Imagine prime Shaquille O' Neal dropped straight into today’s NBA suited up in a Warriors jersey, surrounded by Stephen Curry. Could the league even handle it?
Shaq was the most dominant paint presence in basketball history. At 7’1”, 325 pounds, his physicality and footwork made him virtually unstoppable near the rim. In his peak years, he averaged 29 points and 13 rebounds while shooting over 57% from the field numbers that look just as terrifying now as they did in the early 2000s.
Now add the Warriors’ system: floor spacing, constant ball movement, and elite shooting pulling defenders out of the paint. With Curry and Hield stretching defenses to the arc, Shaq would have the lane all to himself. No double teams from clogged defenses. No bigs strong enough to hold their ground. Just pure destruction at the rim, over and over again.
Some might argue pace-and-space basketball would expose Shaq defensively, but remember, the man was quicker than people give him credit for. In today’s NBA, he might not only dominate, he might redefine what dominance looks like.
👉 What do you think: Would Shaq in today’s game be even scarier than he was in his era?
ARENASPHERE
Imagine prime Shaquille O' Neal dropped straight into today’s NBA suited up in a Warriors jersey, surrounded by Stephen Curry. Could the league even handle it?
Shaq was the most dominant paint presence in basketball history. At 7’1”, 325 pounds, his physicality and footwork made him virtually unstoppable near the rim. In his peak years, he averaged 29 points and 13 rebounds while shooting over 57% from the field numbers that look just as terrifying now as they did in the early 2000s.
Now add the Warriors’ system: floor spacing, constant ball movement, and elite shooting pulling defenders out of the paint. With Curry and Hield stretching defenses to the arc, Shaq would have the lane all to himself. No double teams from clogged defenses. No bigs strong enough to hold their ground. Just pure destruction at the rim, over and over again.
Some might argue pace-and-space basketball would expose Shaq defensively, but remember, the man was quicker than people give him credit for. In today’s NBA, he might not only dominate, he might redefine what dominance looks like.
👉 What do you think: Would Shaq in today’s game be even scarier than he was in his era?
4 days ago | [YT] | 17