Former Orlando Magic star Nick Anderson recently offered his take on which current NBA player most closely resembles the player that Shaquille O’Neal was during his time with the Magic.
According to Anderson, Phoenix Suns star Deandre Ayton checks that box.
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
Anderson is clearly very high on Ayton. The Phoenix big man has completed three seasons at the NBA level so far, and he figures to get even better as his career continues.
The Suns star has career averages of 16.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. He was a key part of Phoenix’s run to the NBA Finals last season.
He still has a long way to go if he wants to match the sort of production that O’Neal managed to pull off throughout his legendary career, but Ayton is certainly on the right track.
Ayton is hoping to help the Suns make another deep playoff run in the 2021-22 season. This time around, the 23-year-old would surely love to lead Phoenix to an NBA title.
