Shaq 2000 was the best center of all time. If you dont believe watch these.

[TheNig]

the early 2000s NBA? you realize that was the era of terrible centers?

I think Wilt could have put up 40 and 16

It's hard to say bruh.

People don't realize that when Wilt, Hayes, and Big O were putting up their numbers, the game was faster. There were approx. 30 more possessions back then than now. The game has slowed down tremendously.

 

[Street Knowledge]

I'll take 94' Hakeem.

1.)Can volume score when needed
2.) excellent playmaker
3.) Goat level defensive anchor
4.) great rebounder

 

[Eternal Tecate]

You really think the corpses of Hakeem and Ewing, and bad back Robinson was really leading that era? How young are YOU is the real question.

Alonzo Mourning was a 6'9" center and this is who you are staking that era with.


Boogie, Marc Gasol, Lopez, Noah, Howard, Vucci Mane, Petkovic, Horford, and Hibbert are better than the centers of that era as a whole. Shaq was beasting on bums and small cats.


Ok, so Shaq who was 330-340 lbs and notoriously wasnt in shape, would be able to go 46 minutes a game each night like Wilt did?

No, the game was played differently and there were more possessions every game and therefore more volume stats accumulated. Check out the shooting percentages from back then.

 

[Uncle Kingpin]

It's shameful how criminally underrated KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR is. he's the leading scorer of ALL TIMES. His hookshot was an automatic 2 points, no one else has had an unblockable shot. Shaq was dominant, but he's barely a top 5 greatest center.

1. Kareem
2. Wilt
3. Russell
4. Hakeem
5. Shaq

 

[THE K-MAN]

Moses is more underrated than Kareem

 

[klutch2381]

Are people saying he wasnt incredible or are we saying he wasnt GOAT (even for one year) by any fair measure?



What was the major difference? nikkas stay acting like these were two completely different entities. Biggest difference was level of comp. 2000 Shaq woulda suffered the same fate in 1995.

Shaq in Orlando primarily played and produced off incredible sheer athleticism. He had a dropstep and hook with either hand, but that was basically it. Off athleticism alone he still had two season where he averaged greater than 29 points a game, and averaged 27.15 PPG for his stint in Orlando. The Lakers Shaq in his prime is nowhere near the athlete Shaq was in Orlando, and even that iteration of Shaq is in the 99.9% percentile in regards to human feats of athleticism. He had so much more diversity to his low post game and was much more adept with it in general. He had that quick spin to the baseline that he called, "The black Tornado." He could dropstep and then pivot or step through for a dunk or layup. He had that barge through the lane where he would use the baby hook with either hand. He used the glass from a variety of angles. He had counter moves (e.g. goes for dropstep, defender recovers, pivots and uses glass). If you paired Orlando Shaq with the LA's Shaq skill set any center that has ever played the game would be in fukking trouble. Let's not pretend like Orlando Shaq with basically one move didn't hold is own against against Hakeem.

Basically, you give the "young Shaq," an advanced skill set he would've averaged 35+, easily.

 

[Gallo]

 

[ThaBoyBam]

Last Center cut from that cloth. He straight up didn't give a fukk. A lot of today's bigs go to Akeem for training, but I think Shap can make some guap in that arena. Would be some attitude training shyt

In the spirit of the tournament, his LSU squad needs a 30 for 30.

 

[Malta]

Anyone that thinks Shaq was all power doesn't really know the game, he was unguardable cause this big muthafukka also had ridiculous footwork, moves and counters. He was basically a M1A1 Abrams tank that somehow had the handling of an F1 car, shyt made no type of sense how agile and quick his feet were.

 

[Malta]

any reason why?

Shaq had better post moves by a wide margin.

 

[Alexander The Great]

Imagine being drafted and as a rookie Guard being able to play with the Best Center in the League and a top 5 center of all-time

 

[FTBS]

Shaq in Orlando primarily played and produced off incredible sheer athleticism. He had a dropstep and hook with either hand, but that was basically it. Off athleticism alone he still had two season where he averaged greater than 29 points a game, and averaged 27.15 PPG for his stint in Orlando. The Lakers Shaq in his prime is nowhere near the athlete Shaq was in Orlando, and even that iteration of Shaq is in the 99.9% percentile in regards to human feats of athleticism. He had so much more diversity to his low post game and was much more adept with it in general. He had that quick spin to the baseline that he called, "The black Tornado." He could dropstep and then pivot or step through for a dunk or layup. He had that barge through the lane where he would use the baby hook with either hand. He used the glass from a variety of angles. He had counter moves (e.g. goes for dropstep, defender recovers, pivots and uses glass). If you paired Orlando Shaq with the LA's Shaq skill set any center that has ever played the game would be in fukking trouble. Let's not pretend like Orlando Shaq with basically one move didn't hold is own against against Hakeem.

Basically, you give the "young Shaq," an advanced skill set he would've averaged 35+, easily.

He was 28 in 2000. That's your athletic peak. He did get his post moves up but his game was still largely based on athleticism then. Just look at what happened when his athleticism actually waned. The year before that Tim Duncan was able to more than hold his own with him. As I've said before none of the other great bigs could have stopped Shaq. However he couldn't have stopped them either. We can't just ignore the huge falloff of the Center position and the fact that we were in the one star per team era. The gap in competition between 95 and 00 was way greater at had way more to do with his prominence at the time then the gap in his abilities between 95 and 00.

 

[Malta]

He was 28 in 2000. That's your athletic peak. He did get his post moves up but his game was still largely based on athleticism then. Just look at what happened when his athleticism actually waned. The year before that Tim Duncan was able to more than hold his own with him. As I've said before none of the other great bigs could have stopped Shaq. However he couldn't have stopped them either. We can't just ignore the huge falloff of the Center position and the fact that we were in the one star per team era. The gap in competition between 95 and 00 was way greater at had way more to do with his prominence at the time then the gap in his abilities between 95 and 00.

That's true, however just a year later he also absolutely destroyed Deke in the finals, a 7'2" 260lbs center could do nothing at all to even slow him down.


33/16/5/3 on 57% against the DPOY.

 

[FTBS]

That's true, however just a year later he also absolutely destroyed Deke in the finals, a 7'2" 260lbs center could do nothing at all to even slow him down.


33/16/5/3 on 57% against the DPOY.

Like I said NOBODY could stop that guy, period. I've only been saying that he couldn't stop anybody else either. Deke, not exactly an offensive force mind you, put up 17 and 12 on 11 shots a game. Any of the all time great bigs would've put up numbers comparable or better than Shaq's against him (like Duncan did). It just so happens there weren't any around at the time.

 

[MoneyTron]

Anyone that thinks Shaq was all power doesn't really know the game, he was unguardable cause this big muthafukka also had ridiculous footwork, moves and counters. He was basically a M1A1 Abrams tank that somehow had the handling of an F1 car, shyt made no type of sense how agile and quick his feet were.

Shaq as a human really doesn't make any sense. Only Wilt and Bron are close.

Shaq has the coordination of a 6 foot person. Dude was doing 360 dunks and dunking from the dotted line at 320-330lbs. Do I have to mention the breakdancing? Most 7 footers can't even run without tripping over their feet.