Front and Center

Shaquille O’Neal announced yesterday that he plans to play out the final two years of his contract and call it quits after what will be 18 years in the NBA:

“My basketball career will be over in 735 days, and being an educated man, I’ve always had things to fall back on. So one of my options is law enforcement.  But if Jerry Demings is going to be the sheriff I would love to work for him,” O’Neal said.

O’Neal entered the league during a golden age of NBA big men.  Overshadowed by Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Patrick Ewing, O’Neal wasn’t named 1st team All-NBA until his sixth season.

In an interview with Dime magazine last year, O’Neal claimed that he’s “paid his dues to become the most dominant big man in NBA history.”

“I came in and took out all of the great centers standing in my way, from Ewing to David Robinson to Hakeem Olajuwon.  And now all of these young guys have come in looking to take me out, doing whatever they can to take me out, whining and crying.  But it’s not happening.”

In his prime, Shaq was nearly unstoppable.  But with all due respect to Shaq — who is without a doubt one of the five greatest centers of all-time — he didn’t exactly “take out” Ewing, Robinson, and Olajuwon as much as those players succumbed to age and injury.

From 1997 to 2006, O’Neal was named 1st team All-NBA every season but one.  But to be fair to those that came before him, it’s not as if he had a lot of competition.  Alonzo Mourning was the only other two-way center in the game.  Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo were defensive specialists.

Shaquille O’Neal will be missed.  But the center position could be as strong as ever in just a few short seasons due to the emergence of four ultra-talented pivotmen:

Yao Ming

2007-08:  22.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.0 BLKS, 51 FG%, 85 FT%

Dwight Howard

2007-08:  20.7 PPG, 14.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 2.1 BLKS, 60 FG%, 59 FT%

Andrew Bynum

2007-08:  13.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 2.1 BLKS, 64 FG%, 70 FT%

Greg Oden

2007-2008:  N/A

If they can remain healthy, Ming, Howard, Bynum, and Oden could usher in an era of NBA big men the likes of which we haven’t seen in over ten NBA seasons.

Of the four, Ming is the most skilled.  Yao has a soft shooting touch, is an excellent free throw shooter, and is an underrated defender.  Ming is an effective pick-and-pop shooter and possesses a baby hook from either block as well.

Howard is the most athletic.  Dwight led the league in rebounds last season and became the first center in NBA history to win the slam dunk competition.  But like the ‘Superman’ that came before him, Howard is a terrible free throw shooter.  Howard’s mechanics look good.  His struggles appear to be mental or stem from lack of repetition.  Despite his surprisingly good shot mechanics, Howard doesn’t have much of an offensive repertoire.  His post arsenal consists mainly of backing down defenders and leaping over them for dunks.

Bynum was leading the NBA in field goal percentage before he went down with a season ending injury last year.  Andrew has a soft touch around the basket and his length allows him to finish lobs that appear to be out of his grasp.  Bynum is also a good shot blocker and passer and improved upon his free throw shooting in an injury shortened season.

Oden hasn’t played an NBA game yet.  But the anticipation of his impact in ‘Rip City’ is immeasurable.  Due to a right wrist injury he suffered in high school, Oden developed his left hand and can shoot free throws, baby hooks, and eight to ten foot jumpshots as a lefty.  Shooting free throws left handed for much of his freshmen season at Ohio State, Oden shot 62% — a mark higher than both Howard and O’Neal’s career averages from the charity stripe.  Oden can also block shots with either hand — which as I’ve written before — will give him a tremendous advantage defensively.

All four centers are under the age of 28.  And all four are on 50-win potential teams.

Bynum and Oden will meet for the first — of hopefully many times on October 28th.  Ming owns a 5-2 advantage over Howard.  Unlike Shaq, who didn’t have to “take out” anyone worth mentioning to become the most dominant center in basketball, the four players above will settle center supremacy on the hardwood.

I can’t wait.