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How many points/game would Shaq have averaged if he was an 80% FT shooter?

Basketball is so weighted in favor of giant freaks of nature...
chest-beating public bath
  05/01/25
This can easily be figured out if you're not retarded.
Misanthropic Mint Coldplay Fan
  05/01/25
...
Cerebral fuchsia turdskin plaza
  05/01/25
If he can shoot 80% FTs, that means he can also shoot well f...
chest-beating public bath
  05/01/25
you are jewish and a pedophile
chocolate regret center
  05/01/25
LOL. He played in the 90s you retard. There were no centers ...
Misanthropic Mint Coldplay Fan
  05/01/25
You also need to figure that he would make more FGs if they ...
bronze french office haunted graveyard
  05/01/25
Sure, but you'd still foul an 80% FT shooter than give up a ...
Misanthropic Mint Coldplay Fan
  05/01/25
Right, so being a coordinated guy wasn't important at all fo...
chest-beating public bath
  05/01/25
Shaq was extremely coordinated, he did not have below averag...
Misanthropic Mint Coldplay Fan
  05/01/25
Shooting free throws is about as pure a test for coordinatio...
chest-beating public bath
  05/01/25
Go watch Shaq’s highlights
mewling stead party of the first part
  05/01/25
they wouldnt have fouled him as much if he shot 80% FTs, so ...
avocado alpha yarmulke
  05/01/25
He also would score more regular points bc of that. Hack the...
chocolate regret center
  05/01/25
isnt wilt the giant freak of nature described in the op who ...
avocado alpha yarmulke
  05/01/25
wilt was a worse ft shooter than shaq, which is why some peo...
aquamarine dog poop queen of the night
  05/01/25
he also couldn't shoot FTs worth a shit
chocolate regret center
  05/01/25
This seems correct. I think it would be a wash from that per...
mewling stead party of the first part
  05/01/25
funny fact - he went 12 for 12 at the line in an NCAA tourna...
wild whorehouse gaping
  05/01/25
I think just about the same
Misunderstood Hell Coffee Pot
  05/01/25
Bort NBA expert here. Like 50+. You have to think about t...
curious spot
  05/13/25


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Date: May 1st, 2025 3:37 PM
Author: chest-beating public bath

Basketball is so weighted in favor of giant freaks of nature like him- one of these days a guy with that body may come along who is a great shooter as well. Will break the game.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896829)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 3:38 PM
Author: Misanthropic Mint Coldplay Fan

This can easily be figured out if you're not retarded.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896833)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 3:39 PM
Author: Cerebral fuchsia turdskin plaza



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896837)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:01 PM
Author: chest-beating public bath

If he can shoot 80% FTs, that means he can also shoot well from outside and from midrange. It's a pure test of hand-eye coordination and muscle memory. So he wouldn't have just added to his free throw stats, dummy.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896886)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:04 PM
Author: chocolate regret center

you are jewish and a pedophile

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896896)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:05 PM
Author: Misanthropic Mint Coldplay Fan

LOL. He played in the 90s you retard. There were no centers shooting from outside or even midrange, especially if they were as dominant as Shaq within 5 feet. This was the post-up era. Centers posted up and backed defenders down.

You really do just need to add his free throw stats and take a discount for free throw attempts because Hack-a-Shaq wouldn't have been an option. It's that simple, stupid.



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896899)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:09 PM
Author: bronze french office haunted graveyard

You also need to figure that he would make more FGs if they weren't using hack a shack

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896912)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:14 PM
Author: Misanthropic Mint Coldplay Fan

Sure, but you'd still foul an 80% FT shooter than give up a guaranteed basket. I was referring to the hack-a-Shaq in the backcourt or just past the half-court line, strategic free throw attempts in order to gain more possessions.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896926)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:12 PM
Author: chest-beating public bath

Right, so being a coordinated guy wasn't important at all for a professional basketball player in the 90s if he was big and athletic? Having elite coordination instead of below average coordination wouldn't have manifested itself in better shooting, better passing, more steals, more rebounds, etc? Just free throws. Got it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896922)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:16 PM
Author: Misanthropic Mint Coldplay Fan

Shaq was extremely coordinated, he did not have below average coordination LOL. He was just a bad free throw shooter and he never worked on it to get better.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896931)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:23 PM
Author: chest-beating public bath

Shooting free throws is about as pure a test for coordination and muscle memory as I can imagine.

And Shaq disagrees about not working on them:

“I was a Steve Kerr practice free-throw shooter. I shot it like Steve Kerr in practice, 88% or 85%. I really did practice it because I was tired of people saying he could not hit them. Because of my practice, I was hitting them when I needed them.”

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/shaquille-oneal-on-how-better-he-could-have-been-if-he-hit-his-free-throws

But regardless, sounds like you care a lot more about the NBA than I do, so think what you like.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896959)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:29 PM
Author: mewling stead party of the first part

Go watch Shaq’s highlights

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48897002)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 3:38 PM
Author: avocado alpha yarmulke

they wouldnt have fouled him as much if he shot 80% FTs, so he'd get way less FT attampts

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896834)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 3:40 PM
Author: chocolate regret center

He also would score more regular points bc of that. Hack the Shaq was a whole defensive strategy

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896839)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 3:43 PM
Author: avocado alpha yarmulke

isnt wilt the giant freak of nature described in the op who could also shoot? he's 7'1 like shaq

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896842)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 3:46 PM
Author: aquamarine dog poop queen of the night

wilt was a worse ft shooter than shaq, which is why some people doubt his 28-32 performance in the 100 point game

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896846)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:03 PM
Author: chocolate regret center

he also couldn't shoot FTs worth a shit

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896892)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:22 PM
Author: mewling stead party of the first part

This seems correct. I think it would be a wash from that perspective.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896957)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 3:47 PM
Author: wild whorehouse gaping

funny fact - he went 12 for 12 at the line in an NCAA tournament

https://www.essentiallysports.com/nba-ncaa-college-basketball-news-shaquille-oneal-recalls-historic-free-throw-performance-in-finals-game-for-lsu-tigers/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896849)



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Date: May 1st, 2025 4:11 PM
Author: Misunderstood Hell Coffee Pot

I think just about the same

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48896917)



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Date: May 13th, 2025 12:02 AM
Author: curious spot

Bort NBA expert here. Like 50+.

You have to think about this dynamically in terms of points per possession. If Shaq shot 80% the defense would've had to get far less physical on him, which would've allowed him to take a greater percentage of his shots in the restricted area, where he was nearly unstoppable. The EV of a Shaq post-up would've been so astronomically high that it would have been dumb to run essentially anything else in the half-court offense, short of uncontested dunks. Thus he would've probably taken 30+ shots a game.

Defenses would've had to adjust but (1) remember that prior to 2001 it was illegal to double an off-ball offensive player, so they couldn't just front the post. Help would be regularly coming after a drop step where it's far less effective and (2) true double-team defense throughout the entirety of the clock is so low-value that you could not possibly win a game doing it.

So the answer is that almost every single possession in the half court would be a Shaq post-up and he would've converted them at a higher level of efficiency than he did IRL. The teams also would've probably abandoned perimeter lineups and maximized rebounding in those circumstances, which would've further increased the number of possessions. The only limiting factors would've been (1) fatigue/injury (especially further on in his career) and (2) his teams would probably have won many games by such big margins that he'd regularly not play 4th quarters.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5719325&forum_id=2#48925976)