Former NBA Star Urges DeAndre Ayton to Follow Shaquille O’Neal’s Example on Offense

Published 10/14/2021, 6:30 AM EDT

Shaquille O’Neal is undoubtedly one of the most dominant centers in the league’s history. It is an enormous compliment for anyone to be compared to this legend – especially within 3 years of entering the leaguem and that too coming from Shaq’s former teammate.

DeAndre Ayton, who was the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, had a powerful display in the playoffs last season. So much so, that he helped his team reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 28 years.

Considering his contribution to the team’s campaign last season, Shaq’s former teammate from Orlando Magic recently made a bold comparison between Shaq and Ayton.

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Deandre Ayton mirrors Shaq in Orlando says Nick Anderson: "I would say DeAndre Ayton. The only thing is that I would like to see DeAndre Ayton be more aggressive. Don’t be tentative. When Shaq got that ball on the post, all hell would break loose."
– Via @BallySports pic.twitter.com/87PYyMNJSL
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson 📍 (@ScoopB) October 14, 2021

Nick Anderson on how DeAndre Ayton is like Shaquille O’Neal

For Ayton, this is a compliment like no other. O’Neal is a legend in the same position in which Ayton plays. And similar to Shaq, Ayton also needs to eventually add some aggression to his game. In Orlando, Shaquille was more athletic but they dominantly maximized his aggression on the post in his time at the Lakers.

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While he was the scoring champion in the league in 1994-95, he averaged his career-high in points through a season at the Lakers in 2000. So, Anderson is not wrong to say that Ayton needs to add more aggression to his game. Adding some build and confidence in posting up should help Ayton improve his game.

On the court comparison between Ayton and Shaq

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Ayton spent most of the 2019-20 season on the bench. While he does not have an offensive skill-set on the post, he does have one advantage though – he can make his free throws.

Shaquille O’Neal’s weaknesses were limited in the game. However, they were very evident and could be used against him in some cases. Shaq’s two primary weaknesses were shooting from beyond the 3 point line and the free-throw line.

His inability to convert from the free-throw line gave birth to the famous “Hack-a-Shaq” defense followed by his opponents. Therefore, if Ayton adds aggression to his game at the post, who knows, he could even surpass Shaquille O’Neal someday.

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Chaitanya Dadhwal is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Even though his journalism is driven by his desire to understand both sides of an argument and give a neutral perspective, he is biased towards Houston Rockets and Arsenal, and he has shown exactly how loyal he can be through tough times. Currently a Law student at Jindal Global Law School, he aims to have his own sports management firm one day and enjoys rap music during his time off.

Former NBA Star Urges DeAndre Ayton to Follow Shaquille O’Neal’s Example on Offense

Nick Anderson on how DeAndre Ayton is like Shaquille O’Neal

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On the court comparison between Ayton and Shaq