Starting Lineup
PG - John Stockton: Though he's not the force that Magic Johnson was, he was by far a better shooter from three point range, nearly as good a distributor, and remains the all-time leader in steals. Stockton is the perfect point guard when surrounded by the rest of this group.
SG - Ray Allen: The best three point shooter I've ever seen and a good all-court player, nobody could space the floor like a duo of Stockton and Allen.
SF - Michael Jordan: Normally a shooting guard, but athletically he could easily have played small forward. Jordan handles the slashing role, the clutch shooting role, and the pure scorer role.
PF - Kevin Garnett: I was tempted to put Tim Duncan here, but he hurts the floor spacing considering who I'm putting at center. And I thought about Dirk Nowitzki here as well, but he has never been a good defender or dominant rebounder. Garnett in his prime had a lethal post game, range out to 20 feet, and was the best defender and rebounder at his position. Unselfish at times to a fault, that would be no issue on this team.
C - Shaquille O'Neal: The greatest, most dominant presence in my lifetime, Shaq in his prime locked down the paint defensively, scored 30 points a game, grabbed 13 rebounds nightly, and was also an underrated passer. Imagine doubling Shaq when he could pass out to a wide open Stockton or Allen or dish to a cutting Jordan.
SG - Ray Allen: The best three point shooter I've ever seen and a good all-court player, nobody could space the floor like a duo of Stockton and Allen.
SF - Michael Jordan: Normally a shooting guard, but athletically he could easily have played small forward. Jordan handles the slashing role, the clutch shooting role, and the pure scorer role.
PF - Kevin Garnett: I was tempted to put Tim Duncan here, but he hurts the floor spacing considering who I'm putting at center. And I thought about Dirk Nowitzki here as well, but he has never been a good defender or dominant rebounder. Garnett in his prime had a lethal post game, range out to 20 feet, and was the best defender and rebounder at his position. Unselfish at times to a fault, that would be no issue on this team.
C - Shaquille O'Neal: The greatest, most dominant presence in my lifetime, Shaq in his prime locked down the paint defensively, scored 30 points a game, grabbed 13 rebounds nightly, and was also an underrated passer. Imagine doubling Shaq when he could pass out to a wide open Stockton or Allen or dish to a cutting Jordan.
Bench Crew
Magic Johnson: Because he was great, he could literally come in and play any position well. Also, he would keep all the scorers on this team well-fed.
Kobe Bryant: The Sixth Man's role is to come in and score, to provide a spark and carry the second unit. Can you imagine how happy Kobe would be if you told him, "For 20 minutes a game, just shoot the ball?"
LeBron James: Like Magic, James could probably play any position on the floor. And if you need defensive stop, imagine putting Kobe, Jordan, and LeBron on the perimeter.
Dirk Nowitzki: Perhaps a defensive liability, but a 7-footer with range to 25 feet who can put it on the deck and score, Nowitzki provides the shooting this team needs along with Allen and Stockton.
Bill Russell: We can easily call Russell one of the two best rebounders of all-time and the best defender ever. Trot out a defensive group of Jordan, Kobe, James, Garnett and Russell, and it might be the first NBA team to pitch a shutout.
--from @AdamHocking
What? No Larry? You lost me on that one. Holla back at http://thesportsdaddy.com
ReplyDeleteLarry fits as more of a small forward, and he wasn't a great defender. I want LeBron as my bench small forward because of his versatility and his shutdown defensive ability. Kobe is the 6th man assassin so I want him as my scorer off the bench. Dirk is more of a power forward type, and judging by his recent Finals performance I want him on my squad. A 7-footer that can post and knock down threes is pretty rare. Add 3 inches to Bird and you essentially have Dirk. Easily Larry could have made the list, better passer and rebounder than Dirk but ultimately I wanted Dirk's size to play power forward. If you check the upcoming list of the top-10 greatest NBA players ever, you will see Larry Legend, and you won't find Dirk. So no disrespect to Bird, he's the better all-time player than Dirk, but for my team the Big German fits better.
ReplyDeleteRespect on the all-time pick. I would, however take Larry Legend on ANY TEAM, ANYWHERE to hoop with anyone, and school them a bit along the way. That Boy could flat play on a level that was his own brand. Great players are known for their intangibles. I would love to have a time machine and see what the Hick from French Lick could do with today's players. He Magic and MJ would have a blast playing... and guess what? People would actually love the NBA again.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Larry was an all-timer, but don't sleep on people's love for the NBA. Whether it's the hatred of LeBron, the semi-revival of the Knicks,the glitz and glamor of the Lakers, or the potential of Dwight Howard and CP3 on the move, there is plenty of interest and intrigue in the Association. Game 6 of these finals got a 15 rating, last year's game 6 between the mighty Celtics and Lakers got a 10. Because of the Mavs-Heat game 6 ABC notched its most watched summer week in 10 years. The NBA is on the rise again, and plenty of people are loving it.
ReplyDeleteWatching the Finals because you hate LeBron is not loving the NBA. In fact it's the exact opposite. Interest and intrigue aren't love either. Nobody's running "I Love This Game" commercials any more. The NBA's popularity truly is surging, but I don't think it's because of a genuine love of the game.
ReplyDeleteThere's a difference between loving the players and loving the product of the league. That's what I meant. Not everyone loved Magic or Bird or MJ, they loved how those rivalries fueled the league. Just like with LeBron, or Kobe, or Kevin Durant, you can hate those guys, but you tune in because you know what they are capable of, you want to see what they will do. Just like people today love to hate the Heat, love or hate the powerhouse Lakers and Celtics, the rising Bulls, or Dirk finally getting a ring. People didn't necessarily watch the NBA in the 80's because they loved Bird and Magic or the essence of the sport, but because the rivalry intrigued them. People latch on to stories, and the Heat, the Lakers, the Celtics- those are good stories. They also latch onto personalities and big talents, and the NBA has its most talent since the 1980's and early 90's, that's a big part of why people are watching the NBA.
ReplyDeleteYou can hate LeBron and still love watching him, in fact I think that's what most people did this year. Love for the league can in fact be driven by the hatred of a single player, or the rivalry between two teams that people dislike. The Yankees always get the highest TV ratings in the world series because they are a polarizing force and they are interesting. Hating teams or players doesn't mean you don't love to watch them, even if it is just to see them fail. You say "Watching the Finals because you hate LeBron is not loving the NBA. In fact it's the exact opposite." The opposite of that statement would imply that people watched the Finals because they hate the league, that doesn't make any sense. If people hated the league, it wouldn't be spiking in popularity right now. I mean what is the league supposed to do other than generate interest and intrigue, to me that is loving the league, because it makes people want to watch it. Other than that, how are you supposed to love the league? you can't marry it. I love the NBA because it fascinates me, and the personalities whether I like them or not, are a huge part of that fascination.