The Zen Master refuses to pick sides, but does agree that Shaq has some weight in his analysis...
Shaquille O’ Neal: Dwight Howard is not the best centre in the league; he is more of pick and roll type of player.
Dwight Howard: You did you bit Shaq; it’s time for you to move on.
And just when you thought the war of words between one of the most dominant big men ever to grace the league and one in the making was over, Phil Jackson, incidentally the most successful coach in the history of the league and
that of the Los Angeles Lakers, decided to chip in.
He however refused to take sides.
According to Phil, "there is a lot to what (O'Neal) says" when he talks about Howard not being an old school centre having a lot of low post moves, but there are many qualities in D-12 which makes him a better all round player
as compared to Andrew Bynum and Brook Lopez, two guys whom Shaq pointed out as better centres than Howard.
"Dwight is a guy that has that amazing athletic ability but the overall game -- rebounding, defending, blocking shots, running the court -- this is a guy that runs with the wolves, so to speak”. Jackson said on the "Waddle and
Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Friday. “He can get up and down that court as quick as any of the guards and forwards because of his athletic ability.”
"Dwight's learning the post game and I think he has improved over the last couple years with his left hand. It looks like he's shooting the ball a lot better. He used to be a guy that you felt like you had to keep out of the lane.
If you could do that, he was going to be limited in his scoring. Now he's developing some of the offensive game."
Rationally speaking there is not a scintilla of doubt that Howard is a better centre than Andrew Bynum. If you need a cue, do not look farther than the recent four team trade, in which the Lakers replaced Bynum with Howard. As
for Brook Lopez, he still has a lot to prove to even enter the debate.
All Shaq did was to give a unique perspective, according to which Dwight certainly lags behind, whether he likes it or not.
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