The 2001 Lakers would destroy the 2017 Warriors

Prime Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neal. End of debate. There is simply no one on the 2017 Golden State Warriors roster that could handle The Big Aristotle over seven games.

Anyone under 30 reading this truly has no idea just how dominant Shaquille was — in the early 2000s — game after game, night after night. The game orbited around him. When he was on the floor he was the centre of the basketball universe in that moment in time.

Shaq destroyed better defenders than JaVale McGee, rookie Damian Jones and second-year Kevin Looney. The notion that Draymond Green could handle Shaq is worth a chuckle. Green is 6'9", 230 ... Shaq is 7'1" and 325 ... in the metric system, that is a 45kg weight difference.

Added to that, there has never been a Big Man in the history of the game with Shaq's ability to move laterally, his footwork was elite and the power. The raw unbridled power.

Before going any further in this non-debate. Watch what Shaq's peers thought of his dominance.

What about Steph Curry is the argument this debate will be filled with by Warriors fans. True, he is without doubt the greatest shooter to ever lace them up.

The game changed in the 16 years between the Lakers 2001 NBA Championship and the Warriors 2017 Championship but Shaq's size didn't.

The Lakers were deeper than the Warriors as well and had decisive advantages in the match-ups.

Starters

1. Kobe Bryant vs Steph Curry
2. Ron Harper vs Klay Thompson
3. Rick Fox vs Kevin Durant
4. Horace Grant vs Draymond Green
5. Shaquille O'Neal vs JaVale McGee

Lakers Defense and Match-ups

Bryant was second team All-NBA and second team All-NBA Defense in 2001. Shaq was All-NBA First Team and second team All-NBA Defense. There is no doubt Curry would get his but the length and athleticism of "Playoff Mamba" would test Steph. Ron Harper would have his hands full with Klay but the 14-year veteran and four-time NBA champion (three with Michael and Bulls) would do a decent enough job to keep it even for long periods of time.

Rick Fox is as tough as they come, a hard-nose defender who wouldn't give Durant anything easy but the advantage in this match-up goes to the Warriors.

Horace Grant and Draymond are less than dynamic on offense so this would be a team-influence and impact match-up.

Then we get to Shaquille. Any notion the Warriors would go small ball with Green at the five for any length of time is laughable. There is a reason why every NBA team at the turn of the century had at least three bigs on their squad ... 18 fouls minimum when the Lakers were in town.

Lakers Offense and Match-ups

Klay would have to guard Kobe because Kobe would flat-out dominant Curry with his size and athleticism, especially in the post with the Michael Jordan replica fadeaway. Shaq would absolutely manhandle McGee as he did with Defensive Player of the Year(s) Dikembe Mutombo and David Robinson. Durant is a solid defender because of his length while Fox wasn't a great offensive threat but could knock down open threes.

The benches

The Lakers have the clear advantage: Robert "Big Shot Bob" Horry, Derek Fisher, Brian Shaw and Tyronn Lue versus Andre Iguodala, Zaza Pachulia, Shaun Livingston and Ian Clark. Horry, Shaw and Fisher were all legitimate starters on most other NBA teams.

Horry's length against Durant would be a solid rotation, Fisher and Lue going at Curry while Shaw sticking his hand in Klay's face are all good match-ups for the Lakers.

The coaches

Phil Jackson. By 2001, Jackson had seven NBA championships as a coach. Steve Kerr played for Jackson at the Bulls. So it would be very much teacher versus student not to mention Tex Winter — the architect of the triangle — sitting on the Lakers bench with Jackson. Advantage Lakers.

Two players who went against Shaq explain my point perfectly.

The Playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers in 2001

Won NBA Western Conference First Round (3-0) versus Portland Trail Blazers
Won NBA Western Conference Semifinals (4-0) versus Sacramento Kings
Won NBA Western Conference Finals (4-0) versus San Antonio Spurs
Won NBA Finals (4-1) versus Philadelphia 76ers

The Golden State Warriors in 2017

Won NBA Western Conference First Round (4-0) versus Portland Trail Blazers
Won NBA Western Conference Semifinals (4-0) versus Utah Jazz
Won NBA Western Conference Finals (4-0) versus San Antonio Spurs
Won NBA Finals (4-1) versus Cleveland Cavaliers

Both clubs lost only one game in their respective playoffs runs, which is truly outstanding. The Warriors had the best record in the West and were the top seed. The Lakers won the Pacific in 2001 but it was the Spurs who won the conference and we're the one-seed. After Kobe dropped 45 on the Spurs in Game One of the WCF, Shaq said: "I told Kobe that he's my idol. I'm serious. He's playing phenomenal. When he’s playing like that, scoring, getting everybody involved, playing good defense, there’s nothing you can say. That’s where I've been trying to get him all year. He's doing the right thing. Somebody once said: 'The mark of a great player is how you make other players around you play'. I now can truly say that Kobe Bryant is the best player in this league."

Yes, the game has changed but Shaq would simply wear down the Warriors front line. Shaquille averaged 33.6 points, 14.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 20 games for the Lakers in the NBA Finals over his career.

Step has averaged 27.3 points, 6.0 assists and 5.8 rebounds in 34 games in the NBA Finals in his career, which is all world but guarding Curry vs guarding Shaq is just different.

Lakers: 4-2.

CAN YOU DIG IT! (Those who know, know)

About the Author

Peter Brown is the head coach of the Sydney Comets Women’s Youth League team in the Waratah Basketball League in NSW. He is also the assistant coach for the Comets NBL1 women’s team in the NBL East Conference. Peter is a 30-year journalist, starting as a sports reporter at the NT News in the early 1990s. He played junior basketball for the Northern Territory at national championships from U16 to U20 and for the Territory’s senior men’s team at numerous international tournaments. Peter has been a basketball fan since the early 80s, especially the NBA. Basketball is his passion — and his opinions his own. Email peter.brown@basketball.com.au with feedback. Any email feedback on articles sent to Peter can be published on basketball.com.au for others to read.