Jermaine O'Neal is not going to the spurs....he's a budding young star and the main guy now that Reggie is old....If he goes to the spurs he's second fiddle and will not make another all star game...Antwan Walker will drive Duncan nuts....AW likes to get the ball and hold it....and hold it....and hold it....and then shoot it....I would bet that kidd is staying put too.
Kobe is second fiddle. Think he will leave when his contract is up, because of Shaq being top dog? Jermaine, if he is about winning, would jump at the chance to play with Duncan for the next 7 years.
Big difference though....Kobe is playing a different position then Shaq and has been one or two in scoring for the past few years....O'neal and Duncan play basically the same position
Robinson and Ducan were somewhat interchangeable. Now that Robinson is gone, Duncan goes to center, Oneal could go to power forward. SA has enough outside presence, and it has been proven time and time again that a strong inside presence wins championships.
I don't think I would move Duncan to center.....You have the best Power forward in the game....why have him get beat up playing center?.....Id keep him at PF and find a banger at center...but O'neal is not really a banger....I just don;t see it meshing that well
I think that O'Neal makes a lot of sense... and you're right, without a point guard that can hit the outside shot, San Antonio won't be back in the finals. Keep Speedy and Tony, get another big man and a couple of role players. The Lakers need to keep playing Jannero Pargo in crunch time!!!
David Robinson was a banger? David Robinson was the scoring leader and MVP at center. Hakeem was MVP and not a banger. Kareem was not a banger. Duncan is about winning championships. Means little to him to play center on one side, and have Oneal on the other side. Covering Shaq is a problem for everyone, if Shaq is healthy and motivated. Twin towers is a powerful combination, and one that won two championships at San Antonio thus far. Here are Oneal's numbers during the playoffs: PPG: 22.8 RPG: 17.5 BPG: 3.0 The only way to beat a twin tower defense, is to score consistently from the outside, and in a 7 game series no one has ever been able to win a championship on that basis. Look at Dallas, it didn't work for them, and they shot the lights out.
Payton will join the Lakers and give them a prime time d-stopper that would have a huge effect on the title chase...Tony Parker blew past Fischer and either hit shots or dished for easy shots....that doesn't;t happen against Payton and changes the dynamics...BUT....unless Shaq comes in at 324 or less and willing to play both sides of the court, it doesn't;t make a difference...I barely saw Shaq challenge a shot in the playoffs...he couldn't;t move...In the first two years of the title runs he would go and put a hand up and force an adjustment....lakers also need a power forward....somebody who can bang, take charges and dished punishment....maybe I'll come out of retirement
Kobe will remain a Laker. Jermain, about winning is not the issue. The issue would be what will his management/owners accept/expect in trade for him. Playing with Duncan would not be something that Jermain would enjoy because for him while winning is important, so are his personal stats. He has not understood the team concept and not being the team "Superstar" quite yet.