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Shaquille O'Neal vs. Wilt Chamberlain: both are the premier centers of their eras, but when they face off against each other, it's no contest

Basketball Digest, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Rick Barry

I'M TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE offseason to put together a "fantasy" matchup between two centers who never had the opportunity to face off against one another. Writ Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal. Both are outstanding centers of their generations, but to imply in any way that O'Neal is the equal of Chamberlain is blasphemous.

Some media members and fans have actually had the audacity to label Shaq as "the greatest center of all time." O'Neal is an excellent player and he's been fortunate to play in a large media market, for a successful team, during an era when NBA coverage is at an all-time high, but the greatest center of all time? He's not even close.

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The obvious problem with comparing players of different eras is that they never had the chance to go mano-a-mano. Further, unless you have seen both play, you would not be able to make a fair analysis. You could also argue that the game has changed over the years. There have been rules changes, an increase in recorded statistics, the training techniques and nutritional regimens are better, and, of course, there were no chartered or private team airplanes hack in the old days.

So, even after taking all of these extenuating factors into consideration, I still have no problem saying that Shaq couldn't hold a candle to Writ in terms of an overall game.

There is no question that Shaq has the bulk. He is by far the most dominating physical presence the game has ever seen. But sheer size does not a great player make. I'll take Wilt over Shaq any day for athleticism, strength, finesse, and overall effectiveness as a center.

OK, you modern-day fans must think I am crazy. Please bear with me and I'll break it down for you category by category.

INSIDE OFFENSE

(Wilt 30, Shaq 9)

Can anyone tell me what O'Neal's go-to move is? The only answer here is the dunk Anything outside of five feet from the rim becomes an adventure for the big fella. Chamberlain could dunk elbow-to-elbow with anyone, but he also developed a nice touch in the paint particularly with his "big dipper" finger roll.

Although Chamberlain was a better overall offensive player than Shaq is, both have unstoppable inside games. Shaq is somewhat limited, because he doesn't have a go-to shot beyond a dunk. He's just so much bigger and stronger than everyone else that teams rarely can push him away from where he wants to be.

Perhaps a different way to illustrate the differences between these two is to say that Shaq could never score I00 points in a game. He just doesn't have the all-around skills to pull that off, as Wilt did.

OUTSIDE OFFENSE

(Wilt 7, Shaq 5)

As we step farther away from the rim--an area where a traditional center shouldn't spend much time in the first place--Wilt's advantage over O'Neal grows. Chamberlain's repertoire included a deadly fadeaway bank shot, which he consistently used to amass his incredible scoring output. It is difficult to even give Shaq a rating in this category without a smile on my face. His shooting form is atrocious; half the time it's pure luck when the ball actually goes in the basket.

FREE THROW SHOOTING

(Wilt 2, Shaq 2)

Oh Lord, give me strength when discussing these two abominable brick masons ... er ... free throw shooters. I can't decide which strategy would be more effective in defending these guys: Hack-a-Shaq or Whack-a-Wilt.

Neither player is known for his free throw shooting prowess. Shaq is shooting .537 for his career, with a career best of .622. Writ shot .511 for his career, with a peak season of .613. In the postseason, both centers suffered more: Shaq is shooting .518 and Writ shot an unimaginably bad .465.

Wilt even switched to underhanded for a while, although he never did it properly. If Shaq would switch to my underhanded style, I could have him shooting 70% or better in no time. This is the one category where there should be no disagreement from anyone. They both stink, and get what they deserve in the point totals.

TEAM DEFENSE

(Wilt 14, Shaq 12)

Chamberlain had outstanding mobility for a big man, and he was fast. Al Attles told me that Writ used to beat him down the floor in the sprints their team had to run during training camp. Because of his speed, Wilt's help defense was extremely good. Additionally, Shaquille is simply not as laterally mobile as Wilt, and that really makes a difference when it comes to weak-side defense and defending the pick-and-roll.

The intimidation factor must also come into play for any center. As a player, rd be more concerned driving into the lane against Wilt than Shaq. Wilt's shot-blocking ability made it extremely difficult to score on him when he was roaming the paint. There are numerous instances when a smart, aggressive player can simply beat O'Neal to the basket, or outmaneuver him. I'm being generous here by having She's total trail Wilt's by only two points.

INDIVIDUAL DEFENSE

(Wilt 14, Shaq 12)

O'Neal has made it apparent over the course of his career that he doesn't want to work consistently hard on defense. Sure, Wilt had his shortcomings, as do most offensive-minded big men when it comes to defense. However, against Writ, you knew that you had to be prepared to work hard to be successful offensively. He didn't just mail it in on some nights, like Shaq does.

Shaquille O'Neal vs. Wilt Chamberlain: both are the premier centers of their eras, but when they face off against each other, it's no contest

Basketball Digest, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Rick Barry

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