It would have been fun to see Shaq play against the Bad Boy Pistons

[deja vu]

It would have been fun to see peak Shaq play in the 80s, period. Forget a specific team. Him against those defenses would instant comedy on a nightly basis.

1 title in the 80s at best.

[ILLsmak]

Robertson didn't even flinch at Shaq's punch, and managed to land a decent one on Shaq.

man that shit got taken down for awhile, glad to see it again...

But nah he got slapped with a closed fist and the shot he got back was blocked.

I always thought that was funny.

Edit: It look like he stuck him cuz Rodman was pulling him back, but at best it hit his shoulder. I don't think it made it thru tho tbh. Trying to look at it in slow motion but I forgot how to do that.

-Smak

[AintNoSunshine]

They would get in his head a little bit, but Shaq ran through his fair share of legendary centers in his career so nothing suggests he wouldn't get the better of the Bad Boys frontline.

[SpanishACB]

man that shit got taken down for awhile, glad to see it again...

But nah he got slapped with a closed fist and the shot he got back was blocked.

I always thought that was funny.

Edit: It look like he stuck him cuz Rodman was pulling him back, but at best it hit his shoulder. I don't think it made it thru tho tbh. Trying to look at it in slow motion but I forgot how to do that.

-Smak

I'm pretty sure big guys like that rarely throw a full strength punch

they're aware they can kill someone

[Rake2204]

man that shit got taken down for awhile, glad to see it again...

But nah he got slapped with a closed fist and the shot he got back was blocked.

I always thought that was funny.

Edit: It look like he stuck him cuz Rodman was pulling him back, but at best it hit his shoulder. I don't think it made it thru tho tbh. Trying to look at it in slow motion but I forgot how to do that.

-Smak

I was trying to look at that myself. From what I could tell, I am in agreement. It looked like Robertson tried to send a shot back but it never made it through (watching in slow motion). There might have been some super weak left-handed contact but it really doesn't look like a real shot lands on O'Neal.

[SHAQisGOAT]

Would've been tough af... Mahorn was a big, bulky dude and a great m2m post-defender, Laimbeer was a dirty, smart sob, they also had Salley who was athletic and long; plus dudes like Rodman or Dumars for them quick, smart doubles.
Coach Daly could also plan a great strategy.

They might contain O'Neal a bit (and his team) but prime Shaq would get his regardless, just a beast.

But yea, it would've been very fun to watch

It would have been fun to see peak Shaq play in the 80s, period. Forget a specific team. Him against those defenses would instant comedy on a nightly basis.

This dude doesn't have a clue, yet keeps talking shit like this

Why instant comedy? What do you know about those defenses? Keep running your mouth about stuff you don't know though, looking all ignorant

Hakeem who won vs Shaq in 1995, never even averaged 25 points per game against "those defenses", and didn't even have FG% as high as later on.
Darryl Dawkins was an athletic freak, built like a tank, strong like crazy, could jump out the gym, probably the GOAT dunking center, also had some skill and even developed a decent jumper... Never averaged over 17 PPG against "those defenses", never viewed as much... I can also stand here and say it would've been instant comedy to see him in today's game, under these soft-ass rules, going against lots of sub-par centers, see him turn into Dwight Howard status.
...

[swagga]

i'd actually like to see shaq vs moses malone.

also kwame brown defended him really well.

[atljonesbro]

Shaq would destroy them. They obviously aren't that good if they use dirty tactics to supplement their lack of skill.

[Showtime80']

Amazing some of the discussions that go on here where the NBA miraculously turns into a one on one league.

First off ANY version of Shaq is going to get his at some point in any era, period! But again don't separate him from the TEAMS that he was in.

To me physical athletic freak Shaq was present from 92 to 95 (he gained a few more pounds after that). What version of the Orlando Magic from those year are going to give the Bad Boy Pistons a challenge? I can already seen mental midgets like Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott and Penny Hardaway ordering up some migraines ala Pippen 90'. Shaq would get his but no chance of beating that team.

Second stage Shaq was the still freakish but heavier and hampered by injuries Shaq from 96 to 99'. In this period Shaq got knocked out and FRUSTRATED by a combination of these defenders: Greg Ostertag, Greg Foster, Antoine Carr, Bill Wennington, Dennis Rodman, Bill Wennington and Luc Longley!!! You mean to tell me that he's going to kill a frontline of Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, John Salley, James Edwards and Dennis Rodman? That's some defense with 30 FOULS to spare!.

The only version of Shaq that had the game and team to anything against those Bad Boy Pistons would be the 2000-2002 model and even then it would be a struggle because of the depth of the Piston big people

[JohnnySic]

Shaq would get his but it wouldn't be as easy as some people think.

[Lebron23]

He''ll be alright. Too Big, Too Powerful, and too strong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OU0-EyM2ug

Shaq Dunks Between Jordan and Rodman

[Demon Lizard]

But he came into the league right when they broken up in 1992 but that would have been some entertaining basketball. Watching the Pistons beat shaq big monkey a$$ up in the paint and seeing him swinging on Laimbeer.

Sadly no one challeged shaq like the Bad Boys would have. Would have been fun

I never thought about this, but yes, it would have been awesome.

[Pointguard]

The Knicks were tougher and bigger than the Bad Boys were. The Pistons were dirtier and more like bullies. Shaq always talks about how the Knicks played him. On the last Open Court he talks of how they Knicks bruised him up. Mase, Oakley and Ewing were all bigger than any of the bad boys. And yet Bonner was our hitman and had Greg Kite for insurance. People were scared of younger Mahorn, not so much the Bad Boys version, but people feared Oakley: when Oakley hit Shaq on the head, Shaq didn't go at him, he went at Brad Miller. Oakley body slammed Barkley once and smacked him on another occasion. The Bad Boys were selective on who they attacked and Lambier got slammed once.

When the Knick players came into clubs it looked freaky. They appeared so much bigger and more athletic than the Giants and the Jet's players.

[jongib369]

Shaq would murder Bill. Literally.

Would love to see him go at it with fellow diesels Gilmore and Wilt. Gilmore played in the 80s but obviously a prime mach up would be more interesting. Those two might be better suited to guard him than anyone....Even Thurmond

[Showtime80']

Knicks might have been bigger (weight wise) and maybe ACTED tougher but they never had near the BASKETBALL TEAM the Bad Boys had, neither in IQ nor SKILL. Maybe their frontlines could match up but the Knicks backcourts in those years were light years away from the Bad Boys.

The Pistons also had a method to their madness and used the agitation in their favor specially guys like Laimbeer and Rodman where as knuckle heads like Mason and Bonner were just out there trying to be tough without any end game for the attitude.

And Shaq would not murder Bill Laimbeer for God's sake. Sabonis used to rain jumpers on his head all day and Bill is one of the greatest jump shooting centers ever. Shaq is going to get his but I could seen Bill getting between 18 to 22 points since the Diesel HATED to come out and guard jump shooting centers