Rajon Rondo Has An Emphatic Reaction To Whether Draymond Green Can Guard Shaquille O’Neal

Draymond Inexperienced is famed for being a flexible defender, guarding positions 1 by means of 5. Therefore, within the present period, the Golden State Warriors ahead is likely one of the higher defenders, having given a majority of his opponents a tough time. Nonetheless, a hypothetical encounter in opposition to a primary Shaquille O’Neal would witness Inexperienced getting humiliated… not less than that’s what Rajon Rondo confidently claims.

Rajon Rondo was lately interviewed by one member of the Broadcast Boys. Throughout the practically 90-second-long clip, Rondo is requested a wide range of questions – basketball and non-basketball associated. The primary query itself was relating to the potential of Draymond Inexperienced having the ability to stand his floor when going up in opposition to a primary Shaquille O’Neal. Rondo didn’t want to offer it a lot thought, dismissing the concept immediately.

Query: “May Draymond Inexperienced guard Shaq in his prime?”

Rondo: “Hell no! He doesn’t weigh sufficient.”

This hypothetical query has been requested round by NBA lovers and analysts for a number of years, particularly when evaluating the 73-9 Warriors to the three-peat Lakers from the early 2000s.

Rondo’s reply wasn’t a fan of glorifying his former teammate. He’s fairly correct in highlighting the scale benefit that O’Neal has over Dray. Inexperienced has been in a position to include gamers considerably taller than him. Nonetheless, this hypothetical matchup is likely one of the uncommon conditions during which the 2017 Defensive Participant of the Yr (230 lbs) is significantly lighter than his opponent (not less than 360 lbs throughout his prime).

Throughout his period, particularly within the Nineteen Nineties, Shaq managed to win quite a few encounters in opposition to gamers who could be thought of the best defenders ever–Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, and Alonzo Mourning, amongst others.

Ben Wallace is an correct participant comparability to Draymond Inexperienced to go up in opposition to a primary Shaquille O’Neal. Regardless of having 3 DPOYs greater than Inexperienced, Wallace struggled to defend O’Neal because the latter would common 23.2 factors and 9.4 rebounds of their matchups. Proof suggests a primary Shaquille O’Neal wouldn’t face difficulties in getting previous Draymond Inexperienced.

Draymond Inexperienced grew up a Shaquille O’Neal fan

The hypothetical Shaquille O’Neal-Draymond Inexperienced debate has been ongoing for some time now. A non-GSW fan has all the time taken the logical determination of backing Shaq on this matchup. Nonetheless, Inexperienced doesn’t agree with the bulk’s opinion. Based on the Warriors chief, people backing Shaq are nothing however his detractors.

Therefore, as soon as making an look on his The Draymond Inexperienced Podcast, the four-time NBA champ revealed his admiration for Shaq since his childhood and went on to say that he would like to have the chance of containing the Massive Aristotle to silence the naysayers.

“If I had the chance to protect him, like, that’s every thing for me. If I had the chance to play basketball on Shaq’s workforce, that’s every thing for me. All people say, ‘Oh, man, if performed again within the league, you wouldn’t be capable to guard Shaq, you wouldn’t be capable to guard Hakeem (Olajuwon),’ Shut up. I’m guarding Shaq. Carry on the large fella,” Inexperienced mentioned, per Sportskeeda.

Shaq and Inexperienced have had a dialog in regards to the former presumably being locked up by the defensive specialist within the hypothetical 2001 Lakers- 2015 Warriors conflict. As anticipated, Shaq didn’t look too anxious when Dray claimed to play the backup heart function and guard him.

Sadly, there isn’t a participant within the NBA at the moment with the identical construct as Shaq for Inexperienced to try to again his claims. There doesn’t appear to be any approach potential for Draymond Inexperienced to show Shaq and the basketball world about him being a defensive risk to one of many best large males of all time.