to the Finals. If you think about it, it makes sense. This team won more games, had a better victory margin, and played better in the early playoff rounds. Besides, the Jazz of the late '90s might be the best team to not win a championship in history, so it's no shame losing to them.
However, this season did carry a whiff of disappointment. On pure talent, the Lakers should have crushed Utah and given Chicago all it could handle in the Finals. Jones, Van Exel, Fox, Horry and Campbell were in their primes, Bryant was coming into his own, and the bench was deep (Fisher, Corie Blount, Sean Rooks, Jon Barry). It was Shaq's fourth postseason sweep in five playoffs.
No. 5: 2003-04 Lakers
56-26, lost in Finals to Detroit
Supporting cast: Bryant, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Fisher
Coach: Jackson
A 56-win season that ends with a trip to the Finals normally is cause for celebration, but this one was a crushing disappointment. With the offseason additions of Malone and Payton to the squad, some suggested the Lakers could break the Bulls' record of 72 wins. L.A. lived up to the early hype before a knee injury sidelined Malone, but when he returned late in the season, L.A. again became the favorite to win the title.
Shaq seemed destined for ring No. 4 after a last-second shot by Fisher helped knock off San Antonio in the second round, but the Pistons proved a much tougher adversary than L.A. expected. Throw in a second knee injury to Malone and a growing feud between Shaq and Kobe, and the dynasty was doomed. After the season, L.A. made it official by trading Shaq to Miami.
No. 4: 2004-05 Heat
59-23, tied 1-1 in conference finals with Detroit
Supporting cast: Wade, Eddie Jones, Damon Jones, Udonis Haslem
Coach: Stan Van Gundy
Believe it or not, this is already the best of Shaq's non-championship teams. While the margin between teams No. 4 and No. 8 on this list is infinitesimal, the Miami gang moves to the top of that heap by rating well in every department. The +6.5 victory margin is the second-best of that five-team group; the 8-0 blitz through the first two rounds all but guarantees them the best playoff record of the bunch; and the 59 wins rate strongly, too.
However, they might not hold this spot for long. If Miami loses to Detroit in five games, then the Heat drop to the bottom of that five-team scrum and finish No. 8. If Miami takes it to six games, then it ends up at No. 7. Miami would have to take the Pistons to seven games in order to hang onto its perch at No. 4.
On the bright side, this year's Heat also can move up. Should Miami run the table in their next seven games and win the title, it'd finish No. 2. If the Heat win it all while losing fewer than five games combined in the last two series, they'll rank No. 3.
56-26, beat 76ers in Finals
Supporting cast: Bryant, Fisher, Fox, Grant
Coach: Jackson
It seems incongruent to rank this team only third since it had one of the most dominant playoff runs ever – a 15-1 rampage that included several blowout wins. However, one can't ignore what a humdrum regular season these guys had. L.A. won 56 games and was lucky to do even that, posting a +3.4 victory margin that was among the worst of Shaq's career. Additionally, Shaq and Kobe spent most of the year feuding – foreshadowing the Lakers' 2004 implosion – before getting their act together for the postseason.
58-24, swept Nets in Finals
Supporting cast: Bryant, Fisher, Fox, Horry
Coach: Jackson
Despite a very solid regular season, L.A.'s three-peat quest looked dicey in the conference finals. The Lakers trailed Sacramento by 24 points in Game 4 with the Kings already leading the series 2-1. But Horry hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to cap the comeback, and L.A. managed to squeak out a Game 7 overtime win in Sacramento to keep its vise grip on the trophy. Unfortunately for L.A., this was the end of the line, as age would soon take its toll on the supporting cast.
67-15, beat Pacers in Finals
Supporting cast: Bryant, Rice, Ron Harper, Horry
Coach: Jackson
O'Neal won his only MVP trophy in this season, and he richly deserved it in his best season, both individually and teamwise. Under new coach Jackson, Shaq won a career-best 67 games and had the best victory margin of his career.
That achievement nearly came unraveled in the playoffs, however, as the Lakers' habit of postseason underachievement proved tough to shake. L.A. blew a 2-0 lead against Sacramento and a 3-1 lead against Portland before rallying to win each series. The Portland series was the most famous, of course, as L.A. came from 16 down in the second half to avoid one of the greatest collapses in history. The capper, fittingly enough, came on a volcanic dunk by Shaq, who went over the square on the backboard to catch a pass from Bryant and ripped it through the net in one motion.
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Shaq wins wherever he goes
John Hollinger
Few players provide a stronger guarantee of success than Shaquille O'Neal. With three different teams and seven head coaches, O'Neal has been a winner everywhere he's played. All three of his clubs made it to at least the conference finals, and in his 13 NBA seasons, Shaq has never had a losing record.
Most recently, O'Neal turned around the fortunes of the Miami Heat, who went from 42 wins a year ago to 59 this season. Of course, he has had some help in the form of stars such as Dwyane Wade and Eddie Jones, just as he had in other stops. That has us wondering: How does this year's Miami squad stack up against previous Shaq-centered teams?
To answer that question, I developed a method to rank all 13 of Shaq's teams. Here are the criteria:
1. Winning games: I gave each team one point for every regular-season win. In the case of the 1998-99 lockout year, I prorated the Lakers' wins to an 82-game season.
2. Dominating games: If Team A wins by 30 and Team B wins by 1 against a similar opponent, it stands to reason that Team A was better than Team B. To reflect that distinction, I gave each team one point for every point in its average margin of victory. For example, the 2004-05 Heat outscored opponents by 6.5 points per game, so I gave them 6.5 points.
3. Winning when it matters: I gave every team two points for each playoff game won and subtracted one point for each playoff game lost. However, I gave each team a three-point bonus for making the playoffs – that way teams like Shaq's 1993-94 Magic club won't be penalized for making the postseason and losing in the first round. To avoid overrating teams from the past three seasons, since the first round went to a best-of-seven format, I "counted" only the first three wins and losses in the first round.
4. Winning championships: I gave each team two points for winning a round in the playoffs and an additional three points for winning the whole enchilada. It might not seem like much, but once we combine all the playoff bonuses, a team that won Game 7 of the Finals would get a maximum of 38 points, while a team that lost in Game 7 of the Finals would get, at most, 30. So a champion would only rate behind a runner-up if there were huge differences between them in the other categories.
Based on this exercise, here are the results (Click here for full rankings):
No. 13: 1992-93 Magic
41-41, no playoffs
Supporting cast: Scott Skiles, Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott, Tom Tolbert
Coach: Matt Guokas
As the only Shaq team not to make the playoffs (they missed by a game) or finish above .500, the '92-93 Magic easily claimed last place. The rookie O'Neal managed to overcome a weak supporting crew and the worst uniforms in the history of basketball to put up monstrous averages of 23.9 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. He ran away with the Rookie of the Year trophy, but the expansion Magic had little talent surrounding him.
No. 12: 1993-94 Magic
50-32, swept in first round by Indiana
Supporting cast: Skiles, Anderson, Scott, Anfernee Hardaway
Coach: Brian Hill
Rookie Penny Hardaway arrived on the scene and helped Shaq share the load, resulting in the first of 12 straight 50-win seasons for Shaq (using prorated wins for the 1998-99 lockout year). However, this season would mark the first of several playoff disappointments early in O'Neal's career. The Magic were huge first-round favorites against sixth-seeded Indiana but were swept. However, with rising stars such as Shaq, Hardaway and Anderson on the team, it seemed only a matter of time before the Magic rose to the top.
No. 11: 1998-99 Lakers
31-19, swept in second round by San Antonio
Supporting cast: Kobe Bryant, Jones, Glen Rice, Rick Fox, Derek Fisher
Coaches: Del Harris, Bill Bertka, Kurt Rambis
Shaq's second year in L.A. saw a team in transition, as the Lakers traded Jones and Elden Campbell to Charlotte midway through the season for Rice and endured a disastrous experiment with Dennis Rodman. This season also indirectly ushered in the Phil Jackson era. At the end of Game 2 against San Antonio, the Lakers had a foul to give but failed to use it, instead watching Tim Duncan hit a game-winning hook shot. Coach Kurt Rambis was told to pack his bags, and within days, Jerry West had Big Chief Triangle on the phone.
Amid the chaos, Shaq's playoff reputation was taking a big hit. This marked the fifth time in six seasons that an O'Neal team was swept in the postseason, leading some to mutter that he couldn't handle adversity.
No. 10: 2002-03 Lakers
50-32, lost in second round to San Antonio
Supporting cast: Bryant, Robert Horry, Fisher, Devean George
Coach: Phil Jackson
Shaq's Lakers had two amazingly similar seasons bracketing their three championships, right down to the playoff loss to San Antonio. In 2003, the entire supporting cast got old at once and years of benign neglect from general manager Mitch Kupchak finally took its toll. L.A. did stage one last hurrah, nearly coming back from 25 down to beat San Antonio on the road in Game 5 before surrendering in six games.
No. 9: 1996-97 Lakers
56-26, lost in second round to Utah
Supporting cast: Jones, Nick Van Exel, Elden Campbell, Jerome Kersey
Coach: Harris
Shaq's first season in L.A. didn't produce a title, but much of the building for the Lakers' three championship teams took place. Shaq signed as a free agent, the Lakers drafted a high-school project named Kobe Bryant, and at midseason, L.A. acquired disgruntled forward Horry from Phoenix. On the court, the Lakers improved to 56 wins before meeting their demise against Utah.
No. 8: 1995-96 Magic
60-22, swept in conference finals by Chicago
Supporting cast: Hardaway, Anderson, Horace Grant, Scott
Coach: Hill
The 1995-96 Magic were an outstanding team. They just had the misfortune of playing in the same conference as the greatest team of all time and as a result were bulldozed in four games by the 72-10 Bulls. However, Orlando's success on the court took a backseat to the rumors about Shaq's impending departure as a free agent. Thanks to a collective bargaining agreement that didn't include restricted free agency, O'Neal soon skipped off to L.A., while the Magic screamed bloody murder about tampering.
No. 7: 1994-95 Magic
57-25, swept in Finals by Houston
Supporting cast: Hardaway, Anderson, Grant, Scott
Coach: Hill
This is the one that got away from O'Neal. The Magic knocked off formerly retired Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the second round and looked like champions in the making. However, Orlando couldn't recover after Anderson bricked four straight foul shots in the final seconds of Game 1 of the Finals and the Rockets came back to win in overtime. Hardaway famously turned his back and looked away as Anderson shot No. 3, only to turn around and see it carom away. From O'Neal's perspective, it's amazing that this is only the seventh-best team on which he played.
No. 6: 1997-98 Lakers
61-21, swept in conference finals by Utah
Supporting cast: Jones, Van Exel, Fox, Horry
Coach: Harris
Despite the ignominious sweep by Utah, the Lakers rate better than the Magic team that advanced to the Finals. If you think about it, it makes sense. This team won more games, had a better victory margin, and played better in the early playoff rounds. Besides, the Jazz of the late '90s might be the best team to not win a championship in history, so it's no shame losing to them.
However, this season did carry a whiff of disappointment. On pure talent, the Lakers should have crushed Utah and given Chicago all it could handle in the Finals. Jones, Van Exel, Fox, Horry and Campbell were in their primes, Bryant was coming into his own, and the bench was deep (Fisher, Corie Blount, Sean Rooks, Jon Barry). It was Shaq's fourth postseason sweep in five playoffs.
No. 5: 2003-04 Lakers
56-26, lost in Finals to Detroit
Supporting cast: Bryant, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Fisher
Coach: Jackson
A 56-win season that ends with a trip to the Finals normally is cause for celebration, but this one was a crushing disappointment. With the offseason additions of Malone and Payton to the squad, some suggested the Lakers could break the Bulls' record of 72 wins. L.A. lived up to the early hype before a knee injury sidelined Malone, but when he returned late in the season, L.A. again became the favorite to win the title.
Shaq seemed destined for ring No. 4 after a last-second shot by Fisher helped knock off San Antonio in the second round, but the Pistons proved a much tougher adversary than L.A. expected. Throw in a second knee injury to Malone and a growing feud between Shaq and Kobe, and the dynasty was doomed. After the season, L.A. made it official by trading Shaq to Miami.
No. 4: 2004-05 Heat
59-23, tied 1-1 in conference finals with Detroit
Supporting cast: Wade, Eddie Jones, Damon Jones, Udonis Haslem
Coach: Stan Van Gundy
Believe it or not, this is already the best of Shaq's non-championship teams. While the margin between teams No. 4 and No. 8 on this list is infinitesimal, the Miami gang moves to the top of that heap by rating well in every department. The +6.5 victory margin is the second-best of that five-team group; the 8-0 blitz through the first two rounds all but guarantees them the best playoff record of the bunch; and the 59 wins rate strongly, too.
However, they might not hold this spot for long. If Miami loses to Detroit in five games, then the Heat drop to the bottom of that five-team scrum and finish No. 8. If Miami takes it to six games, then it ends up at No. 7. Miami would have to take the Pistons to seven games in order to hang onto its perch at No. 4.
On the bright side, this year's Heat also can move up. Should Miami run the table in their next seven games and win the title, it'd finish No. 2. If the Heat win it all while losing fewer than five games combined in the last two series, they'll rank No. 3.
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No. 3: 2000-01 Lakers 56-26, beat 76ers in Finals
Supporting cast: Bryant, Fisher, Fox, Grant
Coach: Jackson
It seems incongruent to rank this team only third since it had one of the most dominant playoff runs ever – a 15-1 rampage that included several blowout wins. However, one can't ignore what a humdrum regular season these guys had. L.A. won 56 games and was lucky to do even that, posting a +3.4 victory margin that was among the worst of Shaq's career. Additionally, Shaq and Kobe spent most of the year feuding – foreshadowing the Lakers' 2004 implosion – before getting their act together for the postseason.
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No. 2: 2001-02 Lakers 58-24, swept Nets in Finals
Supporting cast: Bryant, Fisher, Fox, Horry
Coach: Jackson
Despite a very solid regular season, L.A.'s three-peat quest looked dicey in the conference finals. The Lakers trailed Sacramento by 24 points in Game 4 with the Kings already leading the series 2-1. But Horry hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to cap the comeback, and L.A. managed to squeak out a Game 7 overtime win in Sacramento to keep its vise grip on the trophy. Unfortunately for L.A., this was the end of the line, as age would soon take its toll on the supporting cast.
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No. 1: 1999-2000 Lakers 67-15, beat Pacers in Finals
Supporting cast: Bryant, Rice, Ron Harper, Horry
Coach: Jackson
O'Neal won his only MVP trophy in this season, and he richly deserved it in his best season, both individually and teamwise. Under new coach Jackson, Shaq won a career-best 67 games and had the best victory margin of his career.
That achievement nearly came unraveled in the playoffs, however, as the Lakers' habit of postseason underachievement proved tough to shake. L.A. blew a 2-0 lead against Sacramento and a 3-1 lead against Portland before rallying to win each series. The Portland series was the most famous, of course, as L.A. came from 16 down in the second half to avoid one of the greatest collapses in history. The capper, fittingly enough, came on a volcanic dunk by Shaq, who went over the square on the backboard to catch a pass from Bryant and ripped it through the net in one motion.
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