- - Shaquille O’Neal Explains Why He’d Dominate Today’s NBA Big Men

Edward ClarkNovember 13, 2025 at 10:22 PM

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Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t need much prompting to talk about how he’d perform in today’s NBA. He’s spent years making the case that the league’s current centers wouldn’t be able to contain him. O’Neal has criticized the lack of physicality, the trend toward jump shooting, and what he sees as a general softness compared to his era.

He also points to changes in rules and defensive standards as proof that his game would thrive more now than it did when he played.

Modern Centers Avoid Contact, and Shaq Would Exploit That

Image via Wikimedia Commons/Keith Allison

The main argument from the athlete centers on the common preference for shooting over playing with contact. In his words, modern centers don’t like contact, and that weakness would give him a clear advantage. He believes that after absorbing repeated hits in the post, defenders would lose their legs and struggle with shot consistency.

O’Neal stated that he would continue pounding the ball inside until defenders became worn down, both physically and mentally. He also pointed out how this approach could impact the rhythm of entire teams, not just the individual guarding him.

His view is that the physical style he used so effectively has disappeared, and current players simply aren’t built to handle it. He hasn’t seen a center recently who, in his opinion, could absorb that level of physicality for four quarters without breaking down under pressure.

Shaq Believes His Style Changed the Way Big Men Play

Shaquille O’Neal believes his dominance in the paint changed how big men developed. Instead of challenging him inside, he says players drifted toward the perimeter so they wouldn’t have to battle his strength. In his view, this shift shaped how younger generations trained and who they tried to emulate.

He pointed to Victor Wembanyama as an example. Wembanyama grew up studying players like Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett, all of whom operated comfortably away from the basket. Shaq, on the other hand, modeled himself after physical interior players because that was the style he watched as a kid. He argues that younger players never had that same exposure because the league had already moved away from bruising post play.

In his mind, the change started with his own success. Once teams realized they couldn’t overpower him inside, players adjusted for survival rather than strategy.

In Today’s NBA, Shaq Says He Would Average 50 Points

Image via Wikimedia Commons/Keith Allison

Shaquille O’Neal averaged nearly 30 points and over 13 rebounds per game in his 2000 MVP season. He put up those numbers in an era built on physical post play and tighter defensive rules.

Looking at today’s game, he sees a wide-open floor and stricter defensive limitations that would make scoring easier. He’s said multiple times that he would average 50 points per game now.

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Source: “AOL Sports”