Who would ACTUALLY stop prime (99-03) SHAQ in the history of basketball, in his and THEIR peak

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

So, i'm not saying he was actually unstoppable...but based on what we know about nba history...who would actually contain him within reason. Like, in a series hold him significantly below averages or even shut him down.

Lets focus on 99-00. MVP, title, all nba first team, etc.

Shaquille O'Neal 1999-00 Game Log | Basketball-Reference.com

Get Shaquille O'Neal's 1999-00 game by game stats along with wins and losses stats on Basketball-Reference.com

www.basketball-reference.com

He fukked everyone up then. He scored 20 in all but 5 games where he played significant minutes, and he still had a healthy double double in all but 2. And won those.

Dropped 61 and 23 and still left 9 points at the line, on the road in his best game. Another game with 41-17-7blks on 85% from the field


his jump hook was actually one of the most unstoppable shots in basketball history when he was lean...this was that window. Shaq's touch around the rim was NOT just power. He had soft hands PAUSE that helped him be very consistent in the post.

okay, so to the point....who would you choose to try and stop this man in history? The most obvious picks are Wilt, who had to go against kareem, willis reed, bill russell, nate thurmond, etc...Russell as well...

I'd also suggest considering players we saw manage him around / after that era, namely 04 Ben Wallace, Yao Ming, and Tim Duncan...

Who would you choose in a 7 to guard apex mountain Shaq?

 

[Rekkapryde]

Outside of Wilt, Bill, Cap, Moses and country Strong nikkaz like Wes and Thurmond....that's about it

Edit: added Moses

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

and before everyone runs in here and says 'hakeem' because he is held on a pedastal here....95 finals shaq did NOT get shut down in any way, he was outplayed, but he still averaged 28-12-6-3blks

and that was a much less skilled shaq.

 

[VegetasHairline]

Draymond Green

 

[UpAndComing]

Wilt
Russell
Kareem
Moses Malone
Hakeem
Ben Wallace
Dwight Howard

 

[get these nets]

Head to head against 80-83 era Moses Malone would be a good matchup.

At the center position, no great player actually gets shut down. Teams send double team in spots to get ball out of his hands.

If you saw Pop put Malik Rose on Shaq in the playoffs in spots, you see how Shaq would have had to work to establish post position against Moses.

 

[SchoolboyC]

Outside of Wilt, Bill, Cap, and country Strong nikkaz like Wes and Thurmond....that's about it

Thurmond was who I thought

Swole with old man strength

 

[Trojan 24]

Wilt or Cap, Bill getting his ass ragdolled

 

[Trojan 24]

Head to head against 80-83 era Moses Malone would be a good matchup.

At the center position, no great player actually gets shut down. Teams send double team in spots to get ball out of his hands.

If you saw Pop put Malik Rose on Shaq in the playoffs in spots, you see how Shaq would have had to work to establish post position against Moses.

Malik use to give him fits man

 

[MJ Truth]

Bryant Reeves or Rik Smits

 

[Buckeye Fever]

Well, there was a poster on here saying they'd draft BAM in today's era before PRIME Shaq. I forgot who said it, but I'm an idiot if I even responded to something dumb as that take

 

[Buckeye Fever]

Bryant Reeves or Rik Smits

Erik Dampier

 

[FTBS]

and before everyone runs in here and says 'hakeem' because he is held on a pedastal here....95 finals shaq did NOT get shut down in any way, he was outplayed, but he still averaged 28-12-6-3blks

and that was a much less skilled shaq.

Thats how you do it though. You arent gonna shut him down. But he isnt shutting anyone down either. You put somebody out there that will go right back at him (Dream, Duncan).

 

[KFBF]

Bron can guard all five positions.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

It would be less about trying to stop him on offense, but running his ass into the ground in PnR actions at the end of the floor until he no longer had the energy to be that superhero version of himself.

He won’t be the same if he constantly has to defend guards on switches above the arc.

Along with a diversification of defensive bigs to throw at him; a mixture of different heights and sizes to throw him out of rhythm.