2000 Shaquille O'Neal vs 2021 Giannis Antetenkoumpou

[DMAVS41]

Shaq, but I like this comparison as it makes more sense than comparing Giannis to Lebron or KD.

[ImKobe]

Giannis easily. Shaq was never half the defensive player that Giannis currently is and his offensive game was much more limited.

[Rudeboy3]

Giannis, if it wasn't for the first game where he was covering from a knee injury he averaged 38/15/5 in the playoffs with elite defence, something shaq can't say he's ever done

[Micku]

Shaq for me.

Comparing across eras is a bit iffy for me. I think with Giannis they were playing more single coverage in the finals. They weren't crowding the paint or doubling teaming him. With Shaq, you stick the whole team on him, and it didn't matter. Although Shaq and other ppl said if Shaq were to play in this era, he would play like Giannis. His teammates comment that Shaq didn't really show everything he could do, due to the era and how center suppose to play. Shaq just took advantage of using his size and dominating in the paint.

Giannis very well could be a modern day Shaq. But they obviously play different. Shaq more post moves and better footwork in the post than Giannis. Giannis like to beat you off the dribble. Due to his freakest athleticism, it's very hard to guard.

This is close imo because of the way Giannis played defense. While Shaq was a very good rim protector when he tried, and help change the rules due to his massive size and abusing his presence in the paint, Giannis tries harder.

But watching Shaq seems like he was unstoppable because he was too big, too strong and too agile for a guy that size. More so than Giannis. And Shaq didn't settle. Giannis does and isn't as good as hiding his weakness like Shaq did, although he played great in the finals and throughout the playoffs.

I never seen anyone who played like Giannis on both offense and defense like that in the finals. Maybe Hakeem. There are other players who played elite o and d too like MJ and LeBron in his Miami days, but none Giannis took it a step further with the defense this time around to me.

[1987_Lakers]

This thread if funny, Giannis is a baller there is no doubt about that, but prior to the playoffs/Finals most considered Giannis below Durant & a healthy LeBron and now all of a sudden he's better than 2000 Shaq?

Shaq was the undisputed best player in the league throughout the 2000 season.

[SouBeachTalents]

Giannis easily. Shaq was never half the defensive player that Giannis currently is and his offensive game was much more limited.

Shocker

[StrongLurk]

Definitely 2000 Shaq...NBA has the dumbest fan base man.

[Phoenix]

Giannis easily. Shaq was never half the defensive player that Giannis currently is and his offensive game was much more limited.

I suspect there's a drop of 'minimize Shaq to prop Kobe ' here, because there is not a single player.....ever....who you can say '2000 Shaq or player X' and the answer is 'easily player X'. There's maybe 3 or 4 players in the history of the league you'd pick 2000 Shaq over in general if we're talking peaks, let alone 'easily', and Giannis right now isn't one of them. Even comparing offensive games, you could say Shaqs offensive game is limited compared to a number of players, but it's not like Giannis is Hakeem out there. And what Shaq was doing offensively in 2000, limited as you claim to be, wasn't being stopped. It was either an easy 2 within 5 feet or put him on the line where yes, he was a liability, but he was fouling out entire frontlines in the process and compromising the opponents interior defense, when such a thing actually mattered.

[Wally450]

Yikes. Shaq by an absolute mile.

[Pointguard]

Shaq was 90% power 10% finess/athleticism. Giannis is 40% power and 20% finess, 20% athletic, 10% instinct, 10% other. Giannis has to see what the defense offers. Shaq took the low post and position. Giannis has the same force of determination but can't automatically just claim a position next to the basket and isn't wide enough to sheild off a defender every time. Giannis is quicker and has a superior first step. Giannis has to figure out which powers he is going to use whereas Shaq just hulked his way through all obstacles and would get favorable calls. Shaq had reserve powers in good foot movement and could finess.

Shaq was pure beast mode. It is amazing that Giannis doesn't overthink the game.

[red1]

shaq was too unfair



he was bullying legit centers what he would do to modern powerforwards would be abuse

[j3lademaster]

Shaq was 90% power 10% finess/athleticism. Giannis is 40% power and 20% finess, 20% athletic, 10% instinct, 10% other. Giannis has to see what the defense offers. Shaq took the low post and position. Giannis has the same force of determination but can't automatically just claim a position next to the basket and isn't wide enough to sheild off a defender every time. Giannis is quicker and has a superior first step. Giannis has to figure out which powers he is going to use whereas Shaq just hulked his way through all obstacles and would get favorable calls. Shaq had reserve powers in good foot movement and could finess.

Shaq was pure beast mode. It is amazing that Giannis doesn't overthink the game.

Lol. you don't think Giannis had favorable calls all series long? Shaq got away with offensive foul no calls, but he still has to make the basket. Giannis got bailed out on virtually every missed shot.

[Pointguard]

Lol. you don't think Giannis had favorable calls all series long? Shaq got away with offensive foul no calls, but he still has to make the basket.

LOL, he eliminated the defense. He didn't have to make the basket - there was simply no body there to stop him after he eliminated the defense. Giannis would be more unstoppable than Shaq if he got "offensive foul no calls." Giannis is way more nimble with the best first step in the game. Shaq was just bulldozing people. Giannis, who is much quicker and slicker gets that foul called on him frequently. If Giannis gets to bulldoze, he's at 38 ppg.

[jlip]

I don't think that some people genuinely appreciate peak Shaq's dominance. Yeah. You can call his game ugly and brutal, but it was so dominant that teams were drafting and trading for players hoping just to contain him.

[Code Breaker]

Shaq by a good margin recency bias is crazy in this bitch