NBA Immovable object: quick, versatile types have taken over the game, but Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal remains an old-school fixture at the top of our list of the 25 best players as chosen by general managers

Sporting News, The, March 3, 2003 by Sean Deveney

Someday, in the near future, the NBA will play a brand of basketball that almost completely leaves the traditional back-to-the-basket center out of the mix.

As 7-footers are plucked from the ranks of high school, Europe and, heck, even China, the emphasis increasingly is on versatility--passing skill, shooting range, athleticism. The game will evolve along with it, and low-post centers will be left behind.

Ah, but for now, there is one stalwart of the old guard who is clutching to the traditions of the really, really tall in the NBA. That's self-proclaimed "dinosaur" Shaquille O'Neal. As long as Shaq is in the league (he's signed through 2006, folks), the evolution of the pro game will be on hold. No matter how much speed, skill and athleticism a team has collected, O'Neal still is the 350-pound road block to a championship. Moving that road block out of the way has proved impossible.

With that in mind, it is little surprise O'Neal is, yet again, No. 1 on the SPORTING NEWS top 25 players list, constructed through a poll of 15 of the league's general managers. Basketball is changing, and many of the players on this list are the ones who will be leading the charge. But it's still Shaq's league. As one of the voters says, "We have a completely different breed of player coming into the league right now. But Shaq is old school. We can't get to new-school as long as he is around."

1

Shaquille O'Neal C, Lakers

So big is O'Neal that, a few years back, he had to call a shoe manufacturer in Italy and persuade the proprietor--financially, of course--to alter his machinery to accommodate the size 22s the Big Fashion Plate requires. In the minds of NBA general managers, O'Neal remains that big, even as his body begins to falter and, with his 31st birthday next week, as he moves toward the downside of his career. O'Neal missed 15 games last season and already has missed 15 this season. He has had problems with both ankles, his back, his big toe and, now, his mysteriously aching left knee. Still, he is, by far, the most coveted player to the league's general managers, ranking No. 1 or 2 on every ballot cast.

2

Kobe Bryant SG, Lakers

"He's the closest to M.J. when it comes to talent and determination," one Eastern Conference G.M. states. Certainly, Bryant's body control on moves to the basket and on his fallaway jumper ignites Michael Jordan comparisons. Bryant is beginning to look like Jordan in the stats column, too, putting together a streak of eight games with 40 or more points, and 12 straight with at least 35, something even Jordan would consider an accomplishment. And remember, we still should talk about Bryant in terms of potential--he is only 24.

3

Tim Duncan PF, Spurs

In some ways, Duncan still is the shy, oddball fellow from the Virgin Islands who speared fish as a kid, whose high school coach thought he was too timid to play prep basketball and who used to toss knives as a hobby while a student at Wake Forest. It shows in his game, which is not given to the wanton acts of crowd-pleasing that motivate highlight hams throughout the league. Proper rebounding position, solid defense and 10-foot bank shots don't bring standing ovations the way chest-thumping dunks do, but they did bring last year's MVP award, and they got the attention of the game's intelligentsia--Duncan was neck-and-neck with Bryant in our vote.

4

Tracy McGrady SG, Magic

lust one week after Bryant and his wife had their first child, Natalia Diamante, McGrady and his fiancee had Layla Clarice, the couple's first child. Not only did Natalia best Layla by a week, she also outweighed her by 5 ounces. Such is life for McGrady, it seems--always a half-step behind Bryant. The two are, arguably, the league's most exciting players, and the McGrady-vs.-Bryant debate is an NBA fan's staple. Off the court, the two are friends. They work out together over the summer, with McGrady learning to put aside his easygoing nature to develop a Bryant-like work ethic. That has been the biggest factor in McGrady's surge to the MVP level. He has been at the top of the league's scoring rankings for most of the season, but as always, Bryant is making a push to best McGrady. Bryant has climbed to just 0.5 points per game behind.

5

Kevin Garnett SF, Timberwolves

It dogs Garnett constantly--and even as he lands among the top five

in this poll, two G.M.s are quick to point out the obvious--that Garnett has failed to lead the Timberwolves out of the first round of the playoffs in six tries. Garnett's postseason numbers (19.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists) are better than his regular-season stats, but the Timberwolves are just 5-18 in the playoffs in Garnett's career. Still, he is a solid candidate for the MVP award this year, as he has improved his play in the post while still taking advantage of his passing and his shooting range from 18 feet. Garnett is an impossible matchup, playing small forward at 6-11, and is one of the best defenders in the league, capable of blocking shots close to the basket, pressing fullcourt or getting out on the perimeter to guard small forwards.