It's definitely a process. You're doing the right thing by soliciting opinions. Fortunately, if you're in the market, Shaq signs a lot, often under the supervision of PSA/DNA, JSA and Beckett through their "witness" programs....if your search includes those items, that will push your results much more confidently into the "legitimate" column. In the meantime, keep posting options here. We're here to help.
I’m not a fan of it either and especially when I see a distinct stop and start point in the last name. Most people when signing, especially those who sign quite a bit, don’t stop in the middle of their last name, creating a very visible lack of flow.