True or False: Rookie Shaq O'neal was best Center in the league

[TAZORAC]

When O'neal first came in with Orlando, is it true that he was the best center in the league?

[warriorfan]

Hakeem and David Robinson were better. I would take Ewing over rookie Shaq as well.

[Prime_Shaq]

In his rookie year? Nah... but he was one of the top centers and made immediate impact for sure.

[chocolatethunder]

It wasn't about him being the best it was about him physically overpowering everyone in the entire league. He came in the the league and averaged something like 23 and 14 and just shat all over everyone. He was bigger and stronger and more athletic than anyone his size. I was 20 years old his rookie year and he was a phenom. No one could handle him. He was one of the best immediately. By his second year I think he averaged somewhere abound 29 and 11 and went on to average at least 26ppg for the next 11 years or so. It will be a long long time until we see another player like that because there were no players like that before him. If you were lucky enough to go to a game and have floor seats and see him up close it was unreal. He literally got fouled every play and the refs barely called any of if. Guys would actually grab his arms but he was so much bigger and stronger it didn't matter. They wouldn't call the foul and he would score anyway. He was a monster. Never seen a rookie like that ever.

[JohnnySic]

I remember Shaq's rookie year, I was 18 at the time. I honestly thought he was the next Wilt. I guess in a way he was.

That said, Hakeem was better until about 1996.

[Dresta]

Thing is, in the 95 finals, it's not even like Hakeem was better than Shaq. Shaq was getting doubled on most possessions, immediately, whereas Hakeem wasn't, and Shaq still shot a much higher percentage, and set-up guys on his team for more open looks (so many bricks from Orlando - and Hakeem's teammates played great).

One team was ready and experienced, the other evidently wasn't. Shaq still played Hakeem to at least a wash, though.

[SHAQisGOAT]

In his rookie year? Nah... but he was one of the top centers and made immediate impact for sure.

This

[JellyBean]

False. Shaq was awesome but still raw but not the best center in the league. Hakeem and David were among the best centers. Pat Ewing was among that group as well.

[julizaver]

False. Shaq was awesome but still raw but not the best center in the league. Hakeem and David were among the best centers. Pat Ewing was among that group as well.

And they gave him some schooling in the process.

[STATUTORY]

And they gave him some schooling in the process.

really? when that happen?

[Duderonomy]

Shaq was a distance 4th at best. People forget Ewing was a top 5 player in his prime. He might of been even better than Robinson that year.

[Dragonyeuw]

No, the Hakeem/Robinson/Ewing trio were more seasoned and in their primes. The big thing with Shaq at that point, he couldn't outskill those guys but he could hold his own due to his overpowering physicality.

That said, it's fair to say he was a top ten player as a rookie: In no particular order:

Jordan
Barkley
Hakeem
Malone
Ewing
Admiral
Pippen
Shaq

were basically your top 8, then take your pick from Stockton/LJ/Nique/Coleman/whoever else to round out your top ten.

[Dragonyeuw]

really? when that happen?

Here's one encounter, and this was his second season, where Ewing clearly outplayed Shaq head to head:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfAlPBRwthk

Ewing was a difficult cover for Shaq because of his shooting combined with Shaq's hesitance to go too far from the basket and weak pick and roll defense. Actually all of those guys, Hakeem, Admiral, Ewing were competent shooters within 15 feet( Ewing being the best) so they could get their numbers against Shaq.

Edit: Here's rookie Shaq against Admiral, in this one you can clearly see the advantages each had in their early matchups:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azagH-9rRlE

[STATUTORY]

Here's one encounter, and this was his second season, where Ewing clearly outplayed Shaq head to head:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfAlPBRwthk

Ewing was a difficult cover for Shaq because of his shooting combined with Shaq's hesitance to go too far from the basket and weak pick and roll defense. Actually all of those guys, Hakeem, Admiral, Ewing were competent shooters within 15 feet( Ewing being the best) so they could get their numbers against Shaq.

Edit: Here's rookie Shaq against Admiral, in this one you can clearly see the advantages each had in their early matchups:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azagH-9rRlE

sick highlights, love seeing Big Ewing going to work, he was so graceful in the post

[WorldWarriors]

sick highlights, love seeing Big Ewing going to work, he was so graceful in the post
Miss those big guys putting in work like that.

And to answer OP's question. No Shaq was not the best as a rook. But he was definitely on his way.

[Dragonyeuw]

Miss those big guys putting in work like that.

And to answer OP's question. No Shaq was not the best as a rook. But he was definitely on his way.

That's definitely something I miss in today's game, those mid 90's center battles were epic, true mano a mano affairs.

[TAZORAC]

No, the Hakeem/Robinson/Ewing trio were more seasoned and in their primes. The big thing with Shaq at that point, he couldn't outskill those guys but he could hold his own due to his overpowering physicality.

That said, it's fair to say he was a top ten player as a rookie: In no particular order:

Jordan
Barkley
Hakeem
Malone
Ewing
Admiral
Pippen
Shaq

were basically your top 8, then take your pick from Stockton/LJ/Nique/Coleman/whoever else to round out your top ten.

O'neal was better then Pippen, even as a rookie...I mean who would you rather have on your team Shaq or fking Pippen without Jordan?

[LAZERUSS]

He wasn't in his rookie season, but by his second year he was the equal of any center in the league. By his third year, at age 22, he was outplaying Hakeem in both their regular season, and Finals H2H's.

After that, he was clearly the best center in the league for almost ten straight years.

You can look up his career H2H's with Hakeem, Robinson, and Ewing...and to be honest, it wasn't even close.

[Dragonyeuw]

O'neal was better then Pippen, even as a rookie...I mean who would you rather have on your team Shaq or fking Pippen without Jordan?

I'm not going to debate that one way or another, but in my post I clearly said in no particular order.

[choppermagic]

Those battles of the big men in the 90s were indeed epic.

Nowadays, you see players try some basic post moves then kick it out or throw up some weak layup or flip shot. Back in the big men era, you'd see some great power post moves and then it would end in a vicious dunk, and in Shaq's early days, a broken backboard if the fans were lucky. Much more demoralizing to the other team.

[ClipperRevival]

False.

Hakeem, Robinson and maybe even Ewing were better. But Shaq was no doubt dominant from the get go. His longevity gets overlooked.

[WorldWarriors]

That's definitely something I miss in today's game, those mid 90's center battles were epic, true mano a mano affairs.

Hakeem was so mad when David Robinson won MVP. LOL his teammates said when that playoff series started and Robinson was handed his MVP Hakeem said to them, "That's my trophy". Then proceeds to kill Robinson in the head to head match up. Robinson was at a loss for words in the post game interview. He didn't know what hit him, lol.

But alas its over. Shaq was the last of them. Howard and Jordan are interesting defenders but their post up games are lacking. I do see some promise in Cousins and Mozgov though. Young Cousins is a beast.

[Megabox!]

When O'neal first came in with Orlando, is it true that he was the best center in the league?
Nah Hakeem and Ewing were better