# Which big man would you start a franchis around?



## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

assuming you could get you hands on these guys when they were first entering the NBA and knowing what we know, which big guy currently in the nba would you build your franchise around.

Guys to consider:

Shaq
Duncan
KG
Elton
Dwight
JO
Darko (...)
Webber
Deke
Bosh
Amare
(any other big guy i missed)


just for fun, lets throw in a few old guys too. DRob, Hakeem, and Ewing.


give your top 2-3 picks then say which guys you wouldnt take over yao. Im really doing this because i wanna know where you think yao's career value vs these other guys.


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## tone wone (Jan 30, 2003)

_build a franchise around_:

1) Shaq & Hakeem..tie
2) Duncan
3) Garnett
4) David Robinson

_guys I wouldn't take over Yao_...

Webber, Deke, Brand, JO, Darko laugh: not really fair)

_undecided_: D. Howard(too damn young), Ewing, Amare, Bosh.

The way Yao has played the last 3 weeks has made this this thread a little difficult to answer. He looks like a different person out there.


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## Demiloy (Nov 4, 2005)

Shaq, Duncan, Garnett all come to mind. Maybe Robinson, too. 

All the others I wouldn't even consider.


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

Demiloy said:


> Shaq, Duncan, Garnett all come to mind. Maybe Robinson, too.
> 
> All the others I wouldn't even consider.


the dream?


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## Demiloy (Nov 4, 2005)

Oh yes. I think I skipped over him.


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## CbobbyB (Feb 16, 2006)

Pimped Out said:


> the dream?


Yes!!Hakeem!!


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

In specific order

Hakeem
Shaq
Duncan

maybe KG...


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

All you have to do is look at those guys and how their franchises did or are currently doing during their careers.

Shaq won three rings as the centerpiece of the Lakers, he led the Magic to a title appearance, and he's made contenders out of Miami.

Hakeem won two titles with the Rockets and had them in the Finals once against the Celtics in the '80s and constantly had Houston a winner until he got old.

Duncan has won three titles for the Spurs and is almost certain to lead San Antonio to more in the future.

Those are the only three guys on that list who led their teams to mutliple titles so they definitely stick out way ahead of everyone else.

Robinson and Ewing would be next for leading their teams deep into the playoffs on several occasions. 

Then I'd pick Jermaine, who when healthy and without Artest's problems, has lately had Indiana deep in the post-season as well and all of this has come at a rather young age.

KG, Deke, Brand, and Webber have all had all-star careers but none have really ever proved that they can be the centerpiece of a conference-champion team let alone a championship contender. KG has led the Wolves to the WCF only once. 

Barring ongoing injuries, Bosh, Dwight, and Amare will have very good careers but there's no way you could pick them over those Top 3 until they prove themselves. 

Darko hasn't proven anything and therefore is VERY last on this list. Not saying he won't be good, though. He has recently shown flashed of being good.

Where does Yao fall in that?

So far he falls in there with Bosh, Dwight, and Amare because he has yet to prove himself as well. Great numbers during the regular season don't mean a SINGLE thing until you prove yourself by leading your team on a playoff run. So the question to this thread can't truly be answered until the young guys on this list get the same opportunities that future HOFs Hakeem, Shaq, and Duncan have had.


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## Carbo04 (Apr 15, 2005)

1. Shaq
2. Hakeem
3. Duncan


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## Demiloy (Nov 4, 2005)

> Where does Yao fall in that?
> 
> So far he falls in there with Bosh, Dwight, and Amare because he has yet to prove himself as well. Great numbers during the regular season don't mean a SINGLE thing until you prove yourself by leading your team on a playoff run. So the question to this thread can't truly be answered until the young guys on this list get the same opportunities that future HOFs Hakeem, Shaq, and Duncan have had.


That is very true. We saw something like that in last year's playoffs. But, ultimately, Yao couldn't do it, and he, sad to say, choked down the stretch with the rest of the team. 

This year? Will we make the playoffs? If we do, then we're going to need Yao. And if we do get to the playoffs, we'll need Yao even more.


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## rocketeer (Oct 7, 2002)

1. hakeem. easily
2. shaq
3. duncan
4. robinson

not sure i could say that i would definitely take any of the other guys over yao to build a franchise around at this point.


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## CrackerJack (Jul 2, 2005)

right now is it even possible to pick anyone but yao, we did build this team around t-mac but i think yao is slowly becoming the man around these here parts


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

Hakeem
Shaq
Robinson
Duncan

Hakeem and Shaq, obviously. Robinson was amazing for about six years, then he got injured. If that injury doesn't occur, then he, too, should easily be selected before Yao. If the injury does happen, then I'm not so sure. Yao is what, 24? He could play at this level or better for six or seven years. After that he may decline rapidly or retire early because of his freakish size. That's six or seven years of dominance. So, it's pretty much a choice between prime Robinson and prime Yao. We don't know what Yao's prime is going to look like, but we do know that Robinson was about as good a player as Shaq was (even though he tended to wilt in the playoffs). So I'd take Robinson because he's safer (though not safer in the playoffs ).

Duncan has been injured since last year's playoffs. We don't know if he'll ever fully recover. Eight years of dominance from him. Not quite as good as Robinson in his prime, but the extra couple of years of prime production put him on that level. I'd take him over Yao, again, because he's the safer option.

Ewing is a tough one. He was about as good as Duncan, but he was only great for around five years. In his prime he was better than Yao right now, but Yao will probably improve. So I'd take Yao.

KG is slightly below Duncan and Ewing, but he's been great and uninjured for so long. Still, I have a bias for centers. They have the most impact (though I understand that KG has a huge impact himself). Gimme Yao to start a franchise with (and KG to play with T-Mac ).


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

Sentiments aside:

TIMMY is the man. Still doing it today in San Antonio and will continue to do it for at least two/three/four more years. He will add at least one more ring before he retires.

Hakeem second. If Houston had the cap room and could've figured out how to build that team around him then we could've had at least 4 championships over his career. 

Shaq third. This guy has always been able to put up the numbers because of his size. Lets also keep in mind that he has had more to work with than any other center. Kobe and DWade are pretty good compliments. Still only has 3 championships. Hakeem has 2.

To early to tell with some of the other guys mentioned.


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## CbobbyB (Feb 16, 2006)

jworth said:


> All you have to do is look at those guys and how their franchises did or are currently doing during their careers.
> 
> Shaq won three rings as the centerpiece of the Lakers, he led the Magic to a title appearance, and he's made contenders out of Miami.
> 
> ...


WoW :clap:


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## chn353 (Mar 12, 2006)

i'd build it around hakeem or yao or KG

shaq is fat n lazy now and plus his ****.... duncan has been playing terrible lately as well... 

in about 2 years i'd prob try n get bosh or dwight howard cause theyre goina be big in the future but those other players like webber .. pfft he can stay at philly n take a combined 50%-60% of shots with iverson


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

jdiggidy said:


> TIMMY is the man. Still doing it today in San Antonio and will continue to do it for at least two/three/four more years. He will add at least one more ring before he retires.
> 
> Hakeem second. If Houston had the cap room and could've figured out how to build that team around him then we could've had at least 4 championships over his career.


What exactly does Duncan do that Hakeem doesn't? I think Duncan is overrated even though he's had to play through the zone era. Just can't see how you would place him over Hakeem.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Hakeem said:


> So, it's pretty much a choice between prime Robinson and prime Yao. We don't know what Yao's prime is going to look like, but we do know that Robinson was about as good a player as Shaq was (even though he tended to wilt in the playoffs). So I'd take Robinson because he's safer (though not safer in the playoffs ).


One thing we know for sure is that Yao won't be running into a prime Hakeem Olajuwon in the playoffs. That can't hurt .


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