NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal just lately made waves along with his controversial feedback claiming he would make rising stars Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama stop.
Shaquille O’Neal, identified for his dominant put up presence throughout his enjoying days, confidently declared on “The Massive Podcast” that he might run roughshod in opposition to the pair of rising abilities who symbolize the fashionable evolution of the middle place.
He claimed his physicality would trigger each gamers to stop on him, unable to manage up in opposition to him.
Nevertheless, three-time NBA champion Danny Inexperienced strongly disagrees with the Corridor of Famer’s evaluation.
Inexperienced didn’t hesitate to problem O’Neal’s daring claims throughout a current look on the Run It Again Podcast, declaring the elemental variations between eras and enjoying types.
“Shaq would have an issue guarding these guys. He isn’t snug leaving the paint. To protect them on the perimeter,” Inexperienced defined.
Inexperienced doubled down on his evaluation, including: “Shaq, you aren’t blocking these photographs. These soar photographs. They usually’ll give him quite a lot of hell.”
Not like conventional facilities of O’Neal’s period who primarily operated within the paint, each Wembanyama and Holmgren symbolize a brand new breed of huge males.
It’s combining distinctive size and athleticism with perimeter expertise that permit them to house the ground and create offensive alternatives from past the arc.
Wembanyama has demonstrated outstanding capturing prowess for a participant his measurement, changing 35.2% of his three-point makes an attempt whereas taking a formidable 8.8 photographs from deep per sport with the San Antonio Spurs.
Equally, Holmgren has proven he can stretch the ground for the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, averaging 3.7 makes an attempt from past the arc with an environment friendly 37% success price.
Inexperienced additionally identified that these younger gamers have already confirmed themselves in opposition to bodily imposing facilities in as we speak’s NBA, utilizing this as proof they wouldn’t be intimidated by O’Neal’s enjoying type.
Citing particular examples, Inexperienced talked about Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, noting that Wembanyama has already confronted the dominant massive man and dealt with himself admirably.
“If he’s not quitting in opposition to Joel (Embiid), he received’t stop in opposition to Shaq,” Inexperienced concluded, successfully difficult O’Neal’s assertion that the younger stars would fold below his bodily model of basketball.