Shaq: Stoudemire is the best big man in the game

[Bufalay]

duh the top 5 are:

1. God aka Bynum
2. Gasol
3. Turiaf
4. Odom
5. Tie Radmonavic and Vujacic (under-sized, but excellent post game)

The guy with the most potential is Mihm. If he had been healthy the last two years, the Lakers would be looking for another 3-peat this year!

 

[nathan]

duh the top 5 are:

1. God aka Bynum
2. Gasol
3. Turiaf
4. Odom
5. Tie Radmonavic and Vujacic (under-sized, but excellent post game)

The guy with the most potential is Mihm. If he had been healthy the last two years, the Lakers would be looking for another 3-peat this year!

What about Mbenga? He once scored 8 points in a game.

 

[BeeBeard]

What about Mbenga? He once scored 8 points in a game.

Sounds like another Lakers Hall-of-Famer to me.

 

[Mainstreet]

I sincerely believe that part of Shaq's role is to instill confidence in Amare - that's why he's constantly praising him.

It's no secret that Amare hasn't had the bravado and attitude since the knee surgeries. The past few games I've seen it more from him.

This is true. I wonder if the Suns expected acquiring Shaq would have this much impact on Stoudemire. His game has risen to another level at least for now. I hope it stays there. Amare now just exudes confidence.

 

[Cheesewater]

No, Amare for either Camby or Rasheed straightup would be a steal for the Suns, no kidding!

If you were the Suns GM and you traded Amare Stoudemire for Rasheed Wallace straight up...someone should crack your head open to see if it's full of cotton candy.

 

[JS22]

Amare is what he is. An amazing offensive player, very good rebounder, amazing shot blocker, below average man defender. Put it all together and he's probably top 5. Realistically, I'd only take Howard over him at this point. (And that's a maybe.) Funny, because I was ready to trade him early on this season.

If he could ever become a decent man defender he'd be without a doubt the best big man in the game. Maybe he'll improve now that he's not guarding guys 25 pounds heavier, and 3 inches taller than him every night.

 

[Cheesewater]

Amare is what he is. An amazing offensive player, very good rebounder, amazing shot blocker, below average man defender. Put it all together and he's probably top 5. Realistically, I'd only take Howard over him at this point. (And that's a maybe.) Funny, because I was ready to trade him early on this season.

If he could ever become a decent man defender he'd be without a doubt the best big man in the game. Maybe he'll improve now that he's not guarding guys 25 pounds heavier, and 3 inches taller than him every night.

 

[arwillan]

Amare is what he is. An amazing offensive player, very good rebounder, amazing shot blocker, below average man defender. Put it all together and he's probably top 5. Realistically, I'd only take Howard over him at this point. (And that's a maybe.) Funny, because I was ready to trade him early on this season.

If he could ever become a decent man defender he'd be without a doubt the best big man in the game. Maybe he'll improve now that he's not guarding guys 25 pounds heavier, and 3 inches taller than him every night.

9 rebounds a game is amazing? amare is a mediocre rebounder.

 

[mribnik]

9 rebounds a game is amazing? amare is a mediocre rebounder.

Eh, that number has been going up consistently throughout the season. Regardless, he is an excellent rebounder in the playoffs when it really matters.

 

[Cheesewater]

9 rebounds a game is amazing? amare is a mediocre rebounder.

I think he said "very good rebounder".

 

[arwillan]

I think he said "very good rebounder".

oh yes, sorry.

either way, he has been at about 9 all year. it was below that at one point, because jason kidd was higher than he was. remember when we had that whole thread about amare's poor rebounding? we listed every player in the league with a higher rpg stat....it was scary to say the least.


the thing about excellent rebounder in the playoffs is totally invalid. his career average in the playoffs is 10.6 rpg. duncan averages 12.5, and even dirk has 11.1

 

[Sovereignz]

Amare is a great rebounder... when he wants to be. It's pretty much as simple as that. He looks dominant at times (Lakers game a few days ago), then he has games where it looks like he doesn't even leave his feet to go after a rebound (Boston).

Anyway, I don't think there's any question right now he's the best big man offensively. He's THIRD in the league in points per 40 minutes, at 28.4, only a single point behind Lebron and Kobe for first in the league. And those two are guys who take what, 7 or 8 shots more per game than him? I wouldn't call him a jumpshooting big man, but for a guy who does take a very good amount of jump shots to shoot 60% from the floor? That's ridiculous.

Defensively, he just doesn't stay in front of his man. He has good quickness and amazing instincts for blocking shots, and I can't figure out why it's such a problem, but it is. He just can't stay between his man and the basket.

Duncan is still the best big man hands down, impact wise. Then you can make arguments for KG, Howard, Yao, Boozer, Dirk and Amare all being pretty reasonably close to each other after that.

 

[WuRaider]

Howard better than Amare? That is an insult to the Black Jesus. He puts up 30 and 10 in the playoffs.

 

[DuncanRules]

Amare is not a even a top 5 big man.

1. Duncan
2. Garnett
3. Howard
4. Yao
5. Boozer

 

[Cheesewater]

Amare is not a even a top 5 big man.

1. Duncan
2. Garnett
3. Howard
4. Yao
5. Boozer

And yet he'll be Finals MVP this year. It's a veritable Horatio Alger story.

 

[DuncanRules]

Amare is not a even a top 5 big man.

1. Duncan
2. Garnett
3. Howard
4. Yao
5. Boozer

Nowitzki and Bosh are also up there at the top of the Big Men list.

 

[BeeBeard]

Nowitzki and Bosh are also up there at the top of the Big Men list.

Only if we're trying to make a list of 7 foot tall jump shooters. Which we're not.

Centers:

1. Yao
2. Howard
3. ...the rest

Power Forwards:

1. Garnett
2. Duncan
3. Stoudemire
4. ...the rest

 

[DuncanRules]

Power Forwards:

1. Garnett
2. Duncan
3. Stoudemire
4. ...the rest

Stoudamire is there only if you forget that a basketball court has two ends.

 

[Hat]

After his performance today, I don't see him in the top 5.

10 for 21, that's pretty bad. He did a lot of going to the hole trying to draw the foul, but refs never called them. He kept doing it over and over missing layups, why continue doing it if it's not working?

And 3 rebounds? WTF?

 

[DuncanRules]

After his performance today, I don't see him in the top 5.

10 for 21, that's pretty bad. He did a lot of going to the hole trying to draw the foul, but refs never called them. He kept doing it over and over missing layups, why continue doing it if it's not working?

And 3 rebounds? WTF?

You're joking when you say 10 for 21 is bad, right? But yeah, the 3 rebounds is not too impressive.

 

[weakbomb]

Shaq likes comments like this. He likes to honuor teammates. But he is right. Amare is the best big man in NBA.

 

[Hat]

You're joking when you say 10 for 21 is bad, right? But yeah, the 3 rebounds is not too impressive.

It's not bad, but it's certainly below his 58% average. His performance in general wasn't what it should have been and what people make Amare out to be.

 

[Agloco]

Your metaphor is well-understood. Amare will be eating Tim Duncan alive in the playoffs using his symbolic alligator jaws.

What's different this year that leads you to believe that?

 

[DuncanRules]

It's not bad, but it's certainly below his 58% average. His performance in general wasn't what it should have been and what people make Amare out to be.

ok, at least we've cleared that up. 10 for 21 is not bad. just not as good as usual for amare.

i think amare is what he is. a powerful low-post scorer (somewhat limited by his lack of a back-to-the-basket game), a developing outside shooter, a good but not great rebounder, and an inconsistent defender (albeit with shot-blocking ability).

with a PG like Nash, i think he looks better than he really is. i've always liked watching him, and i was rooting for him when he went out with the micro-fracture surgery.

it's a little ridiculous for anyone to say amare's the best big man in the game. if that were true, why was Phoenix so desperate to acquire a low-post presence? if amare were the best big man in the league, wouldn't the suns already have had a low-post presence?

 

[devilalum]

The best big man in the game would not pull down 3 boards in a big nationally televised game.