If Wembanyama, Lebron and Shaq were in same draft today Victor would go #1

[RachlNicholsazz]

According to Zach Lowe and RJ.


https://youtu.be/z3qQkrxgrDI

Ok they didn't mention Shaq but let's say they did. Try and block out how good you already know LBJ and Shaq would be. What order would you take them in 2022 based on what they showed up until the draft?

My opinion
1. Wembanyama
2. Shaq
3. Lebron

[Spuddywebby]

No. I’m not a Lebron dicc rider but he had hype as a generational talent earlier than Victor. Lebron’s body type makes him essentially the perfect NBA player than can basically play all five positions. NBA teams have regularly been burned at some point by lanky 7 footers due to the fragility of that body type in the NBA game. If you assume those three are coming out in the 3 point space and pace era, it would still be Lebron first, than Victor and Shaq might would probably go more like 4-7. Assuming the pre 3 point more center dominated era, it would be Shaq first, Lebron and Victor somewhere in the 10-15 range.

[FultzNationRISE]

If you DONT factor health concerns into it, I can understand the case for Yamahama. Even tho I would personally still prefer The Chosen One.

But with so many questions marks around the viability of his stature, it’d make no sense to roll the dice on him when there are two other literal GOAT candidates who are built much more sturdy.

Altho I would also have injury concerns about Shaq tbh. The fact he wasnt hurt nearly as much as you might expect from a guy that size is a testament to what a freak of nature he is. Wembayama is more of a giraffe, Shaq was an elephant.

But personally, with or without hindsight Im taking LeRhino.

[RachlNicholsazz]

No. I’m not a Lebron dicc rider but he had hype as a generational talent earlier than Victor. Lebron’s body type makes him essentially the perfect NBA player than can basically play all five positions. NBA teams have regularly been burned at some point by lanky 7 footers due to the fragility of that body type in the NBA game. If you assume those three are coming out in the 3 point space and pace era, it would still be Lebron first, than Victor and Shaq might would probably go more like 4-7. Assuming the pre 3 point era, it would be Shaq first, Lebron and Victor somewhere in the 10-15 range.

Ahh hell nah. 4-7? :oldlol: The Suns took Ayton over Luka, Trae, JJJ, and SGA not too long ago. Teams still like big men, and centers are smaller and less physical today. Shaq would be an instant bucket everytime he got the ball in the post. Only Gobert would have a chance of stopping him. Look at how he abused centers the size and strength of Alonzo Mourning

[Manny98]

Wembanyama obviously has the highest ceiling but these types of players never live up to their full potential due to injuries or struggling with NBA level physicality

So I would still pick LeBron easily

[PAOK]

A few years ago, two traditional bigs, with no perimeter shooting whatsoever (Ayton, Bagley) were selected ahead of 19 y.o Euroleague MVP Luka Doncic (current Wemby is nowhere near Rookie Luka).
So its pretty obvious that traditional big men will always go first. In our case it would be Shaq.

Generally in an all time draft, the first pick would be either Wilt, KAJ or Shaq

[red1]

this kid is going to be a superstar from the jump

[Nb1]

The guy gets absolutely trashed in a crappy team in a weak league. Doncic at 19 won the Euroleague and was MVP. I don't know where all this hype is coming from and yes, because the NBA is weak he's gonna do good, but he can barely score 3 points in a game in europe lol.

[RachlNicholsazz]

I don't know where all this hype is coming from and yes, because the NBA is weak he's gonna do good

So edgy

[JohnMax]

I'm taking Wembanyama first, Lebron second, Shaq third.

[TheGoatest]

Nah, in order for Wembanyama to be drafted ahead of LeBron, teams would've been thinking about tanking their entire season as early as 2021, and not 2022.
Wembanyama would definitely get drafted ahead of Sam Bowie though.

[Spuddywebby]

Ahh hell nah. 4-7? :oldlol: The Suns took Ayton over Luka, Trae, JJJ, and SGA not too long ago. Teams still like big men, and centers are smaller and less physical today. Shaq would be an instant bucket everytime he got the ball in the post. Only Gobert would have a chance of stopping him. Look at how he abused centers the size and strength of Alonzo Mourning

Yeah I guess you are right, in a 3 man draft of those 3 guys SHAQ would be 2, I think teams still take Lebron over him. Also, we are assuming that the Shaq we know is the same Shaq that would be coming up now, when high school/AAU coaches are playing the NBA style game of 5 out, iso ball and tons of threes not the older style of running the offense through your center. Which is why I hate when people compare players from 25 years ago to todays players. The game evolves, humans evolve etc. you would be hard pressed to find a high school/college kid now who is being bulked up and only taught back to the basket moves, or to find a high school/college guard back in the 90’s who was allowed to put up 15 threes a game.

[Johnny32]

i actually think he'd go third.

[bison]

It's hard to say since they all got drafted in different eras. Shaq was drafted when bigs banging in the paint was the meat and potatoes for a lot of teams, while Wemby is gonna go into a draft where he's a jump shooter who literally cannot be blocked or challenged because of his height. Lebron kind of fits the 'not too hot, not too cold' range of this hypothetical situation in that he can't shoot like victor and can't bang like shaq but is athletic enough to come close to #1 in either era.

[hateraid]

Being of conscious mind throughout all these eras...Shaq was the most coveted draft pick ever.

[iamgine]

It depends on team needs but in a vacuum if drafted today I think Lebron would be first. Believe it or not but Lebron was like a 38% 3pt shooter in HS. Shaq was a year older and couldn't shoot 3s nor free throws. With Shaq and Wembanyama, there would also be a real concern of injury and not being able to defend perimeter shooting. If playing today, Shaq would keep his Orlando body and we'd never seen peak LA Shaq.

[TheGoatest]

There's just no way that a once-in-a-generation level international prospect would be drafted ahead of a once-in-a-generation level American prospect.

[Sulico]

Hype around Lebron were MUCH bigger, so he would be drafted #1.

[Axe]

Wembanyama obviously has the highest ceiling but these types of players never live up to their full potential due to injuries or struggling with NBA level physicality

So I would still pick LeBron easily
Best hope wemby doesn't end up being frail like chet holmgren. Those two guys lack the bulk for their own height.

[hateraid]

It depends on team needs but in a vacuum if drafted today I think Lebron would be first. Believe it or not but Lebron was like a 38% 3pt shooter in HS. Shaq was a year older and couldn't shoot 3s nor free throws. With Shaq and Wembanyama, there would also be a real concern of injury and not being able to defend perimeter shooting. If playing today, Shaq would keep his Orlando body and we'd never seen peak LA Shaq.

A highly coveted big wins vs a highly coveted perimeter player. Shaq would go first.
A good example is happening right now where Wendy is a consensus over scoot. Draft history always shows bigs win despite needs when the perceived talent is almost equal. Shaq's perceived value is like picking an Avenger. Lebron would be like Vision but you always go with the Hulk.

[nayte]

Ha I like the anology.
Just by looking at the three I would take Shaq first. Bit iffy on wemba do to the height so would take LeBron next

[90sgoat]

Absolutely no one would pick Wembayana over Shaq, they're just hyping for the next year worth of topics.

Lebron could go first if it is a draft where the team already had like Embiid or Joker, but no way Shaq doesn't go above Wemba.

Shaq averaged 23.5ppg 14 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in his rookie season, that's absolutely insane and was only 20 years old.

[Wally450]

Recency bias. The kid is good, but over Shaq and LeBron?

[90sgoat]

Recency bias. The kid is good, but over Shaq and LeBron?

Wembayana wouldn't get selected first over Tim Duncan either.

He's shown nothing except some nice mixtapes and potential.

[hateraid]

Absolutely no one would pick Wembayana over Shaq, they're just hyping for the next year worth of topics.

Lebron could go first if it is a draft where the team already had like Embiid or Joker, but no way Shaq doesn't go above Wemba.

Shaq averaged 23.5ppg 14 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in his rookie season, that's absolutely insane and was only 20 years old.

The discussion is predraft. Based on hype entering the draft. Rookie numbers are irrelevant

[90sgoat]

The discussion is predraft. Based on hype entering the draft. Rookie numbers are irrelevant

Wembanya has so far averaged 6ppg in the Euroleague and 10ppg in the french league.

[beau_boy04]

Def. Shaq would go #1 but it could be toss up between shaq and lebron. the other dude, well i believe he will be too fragile to bang with the much stronger and heavier guys in the post.

[hateraid]

Wembanya has so far averaged 6ppg in the Euroleague and 10ppg in the french league.

Where did I say Wemby? Not even in my discussion

[Soundwave]

Shaq honestly should've been on the Dream Team in summer 1992 even before playing a single NBA game, lol. Shaq was already 8th in league scoring and 2nd in rebounding and 2nd in blocked shots and 4th in FG% in his first season in the league.

Is Wembanya even going to be in the top 10 in scoring as a rookie? Lets see, but I doubt it.

[iamgine]

A highly coveted big wins vs a highly coveted perimeter player. Shaq would go first.
A good example is happening right now where Wendy is a consensus over scoot. Draft history always shows bigs win despite needs when the perceived talent is almost equal. Shaq's perceived value is like picking an Avenger. Lebron would be like Vision but you always go with the Hulk.

Not necessarily the case these days, especially if the player can't shoot at all. In recent memory, Ayton was the only such player drafted.

[RachlNicholsazz]

Not necessarily the case these days, especially if the player can't shoot at all. In recent memory, Ayton was the only such player drafted.

Zion went #1

There has been no one with Shaq's size, strength, speed and footwork seen before or after him. No one with that girth and height should be able to move like he did. Plus he seemed very durable at a young age. Only Zion comes close, and he's almost an instant bucket in the post with nowhere near the height or length of Shaq. If Zion can be elite in the NBA, Shaq would still be unstoppable.

He'd be very hard to pass up on as GM even if you included every single player in NBA history in a single draft

[Hakeem Olajuwon]

1. LeBron
2. Shaq
3. Wembanyama

[iamgine]

Zion went #1

There has been no one with Shaq's size, strength, speed and footwork seen before or after him. No one with that girth and height should be able to move like he did. Plus he seemed very durable at a young age. Only Zion comes close, and he's almost an instant bucket in the post with nowhere near the height or length of Shaq. If Zion can be elite in the NBA, Shaq would still be unstoppable.

He'd be very hard to pass up on as GM even if you included every single player in NBA history in a single draft
Zion shot 3s in college.

[Pitbull]

I would not take Wembanyama over Greg Oden. Too bad Oden will forever be one of the cases "what if he didnt get injured"

[DCL]

If wembanyama is another porzingas, is he bust?

[Soundwave]

Not necessarily the case these days, especially if the player can't shoot at all. In recent memory, Ayton was the only such player drafted.


lol, a rookie Shaq would ****ing destroy the league today. He'd probably "shoot" 65% from the field ... who even gives a f*ck if his free throws are a coin flip at that point. Watching today's skinny ass, non physical "6'8 centers" try to guard him would be like watching a deer led to slaughter.

[iamgine]

lol, a rookie Shaq would ****ing destroy the league today. He'd probably "shoot" 65% from the field ... who even gives a f*ck if his free throws are a coin flip at that point. Watching today's skinny ass, non physical "6'8 centers" try to guard him would be like watching a deer led to slaughter.

We're talking pre draft here.

Also, rookie Shaq didn't even make the playoff.

[Lebron23]

Wemby is shooting 42 percent from the field

[SouBeachTalents]

Wemby is shooting 42 percent from the field
That's what LeBron shot his rookie year, granted in a much more defensive era.

[Lebron23]

That's what LeBron shot his rookie year, granted in a much more defensive era.

True i compared wemby to sophomore lebron because sophomore lebron is the same age as current Wembayama

[dankok8]

Honestly just based on their body build I would go 1) Shaq 2) Lebron 3) Wemby. Shaq looked like a sure thing coming out of college.

Of course with hindsight, I'd go with Lebron.

[k0kakw0rld]

Wembanyama obviously has the highest ceiling but these types of players never live up to their full potential due to injuries or struggling with NBA level physicality

So I would still pick LeBron easily

He's trash lol

[rawimpact]

Rookie Shaq in today's game would put up 30ppg at a minimum

He put up 20 and 14 against bigs that were actual bigs.

[Xiao Yao You]

Rookie Shaq in today's game would put up 30ppg at a minimum

He put up 20 and 14 against bigs that were actual bigs.

Rookie Shaq that was 21 or one that is 19?

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

I'd draft Shaq and sleep well at night.

[ILLsmak]

Being of conscious mind throughout all these eras...Shaq was the most coveted draft pick ever.

ez. And if he had been drafted into a tougher era for Cs, I think he would have been even more hardcore. He came in eating people then they all got old.

-Smak

[Phoenix]

I would still take Shaq.