Hakeem Olajuwon or David Robinson???

[djohn2oo8]

If you need to throw Rudy under the bus to prop up Hakeem, that's your business. I know he's a better coach than Bob Hill.

Rudy was an exceptional motivator, no doubt. He was not an x's and o's guy.

[ChumpDumper]

Is that why his numbers dropped in the playoffs?

Rudy's coaching did that in the WCF. Good defensive strategy tbh.

But try ting on him some more. Hill > Rudy makes you look knowledgeable.

[ChumpDumper]

Rudy was an exceptional motivator, no doubt. He was not an x's and o's guy.

So you're saying Hill > Rudy T.

OK.

[baseline bum]

Rudy T was a coach who got carried by Olajuwon. Look at what happened when he coached lesser stars elsewhere.

[djohn2oo8]

Rudy's coaching did that in the WCF. Good defensive strategy tbh.

But try ting on him some more. Hill > Rudy makes you look knowledgeable.

Yet Denver did an even better job.

[ChumpDumper]

Rudy T was a coach who got carried by Olajuwon. Look at what happened when he coached lesser stars elsewhere.

coach is relative.

I'm going out on a limb and saying Bob Hill's quotient was higher than Rudy's. Guy couldn't keep a job at Fordham.

[baseline bum]

Rudy T was Scotty Brooks with a real MVP

[ChumpDumper]

Still.

Bob Hill, man.

[baseline bum]

Bob Hill is garbage, but Tomjanovich was nothing special.

[HemisfairArena]

Hakeem was arguably the best pound for pound center to ever play the game. Can you imagine if that dude had the talent around him that Kareem had,,,,or Russell had,,,Robinson was a bad ass but Hakeem was on a whole different level. Taking Hakeem over Robinson is no disrespect to Robinson,,,alot of people would take Hakeem as the best center of all time.

[Clipper Nation]

Spurfan is STILL trying to dis ?

I like DRob, but he was never better than Hakeem, end of story....

[ChumpDumper]

Bob Hill is garbage, but Tomjanovich was nothing special.

Agreed.

But I mark that as the beginning of the quest by the Spurs to lose in the playoffs in every way imaginable.

[ChumpDumper]

Hakeem was arguably the best pound for pound center to ever play the game. Can you imagine if that dude had the talent around him that Kareem had,,,,or Russell had,,,Robinson was a bad ass but Hakeem was on a whole different level. Taking Hakeem over Robinson is no disrespect to Robinson,,,alot of people would take Hakeem as the best center of all time.

Hakeem was definitely on another level those seasons. Fun to watch when they didn't play the Spurs.

[baseline bum]

The only bad things you could say about Olajuwon were that he was a real hothead early in his career (I remember Kupchack getting him ejected from Game 5 of the 86 WCF) and he had that Ewing disease of thinking the offense should still go through him at the end of his career (watching he and Barkley take turns backing the ball down for 15 seconds while Pippen stood at the 3 point line jerking himself off was ugly). But other than that he had everything. Creativity in the post, an unguardable baseline fadeway after spinning off his man, a monster face-up game, decent midrange jumper, he shot well at the line, an A+ post defender, great weakside shotblocker, one of the greatest transition defenders to ever live, and so on.

[Thread]

The only bad things you could say about Olajuwon were that he was a real hothead early in his career

And he bell curved it at the end. Christ, he slid over the edge like thru a Christmas goose.

[florige]

Hakeem's team dominated when he had great three point shooters around him.

Robinson's best PG couldn't even make it as a third string PG with the Rockets.

True story.

Not to mention during his second trip around he had Clyde freaking Drexler. I'm sure that made life easier for his to repeat. I give Hakeem a slight edge maybe just because of that dominating performance in 95. But to say he is leaps and bounds over D-Rob I personally think is a bit much. Especially when you compare the overall teams as a whole. That part of the deal wasn't at all close. The following year the Supersonics all but figured his game out and ran them out of the building in 96.

[baseline bum]

Not to mention during his second trip around he had Clyde freaking Drexler. I'm sure that made life easier for his to repeat. I give Hakeem a slight edge maybe just because of that dominating performance in 95. But to say he is leaps and bounds over D-Rob I personally think is a bit much. Especially when you compare the overall teams as a whole. That part of the deal wasn't at all close. The following year the Supersonics all but figured his game out and ran them out of the building in 96.

Robinson never had Olajuwon's post game while Olajuwon had a face-up game almost as good as Robinson's. I think Hakeem is clearly over David just from that.

[Biggems]

I take David Robinson. Call me a Spurs homer all you want.....I remember when IBM did their award for best player based ion overall statistics, David was ranked #1 or 2 in each of his first 7 years in the league. I want to say he was #1 six times. The other top player was Jordan.

Yes Hakeem had a better WCF. But the fact remains that one on one, Hakeem had no answer for David. David had no answer for Hakeem one on one. They essentially cancelled one another out. The reason Hakeem had a better WCF was because of Rudy T. He used double and triple teams to slow down David, while Hill left David alone on an island against Hakeem. Remember, Rodman was definitely not an offensive threat, so he could use that defender to help on David. However, Hakeem was surrounded by 3 or 4 three point shooters consistently, and those bas s just wouldn't miss.

[Thread]

Robinson was so uncomfortable on the floor, from the beginning all the way to the end. LeBron is like that. Not to the degree that Robinson was, but, similar.

[ambchang]

Hakeem led the 6th seed to a ring, surely he could with a 1 seed.

Pop quiz hot shot. Do you know why the rockets were 6th seed that year after winning the championship the yer prior?

Also, he underachieved in the regular season with a championship squad.

[ambchang]

Rudy was an exceptional motivator, no doubt. He was not an x's and o's guy.

He designed the entire inside out offense that won the rockets two championship, and were later copied by the shaq Lakers and Duncan spurs.

[ambchang]

Is that why his numbers dropped in the playoffs? Hakeem's second best scorer was Thorpe at 13.3 until he was traded for Drexler at the ASB. Pretty interesting that same Spurs team had a better offensive and defensive team rating.

Playoffs is a time a teams weakness get exploited. You have a team like the spurs, and the easiest way to stop them is to put your entire defense around Robinson and let the other guys beat you. Especially when the other guys include players who had one playoff three pointer in his entire career, or a guy who have trouble nailing wide open three pointer, a power forward who refuse to shoot or defend in order to get more rebounds or a coach who failed to implement any defensive schemes with one of the best defensive center and power forward of all time in the roster.

Hakeem couldn't even make the playoffs with a better roster 5 years prior in his prime. Try to guess what changed.

[ambchang]

Rudy was an exceptional motivator, no doubt. He was not an x's and o's guy.

Rudy T was a coach who got carried by Olajuwon. Look at what happened when he coached lesser stars elsewhere.

Rudy t had one style and it didn't fare well with no three point shooters. Coincidentally, Hakeem didn't do that week with no three point shooters. Wonder why.

[Thread]

And there was a time before Pop, before Duncan, when Media wasn't the lapdog they are now, but, a junk yard dog and they lit out after Robinson. Impugned his manhood. It was their pastime, a cottage industry.

[Killakobe81]

And there was a time before Pop, before Duncan, when Media wasn't the lapdog they are now, but, a junk yard dog and they lit out after Robinson. Impugned his manhood. It was their pastime, a cottage industry.

Robinson would be protected today no doubt about it. And even then I think his Navy pedigree and christian morals spared him the full wrath.
But today his win shares, wins over average replacement, PER, true shooting% d-rating, defensive win shares, adjusted plus/minus, points per/48 mins., poinst for adjusted pace would shield him for the very valid criticism anyone that saw him play could point out. The lack of a true post game and at times aggression being the achilles heel to his amazing speed, strength and natural athleticism.