New Orleans Pelicans: Evaluating Lonzo Ball’s All-Time Starting Five

Center

Shaquille O’Neal: Los Angeles Lakers

This is another one that Lonzo Ball of the New Orleans Pelicans might have gotten wrong.

Shaquille O’Neal is undoubtedly the most physically dominant player who ever laced them up.

He was an unstoppable force of nature who was like a seven-foot Zion.

But was he really the greatest center of all-time?

Shaq does have four rings and an MVP award, but it’s hard not to attribute a lot of that team success to Kobe and Wade.

We are going to choose a guy with a little less hardware, but who would be uniquely positioned to be even more successful in the modern game than he was in his time.

Our guy has only two rings, but changed the position and would probably be the best center in the league if he still played due to his combination of shooting and rim protection.

Think Joel Embiid, only a lot smoother, a better shooter and not a clown.

He doesn’t have as many rings as the guy in Boston, didn’t play as long as the bald guy in goggles in Los Angeles, nor his womanizing rival, but he was dominant in his day and still would be.

Who we would have chosen: Hakeem Olajuwon

Honorable Mention: Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain

Thanks to Lonzo Ball for his fascinating answers and helping to keep us entertained during the suspension of play.

We at Pelican Debrief are committed to bringing you great coverage of the New Orleans Pelicans during the hiatus.

Thanks for your continued support during these tough times, we appreciate it. Stay safe out there!