NBA All-Time Mock Draft: Which NBA legends would get picked by teams right now?

6. Orlando — Shaquille O’Neal

It will be extra sad when the Orlando Magic find a way to mess up and let Shaquille O’Neal leave again, but until then the Magic can enjoy having their greatest player ever back for a few years at least.

The Magic picking Shaq here only makes sense, and it’s also the only logical explanation of why the team somehow hasn’t retired his number yet. Big Aristotle was one of the most physically dominant players ever to grace the Association, and he’s a big-time disruption to the small ball the league loves these days.

Shaq averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 blocks per game in his career, but that includes some lackluster later seasons. Looking just at his first stint with the Magic, Shaq was good for 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.8 blocks per game.

Even in the bigger and more physical era the early 90s presented, Shaq was too much for anybody to handle. These days, only the teams who draft other legendary big men are going to have a chance against him.

As good as players like Rudy Gobert are defensively, he’s just too small to really handle Shaq. I mean, this guy nearly murdered Chris Dudley in one of the most disrespectful dunks of all time.

Maybe Orlando even learned a lesson from the first go-around and will keep Shaq for more than four years this time! Who knows. Either way, putting the big guy back in those pinstripes (they have to be brought back for this) just feels like poetic justice.