RealGM

Which kind of players would fare better against Shaq in playoffs series? Explain your choice.

Group A

Big, strong players with great passing skills, nice post game and good range. Good positional defenders who lack athleticism compared to Shaq.

Examples - Arvydas Sabonis, Vlade Divac, Marc Gasol

Group B

Great post players who can match Shaq sheer strength and have height advantage. Very efficient scorers down low.

Examples - Artis Gilmore, Yao Ming, 1971 Wilt

I mean, based on those examples, I guess Group B. Divac and Sabonis were hammered for the most part in real life, and I don't think Gasol would fare well. Yao could at least go back at him on offense. I think that's the key: Have that C make him work on both ends.

Group B. Gilmore and Shaq would be a great match up. We saw how good Yao vs Shaq was. 71 Wilt against Shaq would be fun to watch as well. A 34 year old Kareem (71 Wilt was 34) versus Shaq would be great as well.

I don't know which group I would choose, but if I could pick a player, that could have been Sabonis. He mixes the best of both groups IMO, peak Sabonis, I mean. He is huge, he can shoot, pass and really intelligent.

Group B. Wilt is probably the only player who could go toe-to-toe every possession all game against Shaq. Would be the epic big man battle of all time.

Vlad and Shaq have history , Vlad made Shaq work even though he was past his prime .Offensivley Vlad abused a Shaq a couple times down the stretch. He had quick release in the lakers and kings series.
Vlad made Shaq back it up several times as well in the post , around the post, top of the post.

Ballerhogger wrote:Vlad and Shaq have history , Vlad made Shaq work even though he was past his prime .Offensivley Vlad abused a Shaq a couple times down the stretch. He had quick release in the lakers and kings series.
Vlad made Shaq back it up several times as well in the post , around the post, top of the post.

Yeah, Shaq averaged like 30 PPG in the playoffs against Divac and was very efficient doing so. Divac averaged about 12 PPG and never even shot 45% in a series against Shaq. Had two series where he shot sub-40%. Two series with individual offensive ratings under 100. His offensive efficiency was shot against Shaq. O'Neal fouled out that cig-smoking flopper a ton, too.

Shaq made Divac back it up several times into the photographers and basket stanchion.

ronnymac2 wrote:

Ballerhogger wrote:Vlad and Shaq have history , Vlad made Shaq work even though he was past his prime .Offensivley Vlad abused a Shaq a couple times down the stretch. He had quick release in the lakers and kings series.
Vlad made Shaq back it up several times as well in the post , around the post, top of the post.

Yeah, Shaq averaged like 30 PPG in the playoffs against Divac and was very efficient doing so. Divac averaged about 12 PPG and never even shot 45% in a series against Shaq. Had two series where he shot sub-40%. Two series with individual offensive ratings under 100. His offensive efficiency was shot against Shaq. O'Neal fouled out that cig-smoking flopper a ton, too.

Shaq made Divac back it up several times into the photographers and basket stanchion.

I think the truth lies somewhere between those two extremes. Shaq didn't like playing Divac because when he went to his patented Shaq bump and drop the shoulder, Vlade would just fall down and Shaq was never sure which way the refs were going to call it.

In any case, Vlade, Sabas, Gasol...those guys were/would be just punching bags for Shaq. They aren't out there to beat him, they are out there just trying to survive and try to saavily throw him off. You have to go with Group B just for being able to legitimately challenge Shaq and make him work on both ends. They might not win the battle, but they at least can mitigate the Shaq advantage.

Sabonis size didn't help him at all against Shaq in the 2000 wcf and I don't remember Yao having much success against Shaq either. A Gilmore match up would be interesting but really a prime Shaq was in a class all by himself.

PDX MM wrote:Sabonis size didn't help him at all against Shaq in the 2000 wcf

Actually it kinda did. What didn't help him was being a broken down 36 year old.

PDX MM wrote:and I don't remember Yao having much success against Shaq either.

The one time they met in the playoffs was 2004, in the Steve Francis/Jimmy Jackson era. Yao was 23.

PDX MM wrote:A Gilmore match up would be interesting but really a prime Shaq was in a class all by himself.

He was, although prime Wilt comes pretty close. The Prime-vs-prime case is Shaq vs Duncan in 2002 and 2003.