Shaq, Kobe, TD ... Who's The First To Plead The Fifth?

[duncan228]

Shaq, Kobe, TD ... who's the first to plead the fifth? (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Shaq-Kobe-TD-who-s-the-first-to-plead-the-?urn=nba,174632)
By Kelly Dwyer
Ball Don't Lie

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/temp/fifth.jpg

It's a barroom/barbershop argument with legs. And those gams? They can really turn heads. It's the rare hypothetical worth working over. It's something worth discussing, if you'd like me to get to the point.

Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O'Neal all have four NBA championship rings. With each player securely placed on a championship contender, heading into 2009-10, which star do we see getting his fifth ring first?

Each owns sound arguments in their favor.

Bryant, arguably, is on the best team. He has the best supporting unit in the game. He's a month removed from picking up that fourth ring, and despite his 30 (soon to be 31) years of age, he's hardly on the downside of his career. In fact, he's peaking, and he's got a Pau Gasol on his side. To say nothing of a Phil Jackson, and a competitive spirit that few in NBA history can match.

His former teammate, the loquacious Mr. O'Neal, is on the downside of his career. And though his new team in Cleveland can't boast the sort of depth Kobe can rely on from teammates 1-through-15, O'Neal does get to play second fiddle to the best player in the game. And Shaq, as is his custom, won't let that fact go unmentioned. Over, and over, again.

Tim Duncan, as has always been the case, takes a quieter tone. His supporting cast resembles the game he's most comfortable with. Reserved. Talented. Fundamentally-driven. Efficient. Dangerous. Title-worthy. The guy is so good, his team is so great, that we can barely get in one word before the sentence ends itself.

So who gets to five first? Remember, this isn't an argument bred to determine who would be the best player amongst the three. Though it isn't a huge advantage, Kobe probably takes the honor, at this point.

It's a team game, and we're trying to guess at which crew seems the most fit for pulling in a title. It doesn't even have to be in 2010, and while we're at it, Shaq (a free agent one year from now) doesn't even have to be a Cleveland Cavalier while grabbing that fifth Lawrence O'Brien Trophy.

If pressed, I'd have to put my money on Bryant. His team is so good, even if Lamar Odom is "forced" to head elsewhere. He has the right system, motivation should not be a problem, and Gasol's presence just seems to vault him over the top, to me.

O'Neal could get it together, though. He could reprise his role as second banana, something he did quite well for a Miami Heat team that won the 2006 championship, clearing spaces and dunking in faces as LeBron James earns his first Finals win.

Duncan has no issues working as the second or even third banana. He's two years removed from a 2007 win that saw him clear the lane for a driving Tony Parker, and he's never had any issues letting Manu Ginobili work his magic while TD mans the boards and defends like mad.

There are arguments, individually-based, for why all three could fall short. Bryant could let his scoring instincts get the best of him, and shoot his Lakers out of any sort of offensive rhythm. O'Neal could show up to camp out of shape, or act as a defensive sieve on a team that badly needs him to patrol the paint. Duncan's wheels, as he enters next year's playoffs at age 34, could fall off.

And the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, two teams that have as good a title shot as any, could render this entire discussion worthless.

But before that happens, let's hear your thoughts. Kobe, TD, and Diesel all have four. Who gets to five, first?

Note: Hit the link (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Shaq-Kobe-TD-who-s-the-first-to-plead-the-?urn=nba,174632) to vote. The results as of this post:

Who will be the first to grab his fifth ring?

Kobe Bryant
70%

Tim Duncan
14%

Shaquille O'Neal
16%

620 Total Votes

[Mugen]

lol at kobe with "4"

[Spurs/BroncoSojia]

http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2008/11/15/633623103869244450-fif.jpg

[SPURSGOAT]

http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2008/11/15/633623103869244450-fif.jpg

:lmao damn I miss that show...

[z0sa]

Tim Duncan. Since we won't have to whore him out 35mpg this season, I expect '05 Duncan to make an appearance in '10

[SPURSGOAT]

Shaq, Kobe, TD ... who's the first to plead the fifth? (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Shaq-Kobe-TD-who-s-the-first-to-plead-the-?urn=nba,174632)
By Kelly Dwyer
Ball Don't Lie

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/temp/fifth.jpg

It's a barroom/barbershop argument with legs. And those gams? They can really turn heads. It's the rare hypothetical worth working over. It's something worth discussing, if you'd like me to get to the point.

Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O'Neal all have four NBA championship rings. With each player securely placed on a championship contender, heading into 2009-10, which star do we see getting his fifth ring first?

Each owns sound arguments in their favor.

Bryant, arguably, is on the best team. He has the best supporting unit in the game. He's a month removed from picking up that fourth ring, and despite his 30 (soon to be 31) years of age, he's hardly on the downside of his career. In fact, he's peaking, and he's got a Pau Gasol on his side. To say nothing of a Phil Jackson, and a competitive spirit that few in NBA history can match.

His former teammate, the loquacious Mr. O'Neal, is on the downside of his career. And though his new team in Cleveland can't boast the sort of depth Kobe can rely on from teammates 1-through-15, O'Neal does get to play second fiddle to the best player in the game. And Shaq, as is his custom, won't let that fact go unmentioned. Over, and over, again.

Tim Duncan, as has always been the case, takes a quieter tone. His supporting cast resembles the game he's most comfortable with. Reserved. Talented. Fundamentally-driven. Efficient. Dangerous. Title-worthy. The guy is so good, his team is so great, that we can barely get in one word before the sentence ends itself.

So who gets to five first? Remember, this isn't an argument bred to determine who would be the best player amongst the three. Though it isn't a huge advantage, Kobe probably takes the honor, at this point.

It's a team game, and we're trying to guess at which crew seems the most fit for pulling in a title. It doesn't even have to be in 2010, and while we're at it, Shaq (a free agent one year from now) doesn't even have to be a Cleveland Cavalier while grabbing that fifth Lawrence O'Brien Trophy.

If pressed, I'd have to put my money on Bryant. His team is so good, even if Lamar Odom is "forced" to head elsewhere. He has the right system, motivation should not be a problem, and Gasol's presence just seems to vault him over the top, to me.

O'Neal could get it together, though. He could reprise his role as second banana, something he did quite well for a Miami Heat team that won the 2006 championship, clearing spaces and dunking in faces as LeBron James earns his first Finals win.

Duncan has no issues working as the second or even third banana. He's two years removed from a 2007 win that saw him clear the lane for a driving Tony Parker, and he's never had any issues letting Manu Ginobili work his magic while TD mans the boards and defends like mad.

There are arguments, individually-based, for why all three could fall short. Bryant could let his scoring instincts get the best of him, and shoot his Lakers out of any sort of offensive rhythm. O'Neal could show up to camp out of shape, or act as a defensive sieve on a team that badly needs him to patrol the paint. Duncan's wheels, as he enters next year's playoffs at age 34, could fall off.

And the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, two teams that have as good a title shot as any, could render this entire discussion worthless.

But before that happens, let's hear your thoughts. Kobe, TD, and Diesel all have four. Who gets to five, first?

Note: Hit the link (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Shaq-Kobe-TD-who-s-the-first-to-plead-the-?urn=nba,174632) to vote. The results as of this post:

Who will be the first to grab his fifth ring?

Kobe Bryant
70%

Tim Duncan
14%

Shaquille O'Neal
16%

620 Total Votes

LOL! @ the Faker fans jumping on every poll....:rolleyes

[Extra Stout]

Tim Duncan. Since we won't have to whore him out 35mpg this season, I expect '05 Duncan to make an appearance in '10
Wasn't '05 Duncan the one who was hobbled by two sprained ankles?

[z0sa]

Wasn't '05 Duncan the one who was hobbled by two sprained ankles?

trivial things like ankles not working doesn't stop Tim.

(he still dominated every playoff series, even Detroit's against the two best bigmen defenders in the League at that time+Dyess)

[Trainwreck2100]

LOL! @ the Faker fans jumping on every poll....:rolleyes

Those faker fans love pole jumping.

[j-money24]

Kobe is younger and arguably has a better team, that's why he has a better chance.

[z0sa]

the spurs will have 10 rings before any other franchise not already possessing as many.

[benefactor]

lol at kobe with "4"
Exactly. The last time I checked he only had one.

[SonOfAGun]

fa fa fa fiiiifff

[LaMarcus Bryant]

Wasn't '05 Duncan the one who was hobbled by two sprained ankles?

:lmao is that also the very same duncan that jumped 3 inches in the air for a game winning shot against Phoenix and Amare blocked the shit out of him to seal the deal?

Yeah, I really wanna see that Duncan instead of 03 :lol


And:


LOL at Kobe putting the fours up (i said)
What a joke.

[z0sa]

:lmao the very same duncan that jumped 3 inches in the air for a game winning shot against Phoenix and Amare blocked the shit out of him to seal the deal?

Yeah, I really wanna see that Duncan instead of 03 :lol


And:


LOL at Kobe putting the fours up (i said)
What a joke.


You'll never see 03 Timmy again. A healthy Timmy can't be expected to put up better stats than he did in 05, should the competition be of similar levels

[LaMarcus Bryant]

You'll never see 03 Timmy again. A healthy Timmy can't be expected to put up better stats than he did in 05, should the competition be of similar levels

Yes because it's so much more plausible for a Duncan of today to go back to 05 form than 03.

[HarlemHeat37]

Obviously Kobe has the best chance, his team is the favorite if they sign Odom..

LOL @ OJ Bryant's 4 though..he has 1 and 3 as a #2 option..let's call it like it is..

[SteelerNation]

LOL at Spurs fans trying to diminish Kobe's ring count. I love this place. All the hatred and obsession for the Lakers by Spurs fans is great. You guys need to get out more. Step away from the computer. Go outside and find a nice girl. You guys are becoming to wrapped up in your own little world and are constantly trying to belittle the Lakers and their fans and the city. Go to a Laker forum and you wont see 1% of the conversation about the Spurs. You dont matter to us until its game day. Thats why you see Laker fans over here to talk basketball outside of the Lakers and all we hear is everyone's obsession with the Lakers. lol

[HarlemHeat37]

LOL at Spurs fans trying to diminish Kobe's ring count. I love this place. All the hatred and obsession for the Lakers by Spurs fans is great. You guys need to get out more. Step away from the computer. Go outside and find a nice girl. You guys are becoming to wrapped up in your own little world and are constantly trying to belittle the Lakers and their fans and the city. Go to a Laker forum and you wont see 1% of the conversation about the Spurs. You dont matter to us until its game day. Thats why you see Laker fans over here to talk basketball outside of the Lakers and all we hear is everyone's obsession with the Lakers. lol

Ohhhhhhh the irony..LOL...

[Nathan Explosion]

Two things, name me a Laker board that does more traffic than Spurs.com. This board has so much traffic, it's been mentioned in True Hoop on ESPN.com.

Second, I noticed that everyone claims Kobe's probably the best player of the 3, despite the fact that he has the WORST winning percentage of the 3 both regular season and playoffs. Guess who has the best?

That'd be Mr. Tim Duncan himself. Scoreboard.

[mazerrackham]

LOL at Spurs fans trying to diminish Kobe's ring count. I love this place. All the hatred and obsession for the Lakers by Spurs fans is great. You guys need to get out more. Step away from the computer. Go outside and find a nice girl. You guys are becoming to wrapped up in your own little world and are constantly trying to belittle the Lakers and their fans and the city. Go to a Laker forum and you wont see 1% of the conversation about the Spurs. You dont matter to us until its game day. Thats why you see Laker fans over here to talk basketball outside of the Lakers and all we hear is everyone's obsession with the Lakers. lol

Obviously my opinion is still somewhat biased, but stepping back as much as I can to take as unbiased opinion as I can, Lakers and Spurs fans alike both obsess about each other (or at least talking smack to the opposing teams fans). You will see countless evidence of both sides being silly just by browsing this forum. Step back and quit stating opinions as if they were universal truths.

[Interrohater]

LOL at Spurs fans trying to diminish Kobe's ring count. I love this place. All the hatred and obsession for the Lakers by Spurs fans is great. You guys need to get out more. Step away from the computer. Go outside and find a nice girl. You guys are becoming to wrapped up in your own little world and are constantly trying to belittle the Lakers and their fans and the city. Go to a Laker forum and you wont see 1% of the conversation about the Spurs. You dont matter to us until its game day. Thats why you see Laker fans over here to talk basketball outside of the Lakers and all we hear is everyone's obsession with the Lakers. lol
I agree with HarlemHeat... how ironic of you to say that... Laker's fans spend so little time talking about the Spurs in their forums, yet spend so much time coming INTO a Spurs forum in order to... wait... you've got me confused now...
Why not just go back to "a Laker forum" and not have to deal with silly, obsessed, cave-dwelling, no-nice-girl-having, little-world-wrapped Spurs fans? Then you REALLY can have it all!

P.S. How is life on the outside? Is that nice girl working out for you? please teach me, oh Wise One Who Will Inevitably Respond To This Post!

[Chillen]

probably Kobe, but if Tim Duncan is healed and well rested, even with the Lakers adding Artest, Duncan can dominate games if healthy and his teammates are healthy. I really believe all this rest if gonna make the Spurs a threat to the Lakers again. Shaq and Lebron, if they make the NBA finals, who knows.

[VivaPopovich]

timmy, esp. after artest/kobe blow up frustrating phil into retirement

[Gutter92]

LOL @ the Lakers fans being SO obsessed with us that they register on SPURSTALK.com .... rofl! gtfo lmao

[z0sa]

Yes because it's so much more plausible for a Duncan of today to go back to 05 form than 03.

06 form (his best playoff series)? He was injured then, too. He actually enjoyed a good 2009 playoffs, not great, but good - and on two bad knees. Thing is, Timmy still dominates through his injuries, which is why its pretty much pointless to bring them up. I said 05 because I remembered him dominating, not for any one reason.

[AnthonyM]

First To Five: Kobe, Shaq or Tim Duncan?



http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images_root/image_pictures/0478/5794/40817_feature.jpg

I was watching Pardon the Interruption a few days ago when I saw an interesting question posed: Who will win their fifth ring first: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal or Tim Duncan?
It was a great question, considering all three guys are on championship contending teams. Any one of them could get their fifth title first.
Unfortunately, I was at the Dentist's at the time, so I didn't get to see how the guys responded.
By examining all three players and their shots at winning the championship, I went ahead and made my pick as to who will have a ring for each finger first.
So, let's take a look at each player and his respective team:

1. Shaquille O'Neal, Cleveland Cavaliers
Shaq has teamed up with LeBron James to give the Cavs their best shot at winning a ring in the history of the franchise.
LeBron has almost won a title by himself, but he desperately needed help. He had to look no further than Shaquille O'Neal.
Shaq will be the first true superstar LeBron has gotten to play with, and won't disappear as easily as Mo Williams did.
He can guard opposing big men and will help out on the boards. Players such as Williams can relax knowing Shaq will step up if they don't.
The Cavs have a lot of money to spend this offseason. That said, I still don't think they will win the championship.
Author Poll Results


Who will be the first to five?

Tim Duncan

44.2%


Kobe Bryant

40.6%


Shaquille O'Neal

9.4%


Nobody: They all stay at 4

5.8%


Total votes: 138
Shaq is too vunerable to the Hack-a-Shaq strategy, and he may clog the lane when LeBron wants to drive the ball. His ego might get in the way too.
Even though Cleveland will probably get another good player, they still don't seem to have what it takes. Shaq is the least likely of the three, though he may still win his fifth title soon.

2. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant is on top of the world. His Lakers just won the NBA title as Bryant gathered his first ever Finals MVP.
Kobe will not opt out of his contract and will likely remain a Laker until at least 2012.
The Lakers success this upcoming season all depends on if they can resign Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza.
If they can, and I think they will, then the Lakers are the leading candidates as champions in 2010.
That said, I think San Antonio will pull off some more moves this offseason (signing Rasheed Wallace?).
If they continue to add to their team and Ginobli, Parker and Duncan are healthy, then it will be a dogfight for position as top team in the west.
While I think Los Angeles will finish with a better regular season record, I think San Antonio may squeak by in a seven game series. It'll definitely be fun to watch.

3. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Duncan is my pick, as I think the Spurs will win the 2010 championship.
The addition of Richard Jefferson to the team was nothing short of genius, and if San Antonio can sign Wallace, then they will probably beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
I've bet too many times against this team to do it again. They constantly win when they are under the radar, as they currently are now. Most people do not think the Spurs will win the title.
If they aren't able to sign a free agent, then they may be right. However, I think the front office of the Spurs is looking to make another splash.
If the big three can finally stay healthy and if Jefferson pans out, then the Spurs will be the team to beat.
Otherwise, the Lakers will win their second consecutive title.
Although we'll have to see how the offseason plays out for each team, I think San Antonio will ultimately win the title after making more moves. The Lakers will be just behind them, and the Cavaliers will be a step behind.
Duncan's my pick: Who's yours?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/210204-first-to-five-kobe-shaq-or-tim-duncan/poll_results#poll

[Frenzy]

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