Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most incredible players to ever set foot on a basketball hardwood. He was a physical specimen that just couldn’t be contained, had the footwork of a shooting guard, and a much higher basketball IQ than people credit him for.
Back in the day, they used to call Shaq the MDE, A.K.A Most Dominant Ever, and for very good reasons. He was an offensive juggernaut that caught bodies left and right in the offensive end, and then swatted back-to-back shots on his own side of the glass.
Some people claim Shaq’s game wouldn’t be nicely suited for modern basketball with the pace-and-space kind of offense given his lack of a long-range shot. However, the Big Diesel doesn’t seem to agree with those kinds of statements.
“I wish I played in this era, I would average 60,” Shaq said once, and while 60 points may be a bit of a reach, there’s no reason to think he couldn’t score over 30 points a game in today’s game.
I mean, we’ve seen big men like Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid average high-scoring totals. There aren’t that many good post defenders in the league right now, especially someone that could check Shaq below the rim.
Just picture Shaq going at it vs. PJ Tucker or Robert Covington in the Houston Rockets. They wouldn’t stand a chance. And, contrary to what most young fans believe, Shaq was quite the sprinter, he could run the court and get back on defense faster than most centers, he also knew how to use his length when he got stuck on a screen to guard in the perimeter.
Obviously, today’s game isn’t exactly suited for Shaq’s skill set and there’s no way he would average 60 points per game but a player like him would have dominated in any era.
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