As the most unstoppable big man in NBA history, Shaquille O’Neal has more authority than most when it comes to dominant play at the center position. Like most, O’Neal recognizes the reigning Rookie of the Year, Victor Wembanyama, as a rising NBA superstar — but he’s not yet ready to accept his status as the next great dominant force of the league.
“Wemby is a great player. But I don’t really think you can be dominant when you shoot jumpers a lot. I think if he was an inside player at 7’5″, the answer would be yes but when you shoot jumpers you’re always going to go up and down,” said O’Neal on the Pat McAfee show. “But he’s a fine player and I wish him well. I’m just glad, after not being in the league for so long, to still have my name in that category.”
.@SHAQ kept it real with the @PatMcAfeeShow about being considered one of the "most dominant" players in the game of basketball 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xztlJ0Tgjb
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 5, 2024
O’Neal usually takes a tough-love approach when it comes to analyzing his fellow NBA big men. In the case of Dwight Howard and Rudy Gobert, he can be quite harsh and often cruel in the eyes of many. For young star Victor Wembanyama, O’Neal has been mostly supportive even if he doesn’t quite see him the same way as everyone else.
As someone who used his size and strength to overwhelm and overpower his opponents, Shaq was dominant in a very literal sense and it was clear for everyone to see. But as a modern big man who can dribble, shoot, and make plays for his teammates, Wembanyama dominates in other ways.
Instead of staying under the rim, Wemby will stretch the floor with his shooting or passing skills. Last season, when he was voted as the NBA’s Rookie of the Year, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game on 46.5% shooting.
As a team, the Spurs finished second-to-last in the standings and totaled 60 losses on the season (including an 18-game losing streak). going into next season, while Victor is expected to take a jump, the Spurs are not projected to be much better.
The addition of Chris Paul should help speed Wembanyama’s development and set a structure in the backcourt but at 39 years old he’s not expected to make a significant difference in the loss column.
Without a proper cast of veterans and role-players, the Spurs have no hope of making a run in the West but they’ll need even more than that if they want to go all the way. For true success, they will need Wembanyama to be dominant in more ways than one. Whether it’s on the defensive end or through his vast arsenal of scoring abilities, he will have to channel another level of his game to put his team in a position to win.
Shaq, and so many other NBA greats, have already seen enough to predict a historic career for the French superstar but when it comes to dominating at the highest level, it takes a special kind of player, and a special kind of game, to match the Diesel did. His game wasn’t reliant on jump shots or hot streaks to stay alive. His game was always there and it never wavered as long as he was healthy and in his prime.
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