Would Shaq dominate today's NBA?

[Monkhouse]

Arguing with a friend, please convince me that Shaq would absolutely destroy today's NBA, and lead the league in FTA.

[Tr1boy]

Arguing with a friend, please convince me that Shaq would absolutely destroy today's NBA, and lead the league in FTA.

Yes he would

He would demand a double team like every trip

[Roy H.]

Pretty clearly I think. Look at Joel Embiid. He’s averaging 26 / 13 and leading the league in FTAs.  Shaq was a more dominant player than Embiid, and he played against other great, physically imposing centers.

[mmmmm]

Yes.   Even to the end of his career (with us), he still required a double-team to stop him from scoring in the post.  Which is why he and KG made such a dominant front-court before his achilles injury.

If you put an in-his-prime-Shaq into today's game, he's a wrecking machine.  Especially if he's playing with 4 perimeter shooters because defenses are so spread out.   If you cheat a defender back into the paint to help double on him, he passes out to the wide-open shooter.  If you don't, he scores easily because no-one can guard him one-on-one.

Defensively, Shaq had and would still have his pluses and minuses.  He obviously was and still would be a liability defending out in space.  But if you combine him with a laterally-mobile big man (i.e., a guy like Garnett was) who can roam the high paint to handle high P&R defense, then he becomes an effective baseline vertical stopper.

Add in the fact that the modern rule change to prevent hack-a-Drummond and hack-a-DeAndre also would prevent hack-a-Shaq.

[Big333223]

Yep. He'd be just as unstoppable. And Shaq's passing was underrated. If he had 4 shooters on the floor with him, he'd have racked up assists.

I also wonder what his body would look like if he were playing today. Maybe he'd have kept something closer to his Orlando physique to stay more nimble. He'd never have been able to chase wings around the perimeter but he'd probably shoot 67% from the floor.

[PhoSita]

Could he shoot threes?

Shaq would score a lot of points but ultimately his team's success would depend on the quality of shooters and perimeter defenders around him.

[PhoSita]

Pretty clearly I think. Look at Joel Embiid. He’s averaging 26 / 13 and leading the league in FTAs.  Shaq was a more dominant player than Embiid, and he played against other great, physically imposing centers.

Embiid can shoot threes and hit free throws, though. 

Also depends on if we're talking about young Shaq or old Shaq.  Young Shaq would be great defensively, I'm not sure if older Shaq would have been a positive or negative on defense in today's league.

[CF033]

30ppg, 15rpg barely trying.

[Donoghus]

Absolutely.

People mostly remember the power & dunks and inside play but Shaq (especially 90s Shaq) had a pretty solid handle and was pretty agile in the open court. 

[GreenFaith1819]

He'd rip through today's NBA, no doubt.

This man competed against Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett.....

Shaq is known for his sheer strength but dude was highly skilled and talented.

I love Embiid but he wouldn't be as talkative during Shaq's Big Man era. He'd have his hands full on some nights.

Physically Drummond could slow him down somewhat...maybe Marc Gasol? Cousins? Boogie doesn't seem like the physical type...

Yeah he'd dominate.

[KG Living Legend]

Could he shoot threes?

Shaq would score a lot of points but ultimately his team's success would depend on the quality of shooters and perimeter defenders around him.

 Come on. Your kidding yourself. Prime Shaq. Destroys anybody he plays against in any era.

 If the Celtics had twenty something Shaq on this team. We would be neck and neck with the Warriors. And win next year when Durant leaves.

 OMG. Think of prime Shaq and then just surrounding him with Shooters. If we had Buddy Hield right now over Jaylen Brown with prime Shaq we'd be in business LOL

[KGs Knee]

Shaq would dominate in any era.

[Kuberski33]

Shaq in his prime was a force of nature. He could get to the basket anytime he wanted to in today's game.

[nickagneta]

Yeah, Shaq would suck in today's game. Just like Michael Jordan would because he was a bad three point shooter. 🙄

[KG Living Legend]

Yeah, Shaq would suck in today's game. Just like Michael Jordan would because he was a bad three point shooter. 🙄

  Agreed. 💯%. His airness was only a .327% career three point shooter. He simply couldn't compete with guys like Curry and Buddy Hield.


 And what's Jordan going to do against Joe Ingles? Nothing. He's a career .411% from three. Can't stop that.